recording theremini

hello everybody, it's my first post and forgive my english, too! :)

i'm not a theremin player but i'd like to learn, so i'm thinking about buying a theremini for different reasons, it's affordable, it seems a good compromise between price & quality and, obviously pitch correction.

yesterday i read ALL those pages on that "infamous" thread where you were discussing theremini since its announcement. i got to say i'm a bit scared to say "pitch correction" because of all you purists, haha :) but anyway, i think it might be helpful at the beginning to learn a bit how to use the theremin, plus (i'm scared to say that, too) the only thing i've NEVER liked about the classic theremin is that only sound. don't get me wrong, i like the sound, it's just that i don't like it if it's the ONLY sound i can get, so, the theremini's different sounds plus that app moog gives us, i mean.. it could be fun, right? 

now, my main question: is it possible to record the theremini just by plugging into a computer/mac and using a daw to record it? i know it would take me months before i can get something at least listenable from that instruments, but i would prefer if i could just plug into a machine and record, instead of using a microphone and an amplifier. is that possible? do you know something about? everytime i search for this on google i got tons of different answers by other people on other forums, and usually they use such difficult terms! i'm new to the world of recording so.. well, you got my point :)

thanks & greetings from italy :)

paolo

If your sound card has a stereo recording input (Theremini has stereo outs - though you can use one for mono) than I assume you can record direct to your DAW if your DAW sees that sound interface. Better of course if you have a audio interface with an preamp gain on it. You'll likely need a dual 1/4" to 1/8" stereo adapter cable.

rkram53 thanks for your answer! my plan is to buy an external audio card so i'm glad to know i can connect the theremini. anyway from what i read you're not sure about the recording directly to the daw. i was hoping to find someone who actually tried and managed to do it..

well, thank you anyway!

paolo

I don't l know what you mean directly to DAW then. I always record directly to my DAW (Cubase) with all my theremins including Theremini. But I do it through my audio interface (which is also my mixer). Are you asking can you record through the MIC (or Line In if you have it) input of your laptop or PC's sound card? As long as your DAW sees it as a valid sound input I don't see why not - though it might not sound that good. And in that case I'd likely use a DI box. But no I have never tried that so I can't tell you how good it will sound with the Theremini.

But hey, I'll try hooking up the Theremini to my laptop's audio in if you want to know what it might sound like.

OK. I connected the Theremini to the Line In on my soundcard and it recorded fine using the free version of Presonus's Studio One DAW for a test. I've never actually recorded using the sound card. I always use my Mackie Mixer's audio interface and Cubase (but Cubase only sees my VST audio). So I see no reason you can't if you can live with the audio quality of your sound card.

Haven't played the Theremini in a few months, but here's a sample of what you can do playing melodically. Someone asked about easy Halloween pieces a while back and I thought The Death of Ase from Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite #1 might work well. I think it just might. Had a little fun quickly playing the first part in on the Theremini using an altered patch I created with Moog's great (and free) Theremini Editor. Have to do up a better and full version.

The Death of Ase - Peer Gynt #1

I have the accompaniment on my accompaniment's page for those that want to play the whole thing.

rkram53, THANK YOU very much for your answers :)

i'm sorry if i cant explain myself better, the language is an obstacle plus i have absolutely no experience with home recording, so i'm on that stage where you dont know how to start and just read read read anything you can find on the internet, so my head is full of terms i dont even know what's the meaning of, haha :)

anyway i guess the problem started when i read a theremini review of a guy who said something like "there's no way to record plugging the instruments to my computer, so it's completely useless". probably he didnt know what he was talking about.

i'll try to be clearer in what i need to know. i don't want to connect the theremini to my computer using the mic/line in, and i don't want to record the theremini using a microphone and an amplifier. i was asking if i can connect the theremini to a proper (and quality) external audio card and record it "live" while playing it with the computer actually recording what i'm playing. as if i was using a "vst".  so, without  microphones, amplifiers and all that stuff.  from what you wrote in the messages i think it can be done, i think :)

thanks, again

paolo

by the way, nice track and playing :)

Paolo,

Thanks - And your English is absolutely fine!

Yes, what they probably meant is that there is no USB audio interface on it that lets you record or play the Theremini directly through the USB interface. So it can't be thought of in exactly the same terms as most modern synths with USB control. It's really a hybrid combination of Theremin and Synthesizer, but meant to be played as a theremin.

The USB on the Theremini is only used as a MIDI interface right now. You can't play it as a VST plug-in from your DAW or record through VST. It also has no MIDI Note support right now so you can't send MIDI Note on/Note Off messages to it (though you can play it through MIDI with trickery using transposition but that is of limited value).

But to record directly to your DAW, all you need is a cable that will connect the Theremini's 1/4" outputs to the 1/8" Mini jack on your computer (if you want to record Theremini stereo outputs you'll need a dual 1/4" Mono to 1/8 Stereo cable). So your computer needs to have a Mic In (better a Line In) on your sound card and make sure your DAW can see its driver (you can check if your DAW can see this now). It will likely be the DirectSound driver (that's what is is on my computer for the Sound Card).

So now your real decision is whether for the music you want to make, is a Theremini or Theremin is the right choice. But you will have the same recording issues with both (though most theremins only have a mono out).

Rich