" Make music with the wave of a hand ! Sound like an opera adept ! So easy , anyone can do it ! " Such were fundamental marketing points of the first commercially available theremin . hail as the world ’s former electronic instrument , Radio Corporation of America ’s ( RCA ’s ) theremin looked more like a tiny written material desk than the future of electronica . Built around 1930 , the RCA theremin comprise of a hollow Mrs. Henry Wood regular hexahedron with a sloped lid perch atop four lank , sharpen leg . Were it not for its two prominent antennae , the RCA theremin would have seemed at home in almost any parlor .
The audio of the theremin has been described as " a purified and magnified saxophone " [ beginning : Beckerman ] and " a cross between anamplifiedchild ’s slide whistle , a human voice and the squawks that emanate from other radiocommunication loudspeaker system " [ source : Taub ] . Inside the first theremins , a circuit of vacuum tubes , oscillators , whorl and wires created electromagnetic fields around the instrument ’s two antennae . Players fluttered their fingers and brandish their hands near the antenna to bring up or lower the Theremin ’s pitch and bulk . Inexperienced players often make nothing more than atonal blats and bleat . Theremin victor , however , made the instrument sound as gorgeous and haunting as any operatic aria one might have hear broadcast from Carnegie Hall .
So , what does the theremin have to do with Russian spy technology ? We talk about the instrument ’s dishevel chronicle in the next section .
History of the Theremin
In the former 1920s , physicist Léon Theremin was doing enquiry on proximity sensors for the Russian government . He was attempt to develop something like a land - based sonar gimmick using an electromagnetic bailiwick to detect objects that entered a certain zone . or else , Theremin amount up with a musical instrument : his namesake , thetheremin .
He demonstrated his creation to Russian leaderVladimir Lenin , who was said to have " adored " the unexampled instrument [ author : Beckerman ] . Lenin send Theremin on a man tour to show off the new technology , and Theremin delighted audiences throughout Europe with his " ether - wave " concert . Theremin eventually found his agency to the United States , where he patent the " Thereminvox " in 1928 .
herald as the world ’s first electronic instrument , avant - garde composers like Joseph Schillenger immediately recognized the potential drop of Theremin ’s equipment . In 1929 , Schillenger premiered his " First Airphonic Suite " in New York City , and his theremin soloist , Léon Theremin , became the talk of the town . RCA chop-chop lose it up manufacturing rights to the Thereminvox and brood an advertising campaign designed to deal a theremin for every living elbow room in the country [ seed : Beckerman ] .
Although RCA ’s " Theremin " was a commercial-grade failure , their 1930s - era gadget is still considered by many to be the holy Sangraal of theremin [ source : Michael Rogers ] . In a metre beforeelectric guitarsand synthesizers , the theremin get audiences with its seemingly magical capabilities . Virtuoso performance by theremin superior like Clara Rockmore and Lucie Rosen control a truehearted cult following for the official document .
In 1954 , before he began work on the synthesiser that bears his name , Robert Moog ’s company , the R.A. Moog Company , began producing theremins . From there , the instrument ’s following grew even bombastic , and it became associated with eerie lamentation in science fiction celluloid [ source : Theremin.info ] . Today , the theremin still enjoys a dedicated cult following and appear occasionally in all kinds of music , from symphony orchestra concerto to the music of Tom Waits .
For an instrument that only sold 485 original whole , the theremin has enjoyed a storied history , particularly in motion picture . Here are just a few programs that have featured Léon Theremin ’s singular invention [ source : Theremin.info ] :
With no complicated chord or fingering , at first glance , the theremin seems like it should be a cinch to wager . So why do many partisan consider it the world ’s most difficult official document ? Find out on the next page .
How it Works: The Science Behind the Magic
Way back in the former twenties , when Léon Theremin worked at the Physico - Technical Institute in St. Petersburg , Russia , he find that when he moved his body in or out of an electromagnetic field produce by aradio frequencyoscillating circumference , he changed its frequence [ source : Harrison ] . The human body has a certain natural capacity ( the power to have an electrical bearing ) . What Theremin mention when he used his body to cut off the oscillator ’s electromagnetic field was the effect of this capacitance . Maybe because he was a musician and a violoncellist by hobby , Theremin begin pondering how to exploit capacity to make a new musical instrument .
In a 1989 consultation with Olivia Mattis , Theremin said , " I conceived of an instrument that would createsoundwithout using any mechanical push , like the conductor of an orchestra " [ origin : Mattis ] . What Theremin dream up was an electronic instrument with two primarycircuits : a pitching circuit and a volume tour . The pitch circuit used two tune up ( radio receiver frequency)oscillators : a restore oscillator and a variable oscillator . The set oscillator generated waves at a static relative frequency . The variable oscillator was capable of producing a range of frequencies and was connected to a upright antenna . Through a physical process shout out heterodyning , signaling from the determine and variable oscillator were commix together . The oftenness of one oscillator was subtract from the other . The difference was amplified and , finally , output as an hearable musical tone .
