Theremin, weird music instrument
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- OBBTKN
Was looking for some sound instruments for my ipad, and find this on TED, ace!
- inhaler970
aaah, The theremin. The redheaded step child of instruments, but once you discover it, it just fascinates ones imagination.
- d_rek0
It's been around for quite some time... IIRC Jimmy Page used one when performing with Led Zeppelin back in the day... on dazed and confused I believe? I also saw one used at a live performance a few years back for Les Claypool & His Fancy Band. The weird chick that played a Sitar also used it.
A musician friend of mine owns one but doesn't use it all that often. It's kind of fun to just play with. It's like an antennae and all you do is interrupt the signal with your hand / objects etc... kinda cool how it works.
- Nathan_Adams0
Theremins can be adapted into other uses as well. Z.VEX build them into some of their guitar pedals, so you can control things like fuzz, wah and tremelo by proximity, and even some custom builders sticking them in guitars themselves. Crazy shit, but cool.
There's some kits around to build your own as well (normal theremins, not the guitar pedals)
- kingsteven0
an actual theremin has two high frequency (inaudible) oscillators, one fixed, one variable - controlled by the antenna. what you hear is the difference (beat frequency) between the oscillators - that's how such a small change in capacitance creates such a large shift in pitch and why it sounds so unique. now we can do the same thing by converting that capacitance in to a control voltage (ala Z.vex etc.) but important to note how the theremin was so ahead of the curve.
- locustsloth0
a not incredibly deft example of the instrument in use in at one time modern music (it's what popped into my head)
@2:38And then, of course, there's this
- on good vibes that's an 'electro-theremin' - uses a ribbon controller/ not an antennaekingsteven
- ben_0
Can use them to control video as well, at least one with a midi output. Is fuuuun.
- ben_0
Can use them to control video as well, at least one with a midi output. Is fuuuun.
- showpony0
no kidding, the documentary about the theramin is on of the best docs i've ever seen... i highly recommend:
http://www.amazon.com/Theremin-A…
the inventor of it got kidnapped by the kgb, was in russia for 50 years, forgot how to speak english, and then reunites with his wife in russia randomly on the street... ridiculous stuff.