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Experiment with your options and discover what sounds best to you. My sound system is mono, principally because when I purchased it (the Theremini wouldn't be invented for years), I had theremins that were mono. But you have more possibilities to explore.

@@dnteuxurois Thank you for reply.

I'd say, "Yes." The Burns B3 Deluxe (and Burns B3 Pro) are both eminently playable, as you can see. I also shot another video on the B3 Deluxe: th-cam.com/video/wehywF1qbtc/w-d-xo.html I've always loved the sound/sonic character of the B3 Deluxe, so it has that going for it. It's also less expensive than a lot of other theremins on the market. There are a few things you should know: 1) One thing I found essential for its sound is to have a good amplifier that has tonal controls for low, mid and high range; this will give you control over how it sounds - its sonic "character." The theremin has no tonal controls of its own. A good amplifier can also help eliminate unwanted overtones/harmonics/interference that sometimes appear when playing (can be caused by grounding issues or the outlet you plug it into). 2) Every theremin, regardless of make model or price, must be calibrated each time you turn it on. For the B3, this involves getting "zero beat," (no sound), which also calibrates the size of your control space. The B3 Deluxe can be a bit tricky, but with practice you can do it. 3) Once calibrated, B3 Deluxe's pitch circuits tend to fluctuate somewhat, so it usually needs to be re-calibrated after about ten minutes, after the circuitry warms up. This second calibration really helps stabilize the pitch circuits. 4) The volume loop is fairly small and it narrows at the tip. The factory setting for the loop's threshold (the precise point between silence and sound) is about one half inch above the loop. It requires practice to get used to that small distance without hitting the volume loop while playing. The above are all minor issues. You can see in the videos that I thoroughly enjoy playing it.

Thanks for the thorough answer. I’m already guitar player so I have great amps to play with. I realy enjoy the sound of this instrument. And think it’s the best at this price range. Issues you’ve had sounds like something I can handle. Thanks for the help. I’m definitely gonna get one! Also loving your playing❤

@@jeantapsa Already being a musician can help immeasurably. The biggest challenge after you've received the B3 Deluxe is going to be calibrating it for "zero beat" each time you turn it on. Once you get the hang of it you'll be all set. Impossible to explain in writing, but here goes: 1) Turn the theremin on and turn the volume knob fully clockwise. 2) Hold your right hand (pitch hand) about 14 inches from the pitch rod. 3) Using your left hand, slowly turn the pitch knob to the right and left and listen carefully. You want to turn it in the direction that makes the pitch LOWER - you want the lowest pitch possible and then turn it VERY slightly in the same direction until the theremin makes no sound; this is the trickiest part because, as you'll see, it's a very finicky adjustment. Keep at it and you'll get it. 4) To test to see if you've "got it," move your right hand about twenty inches from the pitch rod and slowly move it TOWARD the pitch rod. At about the 14-inch spot, it should start making a very low pitch and get increasingly higher and higher in pitch until it's VERY high just before you touch the pitch rod. This gives you the full range, from low to high. Now you're ready to play! You'll see that this process takes time at first, but it gets easier with practice. I have dozens of free lessons on TH-cam that apply to many theremins, including the B3 Deluxe. Just type in: Kip Rosser Lesson 01, Kip Rosser Lesson 02, etc. There are 65 lessons that take you from beginner to advanced. Ignore the lessons for the Moog Theremini EXCEPT FOR 13 Theremini FastTrak Series: The Mind, Part 1 14 Theremini FastTrak Series: The Mind, Part 2 15 Theremini FastTrak Series: The Mind, Part 3 16 Theremini FastTrak Series: The Body 17 Theremini FastTrak Series: The Heart, Part 1 18 Theremini FastTrak Series: The Heart, Part 2 Those are six tutorials are useful for all thereminists; they focus on the THEREMINIST, as opposed to the theremin itself. Please let me know how you're doing as you get into it.

@@kiprosser8630 Wow thanks a lot about that info. You are amazing. I will definitely check your tutorials

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it. Hard to believe the video was made 13 years ago. It was also entered in a radio station's competition - a music video combining comedy with classical music. Needless to say: didn't win. Really fun to perform live, though.