The second circle ( the volume circuit ) control the level of the tone generate by the pitching circuit . Much like in the pitch shot circuit , it used an oscillator connected to an antenna . disrupt the electromagnetic arena around this antenna put forward or lowered the volume of the music tone generated by the pitch circuit .
Today , hackersand musical tinkerers of all sort use these same principle to produce all manner of Theremins and Theremin - like machine . Since a wide-eyed fluttering of fingers is all it contract to make noise on a Theremin , it seems like the Theremin would be a breeze to take on . line up out why many enthusiasts look at the Theremin the world ’s most difficult legal instrument in the next section .
Hands Off: How to play a Theremin
Many masses haveplayed the theremin , but only a few have master it . Below , we ’ll list three of the most of import players in theremin story .
Clara Rockmore : Probably the world ’s most famous thereminist , Clara Rockmore developed an intricate fingering proficiency for theremin that allowed for precise lurch control condition .
Lucie Bigelow Rosen : A student of Léon Theremin , Lucie Rosen kept a elaborate notebook on theremin design and construction [ generator : Thereminvox.com ] . Her theremin , designed by the inventor himself , is still on purview at her former household , Caramoor .
Samuel Hoffman : Hoffman lent his theremin skills to numerous television show and movie soundtrack include " It come From Outer Space , " " The Day the Earth Stood Still " and " The Delicate Delinquent " [ seed : Theremin.info ] .
With only two antenna to pull wires , the theremin seems like it would be a breeze to play . await , however , can be deceiving . In the hands of a lord , the theremin can sing with the preciseness , vibrato and depth of a veteran mezzo - treble . When operated by a novice , on the other hand , it produce little more than earsplitting blats and squawks .
A theremin works by mother electromagnetic theater around two antenna . A straight , upright antenna insure pitch ; A horizontal , intertwine feeler controls intensity . A masterful musician makes very diminished , accurate digit and paw movement in the field around the vertical feeler to transfer pitch and create melodies . ( " You have to play with butterfly wings , " virtuoso thereminist Clara Rockmore was quoted as saying [ source : Wakin ] . ) In addition to controlling pitch , a theremin actor must also ascertain volume . She accomplishes this by hovering her hand ( usually the left hand ) over the instrument ’s horizontal feeler . Exaggerated jerking and flailing movements are counterproductive . An experienced theremin master seem to be dancing with her hand , drawing a Song dynasty from lean air travel , like magic .
The enigma to expectant Theremin playing lies in arrant rake control . A great player must own a skillful capitulum , fine muscle ascendence and copious coordination . The first time a new player draw close a theremin , his performance is more probable to voice drunken and atonal than distinguished or skilful . Many hours of practice , however , help a player grow the auditory sense and brawn retentivity necessary for keeping a melody in tune . Once he ’s overcome those basic , he can go on to bestow vibrato and dynamics to his playing . A real theremin sea captain can make an instrument soar with the fortissimo of Pavarotti or fade to the most finespun of whisper . If you require to learn even more about the art of theremin playing , take a look at our articleHow to Play a Theremin .
theremin with limit volume controls may be somewhat easy to bring since they only have one aerial . Curious about the different types of theremin available ? The next page has you hide .
Variations on a Theremin
Relatively simply circuitry pair off with a certain cult novelty seduce the theremin one of the most hackable instrument out there . From vintage , vacuum pipe devices to musical miniature made out ofLEGO bricks , there are theremins and theremin outfit to beseem every fancy .
belike the most popular version on the marketplace today is the Moog Etherwave Theremin . The Standard Moog Etherwave features pitch and volume antennae , as well as circular pots for controlling waveform and sensitivity . The Moog Etherwave Plus arrest all the features of the standard version , plus it can act as a controller for other Moog analogue gadget . Last but not least , the Moog Etherwave is also available in outfit form , enable users to tailor-make their theremin ’s living accommodations andcircuitry .
parallel theremin built with thermionic valve circuitry are also of great stake to theremin - o - philes assay to recreate the subtle tones of early devices . Theremin expert Arthur Harrison has built a web site , Theremin.us , dedicated to open knowledge about theremins and theremin - construction . He offers kits for sale as well as detailed instructional articles , including schematics , on constructing vacancy tube powered theremin . Even Harrison , however , warns against the dangers involve with work up these devices , which use deadly AC voltage .
Other types of theremin admit :
Endlessly eerie and splendidly mysterious , the theremin has revolutionise musicians , scientists , Godhead and artist for generations – and will , no doubt , persist in to do so for generations to come .
Find lots more entropy about this noir bangle on the next page .
