Hello, I just bought a Theremin, it seems to be working fine when playing next to it but is it normal that there's always a sound coming out of it even with nothing or no one around ?
I ask this because the theremin was a bit damaged during the transport and the wood has cracked on the side.
Maybe the shock did alter some kind of a pitch or sensivity inside that should be reset ? I see there's a special screwdriver given with the theremin, is it for that ?
Thanks in advance for your replys !
Help please !
Re: Help please !
If no one or nothing is around the volume antenna (the one on the left), your theremin *should* be making sound. The volume turns down the *closer* you get to the volume antenna. Hope this helps! 
Re: Help please !
Use the Pitch knob to adjust the deadband so it is subaudable when you move away.
"Music expresses that which can not be said and on which it is impossible to be silent."
Re: Help please !
If it's damaged in shipping, send it back, get a new one. FIle a claim with the shipper.
It shipped insured, theres no excuse for that.
If the boards are fine, you can always order a new case by giving them a call.
Also, think about the total field radius of the antennas as a figure 8.
If you are standing in proper playing position (this is a subjective position, but ideally, you should stand just outside the pitch field), you should hear no sound if your hand is on or off the theremin because the pitch osc is at zero beat.
You know that by turning the pitch potentiometer you increase or decrease the field around the pitch antenna. Once you turn the pot to a certain point, it is like a figure-eight pattern. So touching the antenna produces the highest pitch, and moving away from the antenna will decrease the pitch until you get to the center of the figure 8, where it will reverse itself and the farther away you get from the antenna you will increase the pitch.
I don't remember if the volume antenna has the same properties as the figure 8 because its been awhile since I tried that, but you can have the volume increase as you approach the antenna or increase as you leave the volume antenna.
Depending on how you have it set, you can have a huge radius around the pitch antenna (10-20 feet I think) and have the volume set to increase when there is nothing around the antenna.
The point of all this is to say that depending on how you have it set will depend on if it makes a sound, but no matter how you have it set, you have to be within the field of the pitch antenna (no matter how large or small the radius is) to activate the volume. (Correct me if m wrong please) Most of the time in your house, something will inhibit zero beat, if it is the wiring in your house or something structurally will fall within the field of the pitch antenna.
So give it 15 or 20 minutes to warm up and determine the pitch's field radius and then see if that doesn't answer your question.
If your amp is on when you turn the theremin on, you can hear the effect of the field fluxuation, it takes 10 or 15 minutes to stabilize to the parameters of the front panel settings.
Eric
It shipped insured, theres no excuse for that.
If the boards are fine, you can always order a new case by giving them a call.
Also, think about the total field radius of the antennas as a figure 8.
If you are standing in proper playing position (this is a subjective position, but ideally, you should stand just outside the pitch field), you should hear no sound if your hand is on or off the theremin because the pitch osc is at zero beat.
You know that by turning the pitch potentiometer you increase or decrease the field around the pitch antenna. Once you turn the pot to a certain point, it is like a figure-eight pattern. So touching the antenna produces the highest pitch, and moving away from the antenna will decrease the pitch until you get to the center of the figure 8, where it will reverse itself and the farther away you get from the antenna you will increase the pitch.
I don't remember if the volume antenna has the same properties as the figure 8 because its been awhile since I tried that, but you can have the volume increase as you approach the antenna or increase as you leave the volume antenna.
Depending on how you have it set, you can have a huge radius around the pitch antenna (10-20 feet I think) and have the volume set to increase when there is nothing around the antenna.
The point of all this is to say that depending on how you have it set will depend on if it makes a sound, but no matter how you have it set, you have to be within the field of the pitch antenna (no matter how large or small the radius is) to activate the volume. (Correct me if m wrong please) Most of the time in your house, something will inhibit zero beat, if it is the wiring in your house or something structurally will fall within the field of the pitch antenna.
So give it 15 or 20 minutes to warm up and determine the pitch's field radius and then see if that doesn't answer your question.
If your amp is on when you turn the theremin on, you can hear the effect of the field fluxuation, it takes 10 or 15 minutes to stabilize to the parameters of the front panel settings.
Eric
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Re: Help please !
I just sold my Etherwave Pro to a guy in Italy. It worked perfectly before I shipped it. Somehow in transit something happened. The guy in Italy says that he has plugged it into a surge protected 220 outlet and nothing turns on. Do these need a different fuse when one goes from a 120V to a 220 volt environment? What else could it be? Would hate to have to have it shipped back for a refund.
Theremint
Theremint
Re: Help please !
The Etherwave Pro works without any modification on all voltages between 110 and 230V, 50 to 60Hz.
The Italian buyer has just to replace the power cord with an appropriate version so that it fits directly into the Italian wall plugs (they have 2 different types of plugs in Italia, he should choose a grounded one). The power cords which come normally with desktop PCs are well suited. And then he might still have to discover that the main power switch is at the bottom of the EPro...
If the problem should persist though, he might contact me (theremingenieur [at] gmail [dot] com). I have a theremin repair shop in France and may help him.
The Italian buyer has just to replace the power cord with an appropriate version so that it fits directly into the Italian wall plugs (they have 2 different types of plugs in Italia, he should choose a grounded one). The power cords which come normally with desktop PCs are well suited. And then he might still have to discover that the main power switch is at the bottom of the EPro...
If the problem should persist though, he might contact me (theremingenieur [at] gmail [dot] com). I have a theremin repair shop in France and may help him.
French Mathémartiste, Informagicien, Thérémingénieur ;-)
[url]http://theremin.tfrenkel.com[/url]
[url]http://theremin.tfrenkel.com[/url]