With the Theremini, you have 31 presets as well as the ability to create your own presets in the editing suite. You do have many more sonic possibilities and there are many ways to maximize each preset to get the most out of it. In that sense, one might say it's more fun. In order to expand the sonic abilities of the standard Etherwave, you'd need to connect it to an external effects pedal such as a single effect pedal like a wah-wah, or a processor that has dozens of presets, such as the Korg Pandora. So, with the Theremini alone you can certainly do more in the way of sonic experimentation using the three FX settings and even more if you have a looping station for overlaying sounds.

I am glad that you find this tutorial helpful. However, I am unsure what you mean when you write: "my volume function doesn’t seem to do function and make changes most of the time." You may already know this but just in case you are unaware of this, the volume knob, even though it does make the volume a little louder and softer, its function is not actually used to control the volume from loud to soft. It is used to change the characteristics of the loop's magnetic field, particularly the "attack" when your hand starts to play a note. As you turn the knob counterclockwise, the response gradually gets smoother. As it is turned clockwise, the response gradually gets sharper attack, becoming more effective for cleaner articulation/definition of notes, which is also crucial for playing more rapidly. Try this for yourself and listen carefully as you play and you ought to notice a difference; it's not a radical difference, but is a difference. If you can tell me a little more about what you mean by "make changes most of the time," I may be able to suggest a little more.

You do. While the calibration procedure differs, that's the case with every theremin regardless of make or model. They have to be calibrated on start up every time.

Apologies for the late reply. Thank you for the information! I'm sure others can benefit from the solution you found. I'm currently having issues with the Moog Claravox; its sonic stability changes from day to day. I live in an old home with often questionable wiring. The noisy background static and warbles are a concern. Quick story: Long before the theremini ever existed, in 1998 (at that point, I'd been playing theremin since 1996), I was using a standard Moog Etherwave. My first live performance took place on Cape Cod. I'd composed music for a show I was directing and decided to play the theremin live. A few months before the opening, I tested the theremin in the theater and...nothing. It refused to make a sound. Regardless of the outlets, extension cords, power strips, even running an extension to another building, that theremin never made a sound. I called Moog Music, inc., to see if anyone there might offer a solution. Bob Moog answered the phone! After discussing the problem, he gave me the solution. I purchased a deep cycle marine cell (it's basically a huge, extremely heavy car battery), a power inverter and ran the theremin, a small amp, and a small television off that set-up. Sadly, I never met Bob Moog in person; that one conversation was the only direct contact I ever had with him.

@@dnteuxurois Wow, that is an incredible episode!

In my opinion, starting out with a Theremini is a good way to begin. I'm assuming that by "true theremin," what your friend is referring to is the accepted industry standard - solid state theremins without a lot of bells and whistles. The very first original theremins featured magnetic coils, vacuum tubes and point-to-point wiring. By the late 1950s, theremins were almost entirely solid state with transistors, capacitors, etc. All of the different makes of theremins such as the Moogs, the Burns, the Jaycar, the PAIA, etc., are all solid state. The things that set the Theremini apart are its digital elements, the led readout, its 31 presets, its ability to quantize all the frequencies, its editing suite that enables you to create your own sounds, its CV out that enables you to use midi interfaces (although the Moog Etherwave Pro, the Etherwave Plus and the newer Etherwave Standard all have CV out capability). For all intents and purposes, the Theremini is a true theremin. It can be used and played like any other theremin. It's also one of the more economical choices. After Moog discontinued the original Standard version, the Theremini was pretty much the only Moog in town for a number of years. Lots of people bought them and lots of people had a tremendous amount of difficulty when trying to properly calibrate the instrument - a real potential problem - but I cover it extensively in the very first tutorial - when you learn to do it properly, it takes only about 45 seconds. Lots of people also criticized it as being just a novelty or toy (that's patently untrue); some took exception to the fact that by using quantized presets or playing when utilizing the quantization function that you didn't have to put in any effort at all - the notes were automatically on pitch, so anyone who used that function wasn't really "playing," they were cheating. BUT... If you take advantage of the free Theremini lessons I've posted here on TH-cam you'll learn how to play the theremin just as you would any other theremin, and you'll also learn uses for the quantized presets, you'll have pitch training exercises and exercises that cover every aspect of the instrument. You'll end up becoming much more than a beginner. If you take a look at some of the tutorials, you'll get a good idea of what's possible. I also cover the instrument's limitations in detail. But every theremin, regardless of make and model, has limitations.

