By 

Bryan J. Peterson “I’m not blind drunk, I’m j… (Twin Falls, Idaho United States) –

  

Take the warning to heart. I’m definitely glad I never went in expecting to master the theremin in a day or two or even a few months or years. If I had I would definitely have been in for a nasty shock. It’s amazing that an instrument made in the early 1900′s could be so sophisticated, both in its sound and in its method of playing. The theremin is the only musical instrument in existence that one plays without actually touching. THe Etherwave, manufactured by Moog Music, is by all accounts one of the more popular models. Unlike the now discontinued Pro model, the standard Etherwave does have some issues with unevenly spaced notes, but you can get around that.
I purchased my Etherwave in January or February of 2009, having developed an interest in theremins and electronic instruments in general thanks to the music of French composer Jean-Michel Jarre. I purchased it along with a Moog TB-15 amplifier [...], but since discovering that Amazon also sells them I thought I’d leave my two cents here.
First off let’s get one thing straight. You definitely want plenty of space around the instrument when you set it up. This is because the electromagnetic energy fields that the instrument generates and by which it’s controlled, need plenty of room to expand. If not, they’ll be compacted so tightly around the antennas that you won’t have much freedom of movement. This is why you should also leave your unit on for about fifteen minutes, maybe even just a little longer, before you actually start playing with it. You can start with it immediately if you’re just playing at home, but if you’re giving aperformance you’ll want to let it warm up, otherwise you’ll have problems. Also, if there’s a lot of furniture, particularly furinture with metal components, that’ll play havoc with the theremin as well. It probably wouldn’t actually harm it but since it’s such a sensitive instrument, such things can easily interfere with it. Needless to say it’s extremely hard to play in my rather cramped studio apartment. It’s true that if one has the right electronics knowledge one can open the cabinet with the included plastic tool (never use metal!) and adjust the inner components to make it less troublesome and more playable in smaller spaces, but this should not under any circumstances be attempted without the proper electronics knowledge and careful reading of the Etherwave’s manual. I lack the proper knowledge, so I don’t dare attempt it myself.
Even so, the theremin has been a lot of fun for me. I do have a cat critic (LOL), but I get the feeling he could care less when I get the thing out. I’m glad I spent the money on it and I do hope someday to be, if not as good as Lydia Kavina or even her granduncle Leon Theremin himself, at least competant enough to play in front of audiences. When played well the theremin is actually quite a pretty instrument. I encourage anyone with the interest, time and patience to give this marvelous instrument a try. It’s hard to play but fun as well.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

|

 Comment