Moog Theremini!

@xtheremin8: @all: To darken the RCA theremin preset, just set cut off to 88.2% in the filter type row, in basic settings. For more realistic emulation, best to set note range at LO=c0, HI=c6. It's still a little more range than the genuine instrument, but gets you closer to the feel, and sound of a vintage instrument.

Oh, xtheremin8, By zeroing out all the effects in the preset, I "may" have nullified the glissando artifact on wide intervallic staccatos. I'll have to check other presets to be sure.

thomas, i thought, it's some of those €@)&*$#£} under-the-hood settings, that slowing it further down. :-)

@xtheremin8: Yeh, LOL. Code, processors, memory, not to mention code to drive the display, the rest of the hardware all contribute to the time it takes stuff to happen. At least things are headed in the right direction.

I am amazed at these heroic efforts to make the Moog Music THEREMINI look and sound like it's something resembling a viable, traditional theremin. 

I diddled around with my THEREMINI for a few weeks, upgraded it with the most recent firmware, and finally decided it was what I originally thought it was….a toy.

I dumped it on ebay.

Some people seem to think that we in the theremin community should support the THEREMINI, not because it is a quality instrument but simply because it is the coolest and latest thing on the market bearing the name “Moog” and we should therefore be supportive.

Sorry guys. The emperor is marchin’ down the street naked as a jay bird so let’s not applaud the ermine and brocade.

before i go totaly scizzofrenetic about theremins anyway most of the time, i wonder, if it's possible to replicate/imitate those fat bottom sounds, (even the soprano is rattling) and some of the other sound-voice modulation from that impressive instrument shown here:

rob schwimmer shows the l.b rosen pt2. and rob schwimmer checks the lb rosen pt1   

assuming it will  end up in a () imitation of a heard sound, coming out off a speaker from a yutub-video recorded with a camera (good sound recording, me thinks) from the original instrument....

guess it's not just a humble fumble on the knobs and there are not as many of them as one could need....the vids are mostly posted as a reminder how a true one sounds like.

edit: thanks coalport for the words of reason. got me back to bottom just in time.

True, the Theremini is NEVER, ever going to measure up to an enhanced, or even a stock Etherwave Standard, or B3. IT HAS PROBLEMS! Yes. I grant that. It's volume loop has latency, the visual appearance SUCKS!, The volume loop looks die cut, or laser cut from plate aluminum, and is not removable. The screen is ultra tiny. It's made of PLASTIC, for god's sake! It gets unstable if left on for 10 hours.

When it was demoed in my studio several months back I very nearly tossed the Moog rep out on his ear with that abomination flying behind.

The sad fact of the matter is, it's unfortunately what most of my potential students are gravitating towards due to the cost. When it was in such rutty condition back then, I absolutely would NOT provide instructions using the Theremini. However. Even with it's current issues, it's at least been brought to a condition it's now "actually" playable enough a student could learn with it, and I feel I should at least learn everything there is to know about this thing if a student comes to me with one.

I'd prefer my students use Etherwaves, or B3s. However, as an instructor I have to be prepared for the eventual probability more of my students will be using them. I'm not happy about that, but thems the hazards.

Coalport, I'm willing to bet you dumped yours prior to 1.1.0. No matter, it's gone now, and as a professional, I don't blame you for dumping it. You don't teach, you just play, and you should only be playing pro grade gear.

I can tell you that even in the short time I've been working with the Theremini, I know that no amount of work I do with the presets will ever miraculously bring the Theremini up to pro grade, or even intermediate status. At best, I can at least make it a bit more worth while for those who are unable to afford a better instrument.

Were it not for the 1.1.0 update, and having tried a Theremini with the update in person, I would likely not have bothered. It is what it is. an amateur, entry student grade, to lower intermediate grade instrument at this point.

It's got a very long way to go, but it's now "good" enough for teaching with, at least. Not what I'd want to be seen performing with outside of the studio, or lecture hall, though.

For me the Theremini was foretold in this Russian poem years ago, which I have posted from time to time.

"Mounds of human heads are wandering into the distance.
 I dwindle among them. Nobody sees me. But in books
 much loved and in children's toys I shall rise
 from the dead to say the sun is shining."

Osip Mandelstam of Russia 1891-1938

Digital is where today’s younger generation gravitates. It does sound good to those that rarely listen to instruments of natural sound. Most know what I think an authentic theremin should sound like, yet this instrument seems to guide many to their own self interpreted personal experience.

Christopher

"The QuickTake 100 was released in 1994 as an easy-to-use digital camera that connected to any Macintosh computer by way of an Apple serial cable. The camera was capable of storing eight photos at 640×480 resolution, 32 photos at 320×240 resolution, or a mixture of both sizes. All photos were at 24-bit color. The camera had a built-in flash, but no focus or zoom controls. Other than downloading the photos to a computer, there was no way to preview them on the camera, nor was there any way to delete individual photos from the camera (though there was a recessed 'trash' button which would delete the entire contents of the camera). It was one of the first digital cameras released targeted to consumers." (From Wikipedia)

Just like all the other early digital cameras, it was a heap of junk that no serious photographer would ever consider buying. If the general public had any sense whatsoever they would not have bought any digital cameras at that time. And that would have been the end of digital cameras.

My point being - criticise the theremini all you like, but don't criticise people for buying it anyway - who knows where it will lead...

"...(though there was a recessed 'trash' button which would delete the entire contents of the camera)"  - GordonC

The Theremini could use one of those!  ;-)   Honestly, Moog Inc. should have went with a more generic UI so that product development could continue going in random directions until the end of time.

Firmware "upgrades" are a two edged sword.  When done correctly, all the major design issues and bugs are hammered out during development, and the customer may at most experience some minor unexpected behavior only when performing some rare, unusual, or obscure procedure on the device.  The decision as to whether or not to perform a firmware upgrade is largely optional, and only neurotic completists actually end up doing it.

When done incorrectly the new firmware load fixes glaring errors / bugs by radically altering the device - and with this brings the possibility of a rash of new bugs - and the loyal customer is forced into a beta testing role for the company.  The Theremini baguette was half-baked, and they're trying to make up for poor hardware and software decisions after the horse has left the barn. 

It's ironic in the extreme to see Moog Inc. floundering around like this with a freakin' Theremin of all things.  More power to them, godspeed, etc, but they're not getting any more of my money until and unless I see compelling evidence to the contrary of their seeming inability to find their collective asses using both hands.

those ipad crashes while saving .. etc...troubles:  solved so far, thanx to that .syx file, the moogies just sent. jeeeeses, that was so easy to get it back working.and took so,long.

dewster, good points. i actually feel like one of those  betatested guinneapigs! 

one might pick on the 21th century kids as much as one likes, so what. i don't think the analog theremin days are over, regarding the pop-up of 4expl. "magnetovore" ealier this year. or those photos of a subscope in the photo album. there was a bit too much fuzz and hype on the theremini right after namm, and the first impresssions were dissapointing. what a strategie of doin bisniss.   so i hope it doesn't take 20 years to get that theremini-device developed into a true instrument. like with that camera.

what you call one that plays theremini? thereminimist? gestural controller?