Circuitbenders Forum
Circuitbenders Forum => Circuitbending discussion => Toys => Topic started by: epicentre on November 23, 2009, 06:02:09 PM
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Looks fun and is very cheap, I wonder if it can be moded or/and put through some effects to sound "cleaner"... I would love to have something capable of making those creepy old sci-fi movie sound, but I'm unwilling to spend a lot of money for a real theremin just for adding occasional flavour to my songs.
Anyone had any experience with it?
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link?
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http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mini-Theremin-Kit-Digital-Instrument-with-Eng-manual_W0QQitemZ290369346421QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Pro_Audio_Synthesisers_CV?hash=item439b5c9b75 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mini-Theremin-Kit-Digital-Instrument-with-Eng-manual_W0QQitemZ290369346421QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Pro_Audio_Synthesisers_CV?hash=item439b5c9b75)
Mini digital instrument Otona no Kagaku VOL17 Mini Theremin Gakken Sell With English Manual Gadgets (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZG2V21J6D0#normal)
Gakken Theremin Mini Review (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwBpOL2o90Q#normal)
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Looks pretty good for the price. Its certainly got a whole lot more range to it than i would have expected.
I'd imagine that a direct recording would sound a lot better than those videos which both appear to be just recorded from the internal speaker.
To get a really good 50's sci-fi tone you're going to have to spend a whole lot more than £15!
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To get a really good 50's sci-fi tone you're going to have to spend a whole lot more than £15!
Or you can stuff a sinewave oscillator through an echo pedal ;-)
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The theremin can be used to controll the pitch of the gakken sx150 mini synth which has pitch modulation vibrato type ting and a filter and you can ciruit bent the hell out of the sx150 as well :)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_the_modulator/3375768994/# (http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_the_modulator/3375768994/#)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_the_modulator/3369079034/# (http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_the_modulator/3369079034/#)
The theremin does have a good pitch range its hard to beat for the price
most sellers on ebay sell both kits and will make a reduction for buying both together.
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Or you can stuff a sinewave oscillator through an echo pedal ;-)
never sounds quite right though does it? I'm thinking that with a theremin the method of playing the thing is at least as important as the sound it produces.
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To get a really good 50's sci-fi tone you're going to have to spend a whole lot more than £15!
Sure, but I can't really afford to buy pro equipment just for fun, so I'd be more than happy if I can get a sound that's just similar :)
I just found this mod:
Gakken theremin mods (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh0vdiUAGJ8#normal)
http://njb.virtualave.net/web/rl2007/theremin/theremin.htm (http://njb.virtualave.net/web/rl2007/theremin/theremin.htm)
Still sounds dirty, but much better :)
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Ok, I've ordered one so I'll just have to see for myself. Worst case scenario I'll have an amusing toy ;)
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though i would not expect it to sound like the model jimmy page used on whole lotta love...
i wonder if one were to bypass the tiny speaker that comes with it and preamp out, (using 1/4" phone/guitar jack) into a nice tube guitar amp, what the sound would be like?
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are there any united states or canadian distributors selling these things? i notice the price (around $20 usd), is not bad, but the shipping is a killer, coming from japan!
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yeh maker's shed but there not as cheap
http://www.makershed.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MKGK8 (http://www.makershed.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MKGK8)
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i suppose they have to pay shipping from japan like everyone else.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=somh4wKqcs0
I made this a few weeks ago to play on stage with my band.
I know it doesn't sound as good as a proper theramin but it was dead easy to make and all the parts were recycled. Although if you bought the parts new, it would only cost a couple of quid!
555 timer chip
LDR
jack socket
capacitor
optional LED's
9v battery
I will print out a schematic for you if you like but if you google '555 tone generator', there are 100's of schematics out there.
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the tinfoil-trick is very cool and improves the gakken pitchrange.but if you're a bit into d.i.y and like the sine-wave then
you have to build one of his : http://home.att.net/~theremin1/ (http://home.att.net/~theremin1/) . the "minimum-theremin" is so easy to build an all the part cost about 15 euros.
cheers to all
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the raygun thing is pretty cool!
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Cheers Jamie!