silicon chip/jaycar kit

I don't get the right values out from reg 1! what could be wrong?

Take a picture from your circuit board and send it by email to theremin(at)tfrenkel(dot)com, so that I may see if you placed all components correctly.

Update: We're just skyping in order to solve the problems. We already discovered that the power regulation circuit is working correctly. Now we'll try to tune it in order to see if there are still other problems.

To be continued...

Yeah! It seems to be done. We have a new Silicon Chip thereminist in Sweden!

Thank you so much for the help!
i will put up some recordings on www.myspace.com/pro424 soon.

Though i just realized that the volume anthena is chaning the pitch to :P is that a question of tuning?

Max

The most important problem is that the volume antenna is very close to the pitch antenna. So your left hand movements may influence pitch also.

Simple check:
a) Connect the theremin to an amplifier in order to get it better grounded.
b) Hold your right hand near the pitch antenna in order to hear a tone around one octave higher than middle C.
c) Now move your left hand above the volume plate within a 0 to 10 cm range. If that alters pitch by about a halftone, it's normal. If that makes much more, turn the slug of T1 a half turn clockwise and then retune T2 until you have anew the correct pitch behavior and range.

In neither case touch T3, T4 and VR2 please!

okay! i'll try it later today, cause i have oder things to do right now. How big tone range is typical for this theremin?

The best range I could get without other modifications was from about two octaves below middle C to two octaves above middle C. Finally four octaves, but tones are very close in the highest range and very spaced in the lowest range.

okay, cause i am only getting one octave, or not evan that... but i assume thats a question of tuning to?

That's a question of fine tuning by adding or subtracting some millimeters from or to the pitch antenna length. If you hear a relatively high tone when your hand is away which goes still higher when you move towards the antenna, capacitance is too big an you have to shorten the antenna slightly. If the tone goes first lower before raising when approaching the antenna, capactiance is too small and you will have to add a few millimeters.

The maximum range is only reached when
a) the theremin is properly grounded.
b) the theremin is far away from metallic parts.
c) your body is at at least a 60cm distance from the theremin.

But please do not forget one thing: The SC theremin in this version is a cheap and simple one. So don't expect it to behave like a professional instrument. If you will be more familiar with it, we may add some modifications in order to improve it.