===== Theremin =====
//Back to [[:music:start]]..//


==== About Theremin Development ====
From Lydia Kavina: 
  * Very important that a good theremin engineer should be a good theremin player. 
  * Theremin can be sensitive to the size of the person, it affects the tuning of an instrument.
  * Stability important - different voices, imitating other instruments and singing voices, and original theremin voice. These may be needed to be tailored to different ways of playing.
  * 

Thierry, developer of Open Theremin
  * Many theremin circuits published in electronic magazines, and forums, many are well thought from point of view of engineer, but are useless for a musician.
  * We have a more limited market than a violin, which is available in many sizes. So for Theremin, a modular approach is appropriate

Eric Holloway is developer of D—Lev, and FPGA solution for Theremin.
  * He started on Theremin world 10 years, and has been working on it for 8 years, but very heavily for 4 years.
  * Built 10 kits perhaps, and several prototypes. Is having trouble to find the FPGA board that he uses, and the price has increased.
  * Very little analog in the D-lev. Doing everything numerically, and he hit on a very linear solution.
  * Jeff demonstrated Silent Night played on D-Lev during Lydia Kavina Christmas Party on 2021/12/26


Discussing Design of D-Lev
  * Lydia - D-Lev is similar to a Open Theremin type project. 


==== Models and Brands Of Theremins ====

  * Moog
    * Etherwave
    * Claravox - $1499
      * Have some volume problems, and it may be temperature related, appears volume diminishes at higher temperatures.
    * Theremini -  $399
      * Very sensitive to environment, might not work in all locations as a main theremin, good to have a backup.

  * RCA - One of the earliest brands of Theremin

  * Zep Burns

  * https://soundslikeburns.com/ -  Nice variety
    * B3 Pro Theremin
    * B3 Deluxe Theremin
    * B3 Theremin
    * Zep Theremin
    * Handheld Theremin - Battery powered

  * Hobbs
  * 


Projects
  * Open Theremin
    * Version 4 - comes with Arduino integrated. Observation: Many musicians like the Open Theremin, but were not comfortable with soldering or buying separate Arduino, or uploading firmware, etc.
      * If very cold, it can need 20 minutes to properly warm up
      * Not yet comparable to professional instruments, but improvements are ongoing.
      * Linearity is good, and it is very light weight
      * New wave table files can be created and added to Open Theremin. 
      * No editor to create custom timbres.
    * Version 5 - will have more dynamic on the fly timbre choices
  * D-Lev



==== Standard Pieces To Learn On Theremin ====
  * Lydia Kavina comment: Harmonies with violin have overtones, but Theremins don’t have the same overtones, and the melodies are much more difficult.

  * Christmas 
    * Silent Night
    * Dutch Christmas Song


==== Theremins and Cats ====
  * Cat Plays Theremin - Timmy C - https://youtu.be/M0SZLAm6WYY
  *