I believe so - one of 5 travelling to the UK. Even if it's not, I'll still be very pleased.
Alexander's progress
Posted: 6/11/2007 9:00:51 AM
Congrats on the birthday, and the Pro. Whatever color it is, you'll enjoy it to the point of adiction. If it's the black body, look at it this way, it's the model Bob Moog designed.
Enjoy that Pro, you deserve it.
Enjoy that Pro, you deserve it.
Posted: 6/11/2007 9:58:42 AM
Alexander,
The Epro is a great instrument. May you experience much enjoyment making music on your new Epro.
[i]-- Kevin[/i]
The Epro is a great instrument. May you experience much enjoyment making music on your new Epro.
[i]-- Kevin[/i]
Posted: 6/11/2007 10:40:33 AM
Many thanks!
Kevin, I did get your Myspace message a couple of weeks back. Sorry I didn't respond... it arrived at a time when my consciousness was completely consumed by something else. I'll respond with details at some point soon.
Kevin, I did get your Myspace message a couple of weeks back. Sorry I didn't respond... it arrived at a time when my consciousness was completely consumed by something else. I'll respond with details at some point soon.
Posted: 6/11/2007 11:42:03 AM
Alexander,
No problem. I'm currently dealing with some overload myself these days.
Would enjoy reading about how you utilize the RC-50.
Do you work with stereo on it? Have you tried to route loops to your aux output?
[i]-- Kevin[/i]
No problem. I'm currently dealing with some overload myself these days.
Would enjoy reading about how you utilize the RC-50.
Do you work with stereo on it? Have you tried to route loops to your aux output?
[i]-- Kevin[/i]
Posted: 7/8/2007 8:25:25 AM
Well the Pro came the other day - it's one of the woodback ones, and it's very very lovely.
The playability is a huge improvement. It holds notes better, and the register switch combined with that fantastic cello-like timbre in the low end (not so keen on that sound once it gets much higher) really works when looped.
The Pro has a capacity for expressiveness I've not found in other Theremins. In fact it makes the Etherwave Standard feel like just a fancy hobbyist's kit - this thing feels really good to play. It can be "plucked", as it were, to yield the walking bass sounds that Pamelia shows off but a little delay can also produce bell-like sounds in the high registers which when layered provide some very haunting tinkly noises.
I've found it draws me more towards making noise. I've moved back into improv territory quite quickly and I'm concerned less about playing Rachis et al live now than I am performing long improvised pieces with lots of layered stringy sounds and howling noises. I'm wanting to add a lot more delay pedals to my rig, I have a friend who's selling his Giga Delay and I'm pretty determined to snap it up. This will hopefully mean being a lot more creative with the whole looping process and a dip back into making noise music which is a lot more fun. I can see it doing a lot for my stage fright, having those cathartic moments which I pretty much abandoned when I took up the Theremin.
In summary, then, I like the Etherwave Pro very very much.
The playability is a huge improvement. It holds notes better, and the register switch combined with that fantastic cello-like timbre in the low end (not so keen on that sound once it gets much higher) really works when looped.
The Pro has a capacity for expressiveness I've not found in other Theremins. In fact it makes the Etherwave Standard feel like just a fancy hobbyist's kit - this thing feels really good to play. It can be "plucked", as it were, to yield the walking bass sounds that Pamelia shows off but a little delay can also produce bell-like sounds in the high registers which when layered provide some very haunting tinkly noises.
I've found it draws me more towards making noise. I've moved back into improv territory quite quickly and I'm concerned less about playing Rachis et al live now than I am performing long improvised pieces with lots of layered stringy sounds and howling noises. I'm wanting to add a lot more delay pedals to my rig, I have a friend who's selling his Giga Delay and I'm pretty determined to snap it up. This will hopefully mean being a lot more creative with the whole looping process and a dip back into making noise music which is a lot more fun. I can see it doing a lot for my stage fright, having those cathartic moments which I pretty much abandoned when I took up the Theremin.
In summary, then, I like the Etherwave Pro very very much.
Posted: 8/24/2007 6:15:35 AM
It's been a while since I made a post to this "personal progress" bit and I figured that with a gig in two days' time it might be nice to think aloud.
I've gone very very noise and I'm trying not to do it to the point that the Theremin takes a back seat. I've just been exploring lots of new ways to make sounds with it. My effects board now includes a harmonizer, a fuzzbox, a delay pedal and a reverb pedal in that order. I'm also considering bringing in an old Marshall overdrive I've got knocking about.
