Wanted: Slide Theremin similar to The Beach Boys'

Hi,
I've spent the past year looking for a slide theremin or tannerin or electro-theremin as it is also called. I want one like the one Tom Polk made for The Beach Boys. I've contacted Tom Polk and Mike Beauchamp already who are both retired from building at the moment.

If anyone would like to build me one, I'd happily commission you. I'm not a famous musician but I've toured across Canada twice now and played with all sorts of well known bands as their opener so I can guarantee that your hard work will be enjoyed by thousands of people if that is at all an incentive.

I'll continue to bump this once a month for the next year until someone responds.

Thanks very much.

If anyone even has schematics of a slide theremin and know where I can get all the parts I'd need, I'm not opposed to building it myself too.

Thanks.

Rich
Ps: If you'd like to hear my music you can hear it at my myspace here (http://www.myspace.com/richaucoin)

Rich,
I have sent you a message on MySpace.. my email is on my picture.
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I could probably start a Tannerin early next year (perhaps earlier - but I have several high-end Theremin products I hope to launch this year, and they are taking all my time at present.. They are a year behind schedule!) - Should have almost everything required in production this year, so could take my 'standard' Theremin modules and do a Tannerin interface using some form of slider.
This product is something already on my "to do" list.

[i]"I can guarantee that your hard work will be enjoyed by thousands of people if that is at all an incentive."[/i]

It certainly is!

[i]"If anyone even has schematics of a slide theremin and know where I can get all the parts I'd need, I'm not opposed to building it myself too."[/i]

When I have them, I could supply you with ready built and tested modules - I have a voltage controlled Heterodyning oscillator under development, and this would be ideally suited to interfacing with a slide controller. You could then construct the cabinet etc. I would get a slide controller to test the complete instrument, so could provide you with everything except a suitable local power supply.

Keep advertising - If someone else already has a Tannerin design and the ability to make them, then this could be a quicker way to get a Tannerin.. But I am certainly interested in doing this for you as soon as I can.

Fred - you're thinking of the early ondes martenots - pre-keyboard - the electro-theremin (http://www.electrotheremin.com/ET.html) is non-heterodyning - just an audio oscillator and a slider. The nearest commercial equivalent is probably the eowave persephone - a tannerin on steroids - the fingerboard synth of choice for Throbbing Gristle and others. It can certainly do a tannerin-like sine wave. The Mark 1 is discontinued, the Mark II (http://www.eowave.com/instruments.php?prod=63) is due for release.

Here (http://web.archive.org/web/20071105183635/www.peterpringle.com/persephone.html)'s thereminist Peter Pringle's description of the Persephone (on archive.org as he deleted the page from his website) and here (http://www.peterpringle.com/music/chansongrec.mp3) is the audio sample he didn't delete from his website as the copy on archive.org is currently downloading at a ridiculously slow rate. Hi, Peter. :-)

[i]"Fred - you're thinking of the early ondes martenots - pre-keyboard - the electro-theremin is non-heterodyning - just an audio oscillator and a slider."[/i]

Thanks Gordon -
Could one not simply build such an instrument using a ribbon controller, and suitable synth modules then? I believe Moog do a ribbon controller, and VCO,VCA,VCF and perhaps EG would do the job.. or one could get an "old school" synth and controller.. (?)

I bought a set of pre-built + tested (Moog copy) synth modules for Epsilon - £300 buys everything one needs for a simple mono synth one could directly control from Theremin or ribbon controllers.

So, was the instrument used in "good Vibrations" non-heterodyning? It sure would be a shock to me if this was the case!

.... Just had a listen to that superb piece played by Peter.. One thing really puzzles me.. the slide length is only a couple of feet long at most - but the instrument is playing at least 4 octaves (more like 7).. how does one get the kind of control / accuracy Peter has, over such a small playing area ? Each semitone (assuming linear spacing) must be less than about 5mm from the next..

But yes, one can hear that this particular instrument is non-heterodyning - extremely pleasing sound, but to my ears not the same as the sound on "Good Vibrations" .. but this might just be down to how the instruments were set up.

[EDIT ->] I recon the playing length is about 500mm, I just played along on my keyboard, and there are at least 6 octaves, this gives 83mm/octave = 6.9mm/semitone -

This is less than the spacing on those horrible mini keyboards.. To get the kind of playing accuracy Peter has achieved, on a instrument like this with such a wide span, is incredible!

Mike Beauchamp's site (http://therevox.com) also says sine wave, as does Tom Polk's (http://www.tompolk.com/Tannerin/Tannerin.html).

Quote from Tom Polk's site: [i]The actual instrument used in "Good Vibrations" was a Heathkit tube-type audio oscillator coupled to a mechanical action that allowed the player to mark notes along a ruler-type scale where notes could be located quickly and precisely.[/i]

Rich, did you ask Mike or Tom about circuit diagrams?

[i]"Mike Beauchamp's site also says sine wave, as does Tom Polk's."[/i]

interesting sites! - There are definately more than 4 octaves in Peter's piece, but the spec on these instruments is 4 octaves .. puzzled.. !

If the original "Good Vibrations" Theremin was a Heathkit tube oscillator, then one should be able to replicate this - Heathkit Schematics (http://www.vintage-radio.info/heathkit/) are available.

But probably the simplest way would be an IC function generator like an 8083 or equivalent, or any VCO with a sine output, or VCO / VCF combination.

IF I had not expierienced the unseen complexities in Theremin design, I would say that making a Tannerin would be extremely simple.. the only 'complex' thing being the slide mechanism. But I have learned my lesson .. I will now only say that it LOOKS simple!

Peter's piece is played on a persephone, not an electrotheremin/tannerin, which explains the different range.

I wonder if the qualities you hear in Good Vibrations are attributable to the use of tube technology.

Hey Gordon,

I haven't asked Mike or Tom about their circuit guides actually; I thought they might be protective about them for some reason.

I forgot that I got to actually play a Persephone in Montreal at the Moog store there. Now that I think of it, I remember it being quite difficult and, since the range was adjustable, you couldn't mark on the wood with a ruler where your notes would always be guaranteed to be.

I also was really interested in being able to still control the volume with my left hand in the air as that's half the fun of the theremin.

I'll go look at my myspace now Fred and email you Jay. Thanks guys for the help so far.

Fred said:

[i]So, was the instrument used in "good Vibrations" non-heterodyning? It sure would be a shock to me if this was the case![/i]

From a conversation I had with Paul Tanner back in 2004, I listed the components he tried to remember that he had used in the original “Good Vibration”. Paul is quite musical but admits to not having a good technical/electronic side. See bottom of this link. Paul Tanner (http://www.oldtemecula.com/theremin/tanner/p8050011.htm)

Gordon said:

[i]I wonder if the qualities you hear in Good Vibrations are attributable to the use of tube technology.[/i]

I agree!


Hum. . . Rich if you really want a hand free volume control, then I think down deep you want the beauty of the theremin but have trouble committing to a relationship that will take time and patience to develop. ;-)

Your music is wonderful.


Christopher
RS Theremin
.

Hey Christopher,

I've been trying to use just a theremin but the slide theremin seems to be the best choice to be able to play in pitch in the Good Vibrations lead line sort of way.