problem with metal mic stand

argh. okay sorry to keep posting like this, but i just discovered something else. i thought it was working fine without the cover after adjusting it, but it's not. when i walk away it stops making noise but then i keep walking away and when i get to a certain distance it will start producing a constant very low pitch.

but here's my idea: i would like to try to adjust the L5 and L6 slugs again, but that manual is kind of skimpy on the details. it might be asking a lot, but is there a way someone might be able to explain to me step by step a very simple way to properly adjust those? i messed with them too much and i'm trying to follow this manual but i feel like i'm just messing it up more.

the mysteries of the theremin never cease to amaze me. i put the cover back on this time and now it just magically works perfectly. i'm afraid to take it off the mic stand now.

sigh. sorry for all my lengthy posts that probably made no sense. thank you for all your help and suggestions.

if my theremin holds up like this, i will be using at a live performance tomorrow. if it goes well, i'll share links to video footage of the show!

Live show, eh? I'd like to attend if I'm able. Can you provide more details?

~Dan

I'm in an electronic music duo called Kids Get Hit by Buses. We're performing at the EMP in their annual Sound Off! competition. We play up-beat chiptune/electro-pop/dance music with vocals.

Here's info about the show:
http://www.empsfm.org/soundoff

You can listen to one of our newer tracks on that page and there is info about tickets.

Because I'm still learning how to play it, I'll probably only use the theremin in one song very briefly, but I think it's really going to blow people away and introduce the instrument to a wide audience none the less.

If you go, make sure to find me afterwards and introduce yourself! :)

I listened to a few of your tracks. I like it!

Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it down there after all. Today/Yesterday (Friday) is/was my brother's birthday. He decided, though, to celebrate it Saturday night.

Let me know if you decide to make your way up to Kirkland and we can jam and/or I'll show you some theremin tricks.

~Dan

[i]i thought it was working fine without the cover after adjusting it, but it's not. when i walk away it stops making noise but then i keep walking away and when i get to a certain distance it will start producing a constant very low pitch.[/i]

This is normal and no reason to worry about. This small ~35Hz difference between both oscillators may be neglected seen that they are running at 285kHz. Out of that it is a question of the room temperature which may make vary this low remaining beat frequency by ~10Hz/°C (or 2.2Hz/°F in the U.S.). This effect shows that you have a good instrument with a wide pitch range.

When walking away just hang the power cord over the volume loop in order to simulate the non present mute switch.

But, your Etherwave has to be tuned internally so that it does NOT work correctly when open, but when closed since there are 8 big metal screws in the cover which affect the pitch. That is a difficult task. Either you open and close it tens of times during tuning or you may drill two holes in the cover in order to access L5 and L6 from outside.

so i used my theremin very briefly at the show tonight. i'll see if i can get some pictures or video footage up sometime.

when practicing the other day, it was working great like i said, although at the show it started having that constant pitch problem again for some strange reason. since getting it to work, all i did was take it off the stand, drive it to seattle, and put it back on the stand, so i'm not sure why it started flipping out again. seems very magical and bizarre to me. i'm definitely learning that this is an incredibly delicate instrument. despite that small problem though, i still managed to use it at the show, and it sparked some nice conversation!

and carport (er.. dan), i'd be happy to meet up sometime and have you show me a thing or two. i'll e-mail you one of these days when i get some free time for sure!

Since an Etherwave reacts on fractions of picofarads concerning pitch, it is absolutely normal that it behaves in different ways in different environments.

Stop worrying about what it does when you are more than 3 feet away, just mute it. Concentrate on what happens when your right hand is within a 20" range around the pitch rod (usable pitch range).