Is This A Theremin?

This sure doesn't sound like a theremin to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAidpzd5f6k

Maybe its double speed or something (trying to give them benefit of the doubt)?

Apart from the sudden note transitions, the vibrato is perfectly uniform... if it were a theremin, it would have been played by a robot.

Maybe its that crazy monk again, with his LFO driving the vibrato.. Its certainly not an EW or the like.. I strongly suspect its not a theremin - or "its a theremin Jim, but not as we know it."

- Unless, as AIK hinted, it was being played by Data on a bad day..

Fred.

The person who posted the above video sent me the following:

"You are correct. It's a theremin preset on an old JV-5080 synth."

Well, there we have it..

" It's a theremin preset on an old JV-5080 synth "

- "its a theremin Jim, but not as we know it." !

Which neatly brings us all back to square one.. What is a theremin, and what can be regarded as a "true" theremin ? If it sounds like a theremin, is this enough to justify calling it a theremin ?  If I had a perfect emulation of a RCA theremin on my sampler, and was able to play this on a continuum controller so that I sounded like Peter (hell would freeze over long before I got close - but indulging this fantasy..) or Clara playing a theremin, and posted this to you-tube as a theremin performance, would this be "fraud" ?

I dunno.. duh.  .. For me, a theremin is composed of two 'components' - the unique control interface, and the "sound engine" driven by this interface - I think the most important aspect defining what a "true theremin" is, would be the control interface.. To me, anything not using capacitive sensing to control pitch and volume is NOT a theremin, regardless of what it sounds like.. For me, that defines what is NOT a theremin.. Defining what IS a theremin - what other (if any) features it must have to "qualify" - well, that is much more difficult.

Fred.

Fred: If it sounds like a theremin, is this enough to justify calling it a theremin?

No.

What sounds like a theremin to someone who knows little or nothing about the instrument wouldn't fool anyone in this forum for one second.

"I seen him! He done it!" is perfectly good English to somebody who don't know no better.

Unfortunately, any attempt to correct, or to set the record straight, is liable to be greeted with hostility and a stream of abbreviated epithets. WTF! JWTHDYTYA?

Fred: If it sounds like a theremin, is this enough to justify calling it a theremin?

"No." - Coalport.

Oh, I agree with you completely.

But looking back at most past "theremin unpleasantness" I have been involved in, on these forums and elsewhere, the root of the argument/s has mostly centred on the question "what is a theremin ?" .. I just cant be bothered anymore! ;-)

"Is a theremin a synthesiser?"

"is a pitch only capacitive controlled instrument a theremin ?"

"Is an optically controlled gestural instrument a theremin ?"

"Is an instrument producing its sound by heterodyning a theremin ?"

"is a capacitance controlled instrument producing sound without heterodyning, a theremin?"

- The list goes on. On most of these questions I know what I think the "correct" answer is - But others have different opinions - Are these people entitled to their opinions even if they are "wrong" ? --- Well, yes.. Their opinions are determined by their matrix of causal determinants - LOL ;-)

And some questions are "awkward" for me - are the 91 series 'theremins' "true" theremins?

I think my opinions about what a theremin is are probably extremely close to yours (the only trivial  disagreement I know of is that I believe a theremin is a form of synthesiser, which I dont think you agree on).

Our tiny community has no possible chance of keeping a "pure" definition of, or regulating the use of the word "theremin" even if we all agreed on what a theremin is !  LOL..

As yoi say, we are, and will continue to be, "greeted with hostility and a stream of abbreviated epithets. WTF! JWTHDYTYA?"

For me, "correcting" those who I thought should know better (those developing and marketing "theremins") seemed legitimate - But, beneath my conscious "surface" I now think there may have been a hidden agenda - I was planning to put a "genuine" theremin on the market - beating up the potential "competition" was probably partly motivated by my personal interests.

Let them have their delusions, their willful ignorance, their desceptions - let them make their "theremin" toys.. Lots of people have fun with these, and some money is made from them - a stupid little cottage industry catering mostly for an absolutely unmusical market - No more outrageous than these "guitar hero" type products... Much the same in fact, because the "guitar" is as much a "guitar" as most of these "theremins" are true theremins...

I dont see guitarists jumping up and down in rage over the abuse of "their" instrument.

Fred.

Nope. Listen to the vibrato. It's too regular. Also, note the articulation. It's a keyboard set to portamento between notes, and a heavy vibrato effect being used on the effect wheel.

Here's another "theremin" that, in my opinion, is not a theremin at all. In fact, only someone who doesn't really know what a theremin sounds like would think that this is a theremin.

Is this a theremin???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBcMqBmUULI#t=00m35s