theremin aerials....

hey all, need some advice. I've just completed this ciruit, http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y125/tatems/simple_digital.gif

I'm hoping to incorporate this device into an interactive art installation using cymatics and standing waves etc, but I was wondering could anyone help me figure out how to make this device more sensitive to and how I could build a good aerial for it??? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

if you got some copper grounding wire from the hardware store you could use the strands to make any shape of arial you like with that.

that's what i am doing anyway.. Personally I would like to try some wireframe icosahedron and dodecahedron shaped arials.

does the size of the aerial affect the sensitivity range of the theremin??? I'm sorry i'm a complete beginner here.

"Does the size of the aerial affect the sensitivity range of the theremin??? I'm sorry I'm a complete beginner here."

I'm no expert on this topic, so take it for what it's worth.

I'd have to say YES. Since the antenna acts as one "plate" in a capacitor, the surface area, and therefore the capacitance, will increase with the increase in the size of the antenna. Increasing the "size" would probably increase the "sensitivity" as well.

The trick is that you don't make the antenna so large as to increase the capacitance beyond the circuit's ability to tune properly. If it does, you would probably have to change the value of other components in the circuit to "retune" the circuit.

Actually, a longer antenna decreases sensitivity in the vertical axis, which is highly desirable for the pitch antenna (that is, you want the antenna to respond to motion to and from the antenna and have little/no response to up/down motion).

High sensitivity is really the goal with the pitch antenna for too high of a sensitivity results in note spacing that is too narrow. Moderate sensitivity and linearity are the goals with a theremin's pitch antenna.

When I replaced my Theremax's stock antenna with a longer one the Theremax's playability increased greatly.

So what you are all saying is that size matters....

I have some related questions, posted on a new thread:

http://www.thereminworld.com/forum.asp?F=3&T=2648&cmd=p&p=1

If anybody could help out, I would be super appreciative!