LV3 theremin. Good choice for a beginner?

Hi friends!

I hope you can help me. I was planning to buy a Moog etherwave but, unfortunately, I spent too much money in other necessary stuff.

I want (NEED :p) to learn to play theremin! so, is a LV3 a good choice for learning before I can buy an EW?

If I learn with a LV3 could I use an EW easily in the future?

LV3 web: http://www.lostvolts.com/

Thank you!

I am no great player but I have both and I think the LV is a great little theremin for the money. So portable. No bells and whistles, but its rather easy to play and its made not too far from you I think, so if you need support that's a snap. And I think its sound is fine. I see no reason why you can't start with a LV. If G.C. is reading this I think he uses one quite a bit and will have more to say.

Theremin newbie rule #1:  Never take advice on purchasing or playing a theremin from anyone whose theremin playing you have not heard, or have not enjoyed. 

The THEREMIN is a subject on which everyone is an expert. Unlike traditional instruments, there is no universal standard for theremin linearity and configuration. The LV3 is configured quite differently from an Etherwave. It's not like learning to play the piano on the old upright in grandma's living room and then applying what you learned to your new Steinway.

If your goal is to own an Etherwave, don't waste money on some other make of theremin. Save that money and put it toward the instrument you really want.

Since he's near where LVs are made, I suggest he takes a ride over (if they have a store) and checks it out. I agree playing both is the best way to make a decision. 

And Thomas Grillo has comparisons of both on the web. That could be another valuable resource in the decision making process.

Of course, the ultimate decision re what to buy will be made by the buyer, and if ‘werewolf’ visits the nearby LV3 factory, he will probably come away with one of their theremins. As a newbie, however, he is ill equipped to know why this might not be a good idea. He is liable to be carried away on a wave of slick salesmanship and his own burning desire to get started.

I’ve seen Thomas’s comments on the LV3 and he points out that the upper register is “pinched”. That ought to be enough to deter a potential buyer provided he or she knows what that means. I have not tried the LV3 but it was Thomas Grillo’s appraisal of the instrument that made me wary of it.

That's why I said to see if he can try them both. And the gentleman that runs Lost Volts is a very nice chap. My father was born in London so I'm partial to English salesmen :-)

Me mum was born in Kent, so I am naturally suspicious of the English! LOL

The problem with Thomas Grillo’s comments and assessments generally, is that he does not like to say negative things. He wants to put as much of a positive spin as he can on everything because he’s that kind of guy. 

I, on the other hand, do not suffer from this particular aberration and much prefer to say plainly and unambiguously what I think. If it’s fucked, I will say so and go to great lengths to tell you WHY I feel the way I do.

Needless to say, this has ruffled quite a few feathers in the theremin community over the years! At least ‘werewolf’ is not contemplating the purchase of a THEREMINI or I’d have to go over there personally and stop him!

And that's why I always love your comments! Who just wants to constantly hear a yea-sayer?

By the way, my mum was born in Brooklyn, so my parents basically cancelled each other out.

He doesn't have a store, but I prearranged to visit him at home to collect mine and that was fine.

The LV3 has a pleasant, forgiving tone. The tuning is a bit odd - at some settings it introduces a bit of distortion into the sound which you may or may not find desirable. I'm probably not the best person to talk about linearity but I think it's OK-ish. Not as good as an etherwave, but better than most budget theremins. 

I have made some recordings with one but they aren't representactive of the sound as I autotuned it using an iPad app. (If you are curious, the EP is on Spotify.)

Gordon, from what you are saying the LV3 may be great for someone who wants to use the theremin for FX, experimental and aleatoric music but it is perhaps not a good choice for an aspiring precision thereminist.

“The most important thing for a newcomer to the theremin is to know where you want to go before you start out.”  Clara Rockmore

The above quote seems so obvious, but it is amazing how many beginners don't know what they want to do with the theremin. Given the difficultly of the instrument and the commitment of time and energy it demands from those who want to learn it, it is perhaps not surprising that the dropout rate is as high as it is.

Your chances of quickly abandoning the theremin and moving on to something else are significantly increased if you buy a cheap instrument and end up being disappointed.