THEREMINS I HAVE KNOWN Hands-On Encounters with Models and Makes THE PAIA THEREMIN

The theremax was the first theremin I ever owned. Once it was built (a long story), up and running it had a seven octave range. Using the pitch and timbre controls, it was possible to get a very buzzy timbre as well as my personal preference, a sound I'd describe as rich and creamy. In those days, I was a purist - I hooked the instrument only to an amp and avoided all effects. My sole interest was to learn to play music accurately, particularly classical music. Never realizing there was a theremin community online and being without any sort of instruction, I developed a method of playing that was, in retrospect, utterly bizarre. I always played while seated on a very low bench, and my pitch hand came in laterally from the far right side. My third and ring fingers did most of the work. Playing this way yielded the best results for months, but I gradually found far more comfortable playing techniques. The two copper antennae that ship with the Theremax work well, though they're a bit on the flimsy side. A couple of run-ins with my young children resulted in some knocking, bending and collisions with the floor. They were easily bent back into shape (the antennae, not the children). Response on the volume loop worked very well, however, I found it difficult to get sharp attacks on notes. Furthermore, rapid sequences of notes were difficult to articulate because the single point where silence ends and sound begins was slightly variable and only softly delineated, however, I'm told that adjustments can be made to correct this. The Theremax's front panel features an impressive array of controls: Pitch Trim, Volume Trim, Pitch CV, Timbre, Velocity, Volume, Mute, Pitch CV, Volume CV, Velo. CV, Gate/Trigger, and Audio Out. For anyone considering this instrument, it's a good starter. However, keep in mind that it comes to you as a kit, and you'll be building it from scratch. If you're into electronics projects, it's a great way to get into theremins and their inner workings. I purchased the wooden enclosure that PAIA sells for this theremin; it's really nice, but fragile, so it's precluded my traveling with it. However, I've seen Theremaxes that have been modified beautifully by people far more skilled than myself - they've created their own enclosures, replaced the antennae with more durable ones, and outfitted the itstruments for being able to be used in performance.