Moog Etherwave?

Hi folks!

I've been really intrigued with the Theremin since I saw Yoko Onishi playing one on Youtube.com. I was under the impression that the theremin was just sort of a gimmick for science fiction movie soundtracks but it seems I was wrong.

I've worked as a professional musician for 30 years and have become reasonably proficient on several instruments. While I have no delusions of attaining the sort of skill Ms. Onishi demonstrated any time soon, I've gotten it into my head to make the Theremin my next obsession.

I made the mistake of buying a "Theremaniacs" Theremin off ebay. I wasn't worried about the lack of a volume antenna too much as I figured I could just use a pedal. What I did have a problem with was the fact that this model requires you to control a 7-octave range within about 6 inches of movement.

I'm now looking for a "real" Theremin. I figured I'd ask you folks since I don't know anyone with any real experience on these instruments.

From what I can tell, Ms. Onishi was using a Moog Etherwave Pro. There's a considerable price difference between the Etherwave and the Etherwave pro and I was wondering if anyone's had the opportunity to compare the two.

From what I gather, the "pro" has a wider range of tonality but is there a significant difference in the way it's played? Does it offer a wider control field as far as hand proximity to the pitch antenna etc. or is the price difference largly the nice finish? I'm looking for an instrument, not a pretty looking piece of furniture.

Thank you for sharing your experiences!

The Etherwave Standard allows you to adjust the distance from the antenna at which it begins to sense pitch. I can quite easily set mine to start growling when I get within 5 or 6 feet of it, if I want to. I can't imagine the Pro would offer any lesser features. Those cheap "theremins" that compress everything to within a few inches of the antenna are the exception, not the norm.

The pro offers a number of features that are of interest to a professional musician: it lets you change octave at the push of a button (this lets you more easily change your optimal pitch range between songs without readjusting the pitch knob), it has a variety of preset sounds (which I'm told are very nice), it's somewhat more linear (this means the spacing between notes is somewhat more even, which makes it a bit easier), and overall people regularly comment that it has a really lovely "voice".

My personal opinion is, those are all very nice features, and considering that it's a quality instrument that's probably made in relatively small numbers, it's probably worth what it costs... but personally, I intend to learn to really play my Etherwave Standard reasonably well before I think about investing $1500 to buy an Etherwave Pro. I mean, think about it: what if you buy one and then discover that you have no talent for it? Or that you just plain hate it? I think it's better to get the less expensive reasonable quality instrument to start with, learn it, and then decide if you really want to upgrade.

Regardless, I do recommend you buy Peter Pringle's "how to" dvd if you haven't already.

Neonrabbit - Welcome to Theremin World and the wacky world of the theremin.

You don't say what type of "music" you plan on playing with your theremin, but the fact that you were enthralled by Ms. Onishi leads be to believe you lean (at least partly) towards there traditional style of music. (You know... specific notes, melodies, etc.) Your disappointment with the Theremaniacs theremin also points this out. I think you would have also realized that a volume pedal is not the ideal method of controlling a theremin either.

You can play sound effects and "free" music (within limits) on any theremin. The ease of playing melodically increases dramatically with the quality (and the cost). I think any serious musician can appreciate the difference between a mediocre instrument and a fine instrument.

I'm sorry to say, I had the opportunity to try the Etherwave, but I did take it (stage fright). However I have played a few others including the Etherwave Pro.

I have a Kees (Enkelaar) theremin. You CAN play music on it, but I would not highly recommend it. From what I've heard, the PAIA Theremax is at least as good as the Kees and with some modifications can be comparable to the Etherwave. The Etherwave is probably the gold standard for an "affordable" theremin. The Wavefront is probably comparable to the Etherwave as well.

While all of these are adequate, they all suffer to some extent from a nonlinear pitch range, and some lack of volume control, at least with the Kees.

The tube theremin made by Mark Keppinger is also worth mentioning, though pricey and no longer being made.

Yes, the Etherwave Pro is expensive. But, this is not just because it has a pretty face. It is a high quality theremin and the only one currently being manufactured. Some of us have had our share of problems with it, but in the end I don't know of anyone who would not recommend it wholeheartedly.

The other pro quality theremins are the Moog Ethervox, Wavefront Classic, Tvox Tour, Moog 91A and of course the 1929 RCA AR-1264 Theremin. Since none of these are in production, assuming you can afford one, they are next to impossible to obtain.

If you haven't already, I highly recommend that you check out the "Notable Thereminists" in the LEARN menu on the left side of the Theremin World webpage. I have my favorites, but I hesitate to recommend anyone in particular. Most of the active players have websites and offer free sound files for your enjoyment. Myspace.com is also a great place to find thereminists of all kinds.

Jeff, since you mention volume control, I'd just like to mention that my Etherwave Standard is highly responsive in this regard: if Clara were around, it's fast enough that she could have played her fastest staccato pieces on it.

I'm sure the Etherwave Pro must also be superb about volume.

In contrast, you may recall that Clara referred to the volume control on the fabled RCA as being "like playing in molasses". ;-)

I've never had the pleasure to play the RCA or the Etherwave. A fast volume response is not always desirable in all circumstances. A highly playable theremin should be adjustable between the two extremes, as the Etherwave Pro can be when properly adjusted.

I would go with the Etherwave Standard for now. The investment is considerably less than the pro.

As far as volume response, it can be fast or slow depeneding on how you turn the knob. The same goes for the pitch antenna.

I also hear good things about the Kees although I have never played one. (Gordon can fill you in on that model.)

Thanks for the help. I think I'll go with the regular Etherwave for now.

The Etherwave Standard is a great choice -- a sweet sounding Theremin that is very playable.

Best wishes!

-- Kevin

Good choice!

Well, I got my Moog Etherwave (standard) today and am delighted with it. It has a very nice sound but I did like it better when I added a touch of echo to it. Not too much, just enough for a little flavor.

I can see it's going to take much practice to get "good" but I'm already starting to get the hang of it. This is not going to be an easy instrument to master.

Within the first hour, I had sort of a feel for using the volume antenna. I hadn't really understood the importance it plays. A pedal just wouldn't work.

I started thinking of raising my hand from it as though I was plucking a string on a harp and it sort of clicked for me.

I've been trying to hit arpeggio notes with some sort of accuracy all morning. I guess I'll be devoting most of my free time to this for a while. I tend to do that with new instruments though.

Thanks for the help in picking out the right model. This one's gonna work out fine. I also like how easily it can be transported. That'll come in handy when I use playing in clubs eventually.

Cheers!