This has been in the aid of creating music with a little more textural integrity without having to resort to synthesizers or needlessly obscure backing instruments. The theory is that creating distorted or artificially modulated sounds using the Theremin would be better suited to the sound of the clean signal. They're different timbres, in many cases without notes, but they behave in similar ways to the Theremin.
It's been a case of not making these useless background drones and washes as well. There's a kind of melodic chainsaw effect that, with massive pitch sweeps and abrupt volume changes (see Pamelia's walking bass technique) can be looped up using the DD6's 'hold' function to make beats and other rhythmic patterns which I can pass to the RC-50 for however many bars I wish. The same sound, when played with constant pitch, can be used to created long distorted progressions รก la Final (http://www.myspace.com/officialfinal) or similar. It's also good for out-and-out noise.
I've been making a lot of stuff that sounds vaguely like cathedral organ drones with the classic "soaring strings" effect on top.
My sets have drifted back into long improvisations which I didn't think would happen, I spent a lot of the first half of this year writing "songs" but I kind of miss that spontaneity - I think the opportunity to have random cathartic moments helped my stage fright a lot.
Also writing much piano music now and will hopefully be laying down more restrained and sweet stuff on record.
I've gone very very noise and I'm trying not to do it to the point that the Theremin takes a back seat. I've just been exploring lots of new ways to make sounds with it. My effects board now includes a harmonizer, a fuzzbox, a delay pedal and a reverb pedal in that order. I'm also considering bringing in an old Marshall overdrive I've got knocking about.
This has been in the aid of creating music with a little more textural integrity without having to resort to synthesizers or needlessly obscure backing instruments. The theory is that creating distorted or artificially modulated sounds using the Theremin would be better suited to the sound of the clean signal. They're different timbres, in many cases without notes, but they behave in similar ways to the Theremin.
It's been a case of not making these useless background drones and washes as well. There's a kind of melodic chainsaw effect that, with massive pitch sweeps and abrupt volume changes (see Pamelia's walking bass technique) can be looped up using the DD6's 'hold' function to make beats and other rhythmic patterns which I can pass to the RC-50 for however many bars I wish. The same sound, when played with constant pitch, can be used to created long distorted progressions รก la Final (http://www.myspace.com/officialfinal) or similar. It's also good for out-and-out noise.
I've been making a lot of stuff that sounds vaguely like cathedral organ drones with the classic "soaring strings" effect on top.
My sets have drifted back into long improvisations which I didn't think would happen, I spent a lot of the first half of this year writing "songs" but I kind of miss that spontaneity - I think the opportunity to have random cathartic moments helped my stage fright a lot.
Also writing much piano music now and will hopefully be laying down more restrained and sweet stuff on record.
Posted: 8/24/2007 12:14:21 PM
That was really interesting to hear Alexander.
What strikes me, though you are describing technical tools and approaches and sonic balance and how instruments have drawn you in one direction or another;
it sounds to me that those personal guidelines and influence of the objects themselves would lead to much more organic music and sound work.
So often an electronic tool causes us to work "it's way" after working with Cakewalk for a long time I found I was writting for the program and not exactly what I originally intended to create. So I switched to paper for a while and then to other ways of making a recording without the old lap top and it was very good for me.
No matter what the instrument or technology or style I always enjoy work that creates it's on world and is consistent on it's own terms: Organic is still the only word I can think of, and I love the way you described how you're approacing the tools and letting them influence you to make that happen.
And now piano works, cool can't wait.
Experiencing music making and realizing "there are no wrong notes" and that it helped your stage fright is encouraging, I'm glad you can share that, so many won't admit to it and it's a common problem.
thanks.
What strikes me, though you are describing technical tools and approaches and sonic balance and how instruments have drawn you in one direction or another;
it sounds to me that those personal guidelines and influence of the objects themselves would lead to much more organic music and sound work.
So often an electronic tool causes us to work "it's way" after working with Cakewalk for a long time I found I was writting for the program and not exactly what I originally intended to create. So I switched to paper for a while and then to other ways of making a recording without the old lap top and it was very good for me.
No matter what the instrument or technology or style I always enjoy work that creates it's on world and is consistent on it's own terms: Organic is still the only word I can think of, and I love the way you described how you're approacing the tools and letting them influence you to make that happen.
And now piano works, cool can't wait.
Experiencing music making and realizing "there are no wrong notes" and that it helped your stage fright is encouraging, I'm glad you can share that, so many won't admit to it and it's a common problem.
thanks.
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