KVR Audio

Soniccat · Post by **Soniccat** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 4:01 am

Pretty cool tune (Opiumden) Scott. I think I hear the Theremin in there, adds alot of atmospherics to the song and that is probably how I will use it myself. If you get the Big Briar Etherwave pro I hope to hear some more in future music from you. Thanks for sharing that. I got your Four Whorsemen lp and will have to listen tomorrow and see if I can spot it on there.

PaulSC · Post by **PaulSC** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 4:25 am

A couple of nights ago I got see Bob Moog play one of these (Etherwave Pro) himself!

It was at a screening of the Moog documentary film (http://www.zu33.com/moog/) here in Santa Cruz. We're not far from San Francisco, where AES is/was taking place. So someone had the bright idea of bringing Moog out for a Q & A session after the movie. He is very sharp, very down-to-earth, and full of great stories. Got a standing ovation from the crowd here.

The movie drags a bit now and then, but it's cool seeing Moog in his workshop, and there's some good music, including a show-stopping theremin performance by Pamelia Kurstin. As for Moog's talents as a thereminist ... let's just say that's not what he'll be remembered for!

Soniccat · Post by **Soniccat** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 4:35 am

PaulSC wrote

A couple of nights ago I got see Bob Moog play one of these (Etherwave Pro) himself!

It was at a screening of the Moog documentary film (http://www.zu33.com/moog/) here in Santa Cruz. We're not far from San Francisco, where AES is/was taking place. So someone had the bright idea of bringing Moog out for a Q & A session after the movie. He's is very sharp, very down-to-earth, and full of great stories. Got a standing ovation from the crowd here.

The movie drags a bit now and then, but it's cool seeing Moog in his workshop, and there's some good music, including a show-stopping theremin performance by Pamelia Kurstin. As for Moog's talents as a thereminist ... let's just say that's not what he'll be remembered for!

I hope that movie comes to buffalo, I have heard alot of good things about it. Olivia Mattes, who is one of the worlds experts in Theremins, has interviewed Bob Moog a number of times has said that he is not real musically inclined. He came to give a lecture at where I work a couple of years ago (I must have been asleep that week cause I missed it

) and he apparently played some music on one of his instruments and was not very good. He is still a genious whether he can play or not.

deastman · Post by **deastman** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 5:27 am

PaulSC wrote:A couple of nights ago I got see Bob Moog play one of these (Etherwave Pro) himself!

It was at a screening of the Moog documentary film (http://www.zu33.com/moog/) here in Santa Cruz. We're not far from San Francisco, where AES is/was taking place. So someone had the bright idea of bringing Moog out for a Q & A session after the movie. He is very sharp, very down-to-earth, and full of great stories. Got a standing ovation from the crowd here.

The movie drags a bit now and then, but it's cool seeing Moog in his workshop, and there's some good music, including a show-stopping theremin performance by Pamelia Kurstin. As for Moog's talents as a thereminist ... let's just say that's not what he'll be remembered for!

Damn! I totally forgot about it. Hopefully Bob will make an appearance for the San Francisco showing...

Back on topic- the Etherwave is absolutely the best sounding theremin around. I've played with one a few times, and I wish I had one. Unfortunately, I built the PAIA Theremax instead, which totally sucks ass. My wife doesn't feel I need two theremins, so I guess I'm stuck with it...

Soniccat · Post by **Soniccat** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 5:33 am

I was going to buy the Paia Theremax but was told not to. It does not compare the the Etherwave. I guess it will be worth the extra cash I spent.

kpop · Post by **kpop** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 6:15 am

I built the Big Briar theremin 10 years ago and it has been working perfectly ever since. At that time it kit came with a Clara Rockmore CD and her instructional video. Just noticed that there is a pretty nice website on the Rockmore theremin technique:
http://www.electrotheremin.com/claramethod.html

Darn hard instrument to master, even at a basic level. And the family cat is the only one enjoying the practising sessions...

On a side not, I think it is a real shame that in the (futile) remake of the iconic theremin piece Good Vibrations on SMiLE, Brian Wilson (or his arranger/producer) replaced the theremin with a wimpy synthesizer

kpop

deastman · Post by **deastman** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 6:22 am

kpop wrote:I built the Big Briar theremin 10 years ago and it has been working perfectly ever since. At that time it kit came with a Clara Rockmore CD and her instructional video. Just noticed that there is a pretty nice website on the Rockmore theremin technique:
http://www.electrotheremin.com/claramethod.html

Darn hard instrument to master, even at a basic level. And the family cat is the only one enjoying the practising sessions...

On a side not, I think it is a real shame that in the (futile) remake of the iconic theremin piece Good Vibrations on SMiLE, Brian Wilson (or his arranger/producer) replaced the theremin with a wimpy synthesizer

kpop

I've read a number of confilcting accounts of what was used on the original Good Vibrations recording, but as far as I know, they found the actual theremin antenna too difficult to control, and instead used a custom ribbon controller to modulate the pitch.

Regarding the PAIA Theremax... I built that one because it can be used for CV and gate control of my modular synths. Unfortunately, it turns out that it has to be calibrated completely differently for effective CV control than for use with its own oscillator. And the oscillator sounds extremely thin and wimpy compared to the Etherwave. The range of the frequency antenna is very short, and I believe its exponential, which is totally inappropriate. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.

Muzik 4 Machines · Post by **Muzik 4 Machines** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 6:37 am

since nobody mentioned the obvious, plugging your theremin into autotune(either soft or hard-ware) and set the correct notes(even cheaper would be to sequence the melody and have it trigger the autotune lolù0 so the notes stay in tune while you play

deastman · Post by **deastman** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 7:14 am

cyberpink wrote:since nobody mentioned the obvious, plugging your theremin into autotune(either soft or hard-ware) and set the correct notes(even cheaper would be to sequence the melody and have it trigger the autotune lolù0 so the notes stay in tune while you play

Only problem is, a big part of the "theremin sound" is the vibrato one creates by wiggling ones hand slightly while staying on a particular note. Autotune would completely kill the vibrato long before correcting the notes. No, the theremin is very much a performance instrument... if you just want "that sound", use a synth with a square wave modulated by lfo, and start wiggling the pitch bend.

progfusion74 · Post by **progfusion74** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 7:14 am

Portishead used a Theremin on some track's and while I have no clue which Theremin or techniques were used, the intros to "Mysterons" and "Humming" (and the solos) are some of the best uses of the Theremin in my collectio

tomg · Post by **tomg** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 8:56 am

I used to sell a pitch to CV converter pcboard for the Etherwave. I might still have one or two. If anyone is interested...
http://www.ele4music.com/pdfs/pv-1.pdf

Or you can build a simple one for about $7 bucks. It's not a Moog though.
Here is an easy old 9V theremin project
http://www.ele4music.com/pdfs/therman.pdf

open mic therman demo
http://www.ele4music.com/pdfs/therman.mp3

Peace
Tom

Moog Etherwave Theremin Kit