How comparable is a theremin to a synthesizer?

Posted: 6/17/2025 7:26:17 PM
JPascal

From: Berlin Germany

Joined: 4/27/2016

Yes, this is indeed not a “new topic”. But the deeper I study the technology and musical possibilities of the two electronic instruments in all their diversity, the more I am interested in the qualitative distinction beyond the obviously trivial like touchless playing. 

The theremin has no VCO, but a HCBO (hand controlled beat oscillator) with a certain "wavetable", different from common synth wave forms. It has no function like gate to ADSR, but an HMCA (hand move controlled amplifier/attenuator), which intuitively and naturally serves as an envelope generator and can also perform velocity/acceleration functions. The theremin is monophonic, that is a good idea, if you only can use both hands for pitch and volume. 

What do you think?


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