2 questions

hello everyone im very new @ this! i just recieved my moog etherwave theremin today.

1. is it ok to use my guitar amp (fender vibro king) for theremin?

2. is it me or is tuning this thing very difficult? i have read the instructions that come w the ethrWave but im still confused. can anyone help me out?

thanks for your help

Welcome to Theremin World, btl.

1. Possibly. Guitars have a much lower power output than etherwaves - the etherwave might be too much for it. Try, but switch the amp on last with your hand in the volume loop and raise it cautiously until you are confident that the sound is not going to distort.

If it does distort unpleasantly at high volumes then there is a simple mod in the hot-rodding manual to correct for this.

2. Depends what you mean by tuning. Tuning a theremin is more like tuning a radio than a guitar. Start with the pitch knob fully clockwise then turn it until you hear silence. That will put the full range of pitches at your disposal. That will do to start with. Once you have done that the relevant part of the manual should make more sense.

If you mean playing in tune, a good ear for pitch helps. :-)

thank you very much gordon... i appreciate your time and advise.. the guitar amp i have seems to work and sound pretty good when the theremin goes through it. then again i bought it for 2k ab 8 yrs ago so.. anyway looks like i have a lot of hard work ahead of me. figuring oout how to play this thing seems tuff.

If you do find you need to bring down the output of the theremin, the Behringer Ultra-DI (http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behringer-ULTRADI-DI100-Direct-Box?sku=182452) , or something similar, would do the job (maybe even a volume pedal). I can't say for sure, but even with that fine amp, I would think the theremin would sound better with a lowered output going into it.

As far as tuning goes. The manual goes into great detail about tuning the "inner guts" which may be what you find confusing. When using the front panel knob, you might think of it as adjusting the distance from the pitch rod that zero beat (no sound) occurs. The further from the rod this is, the further apart the notes will be, stretching things in a sense. A good playing distance might be 18", about the length of the wood case, but feel free to adjust to what feels right.

Unless something seems really out of wack you, shouldn't have to go inside the case. Tuning the insides can seem/be tricky for a non-electronic beginner. It took a few times before I got the hang of it (keep in mind the internal trimmers are delicate, only use the red stick they give you!) But in all reality, it's not that hard, just spooky at first. If your gentle, you shouldn't mess anything up that can't be fixed with a proper adjustment.

very helpful dae thank you very much for the feedback

[i](maybe even a volume pedal)[/i]

True. I use a low impedance inline volume pedal when connecting to my Fender amp. (Not as nice as yours.)

You may also want to tweak the bass and treble volumes to get a more even response over the whole range.

maybe i need to try one of those bc it is kind of a nasaly(if thats a word) tone im getting...any recomendations for type of vol pedal? ty again gordon

Uh, I pretty much got the cheapest one I could find - it's a bit crackly but that's not a problem because I don't move it while I'm playing, only while I'm setting up. (I use effects chains with devices that weren't really designed with etherwave theremins in mind, so sometimes need it full on, sometimes half on, and sometimes off.)

I don't recall where I got my pedal - some UK online shop or other. I recall that I tracked down the source to an Italian manufacturer of cheap and cheerful gear, and that it has the word Boston on it. This, and it's general appearance, suggest it is trying to pass itself off as a Boss FV-50L Stereo Volume Pedal (http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Boss-FV50L-Stereo-Volume-Pedal?sku=151317) which I notice is currently on special offer at Musician's Friend, (if you're in the States) The two reviews it has there are not terribly complimentary. :-)

anything that you could suggest as far as playing goes to fast track the learning curve? i play guitar on the national and international level in the u.s. so i have a good understanding of music...but this seems tuff

Yes. Forget about playing in tune and buy a delay pedal.

Details here: http://tinyurl.com/beatfreqbook


If you want to play melodically there is no fast track. I'd look at Peter Pringle's DVD How To Play The Theremin (http://peterpringle.com/dvd.html), Carolina Eyck's method book (http://carolina-eyck.de/ENGLISH/method.html), Clara Rockmore's method book (http://www.scribd.com/doc/3944627/Method-For-Theremin-by-Clara-Rockmore) and Thomas Grillo's YouTube tutorials (http://www.youtube.com/user/ThomasGrillo#grid/user/D6B0995A384C3788).