Help required!!!!

Hi guys, Im hoping to get you expertees on a problem I have. I ve been messing around with cheaper theremins for a while, and today a lovely new Moog Etherwave arrived..bit im a little puzzled. To get a signal I have to put the volume up almost at max, and this means the volume antenna cuts off about 6-8 inches away. Is this right? Im connecting the audio lead to a decent sound card at the moment. Does this mean I need a separate amplifier? Or do I have a dud??
Hope you guys can help
Paul

I'm not an expert but will chime in till the real ones can.

Things I'd check:
(as we just saw in anther thread) is the thermin on a stand and not on a table, is there totally clear space around the antennas?
Are you using a mono and not a stereo 1/4' male plug on the theremin end?

It'd help to know which theremin you have and how you have it set up.
I used harmonn/kartmon commuter speakers for a while with a 1/4' mono to stereo mini plug adaptor when I first got mine.

Don't despair yet and keep us posted.
hth

OK, its a standard Moog Etherwave and I have it on a stand.Its all clear around it. I did have a 1/4" jack to stereo RCA lead from theremin to the computer soundcard (M-Audio Audiophile) and with the theremin up full blast can hear it as long as the speakers are turned up considerably. I tried a 1/4" mono lead into a mixer I have and there is very little signal. If I put headphones on direct into the Audio Out you hear virtually nothing, is that right? With the theremin volume all the way up it means just standing anywhere near it makes it even quieter!!! Aaaarghh!!!!

I think your best bet is to borrow an amp and a jack-to-jack lead from somewhere and try that out. It could well be that your lead is dodgy or just wrong. Alternatively you might want to doublecheck that the input volume on your computer isn't set to near-nothing.

[i]If I put headphones on direct into the Audio Out you hear virtually nothing, is that right?[/i]

That is normal. You need an amp to boost the signal to a pair of headphones. Alexander has the right advice: Borrow an amp.

[i]To get a signal I have to put the volume up almost at max, and this means the volume antenna cuts off about 6-8 inches away.[/i]

Also, I don't understand the statement above. Which "volume" are you turning up to max? If you mean the volume knob on the Etherwave, it won't help. The volume knob on the Etherwave does not affect gain; it controls the volume *sensitivity* of the theremin.

Ok, thanks thus far guys, its appreciated. The volume control is the one on the Etherwave for the antenna. I read that its for the 'response' but without it at full I get no signal whatsoever, it is silent until the knob is pointing at 4 o clock...as far as the headphones go thats just me being a plank, shouldve worked that out for myself!
Im guessing that I may have a dodgy theremin here?

[i]Im guessing that I may have a dodgy theremin here?[/i]

If a understand you correctly, you have only tested the theremin by plugging it into a computer and a pair of headphones. The latter definitely won't work, and the former may or may not work depending on your sound card and PC system settings.

So I wouldn't "guess" anything until I've plugged it into what it's intended to be plugged into: an amp.

i can hear my playing perfectly well through headphones... (70ohm)

Success!!! Took the theremin to rehearsal plugged into the guitar amp (with his lead)...perfect, sound straight away. Tried one of my leads, perfect again. In all the leads I have here I must have tried it with a dodgy one yesterday when Iput it into the mixer.
Drama over....but thanks for your help/advice guys...much appreciated