@@dnteuxurois Thank you

@@kite6864 You're welcome. by the way, I forgot to mention that ALL theremins require calibration every time you turn them on. It's just that the process of calibrating the Theremini is more involved and quite a bit trickier. It's because of that process that getting it absolutely right is essential. This link details the process: th-cam.com/video/gNuQy8guC18/w-d-xo.html

You're very welcome. It's always amazed me that something so fundamental to the proper functioning of the Theremini - something that should be as easy as possible - should be so tricky, requiring such precision that the slightest deviation can render the instrument inoperable. The Theremini, which I saw in its planning stages while visiting the Moog factory, was originally intended for children. It was to be a simple theremin, easy to set up and easy to play. That obviously never happened. As it currently exists, mastering the calibration process is the most difficult part.

You're very welcome. Once you've got the ability to calibrate accurately and quickly, the real fun begins!

Excellent. I'm glad it worked. Sometimes it solves the problem, other times it fails.

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. One of the most difficult compositions I've ever attempted. It sounds deceptively simple at times, but the changing time signatures and syncopation make it really challenging. Took a lot of practice!

@@dnteuxurois And the dueling Pianos?! Really impressive, I gotta see something like this live one day, thank you for all the Theremin videos!

Thank you for your comment. Over the years, I've found that there were a number of areas, in my opinion crucial areas, that seemed to be neglected when it comes to music practice and one's approach to learning any instrument. Mindset is one of those areas; examining it with regard to ourselves can open up new avenues for ourselves.

It really is the single most important component of using the Theremini. WIthout precise calibration, your theremin will refuse to behave. Once you've got the hang of it, there are a lot more tutorials that will really get you up and running. Have fun!

Hi: Very glad you find the tutorial useful. Having devised it through my own explorations over the years, I'm confident it can be helpful to anyone - certainly was for me. Years ago, deciding to move my practices beyond the instrument itself and into other realms such as mindset changed the way I approached my playing.

"it's all about calibration..." It sure is. Calibration is the single most crucial component of being able to play the Theremini. However, once you've got it down, an entire world of potential opens up. The instrument's detractors who criticize it as being a "toy," or "cheating" (because of the quantization), or not a "real" theremin, are depriving themselves of a far deeper exploration. Between its presets, its editing suite, and more, you can really have an amazing time with the Theremini and create some pretty amazing music/soundscapes/experimental noise.

I'd hesitate to ascribe "genius" to this tutorial. After all, calibration is just a quick 5-step procedure that takes little time and always works successfully, right? Hardly, because the challenge here is that the precision required to optimally calibrate the Theremini was wholly unanticipated by the theremin's creators. Prior to the instrument's production, I was able to meet at the Moog factory and see the plans and specs for the Theremini. At the time, the intention was to market it to children. It was going to be an instrument that kids could use to learn to play. The basic approach was to begin with quantized frequencies and gradually ween oneself off quantization to the point where you were playing the theremin in its "classic" fashion. Once I received my Theremini, I could imagine the difficulty a child would have trying to calibrate. As I got deeper into exploring, I received more and more anguished messages from people having incredible trouble when attempting calibration. All it takes is a little slip of a hand or miscalculation and you can end up with Theremini that's totally out of whack, or fails to even make a sound! That's what prompted this particular tutorial.

@@dnteuxurois Great story, makes sense of a few things now. I have a Sub 37 and some Mooger Foogers and they do feel a bit like they are targeted at different people, I just figured someone at MOOG got some creative freedom and went bananas. Thankfully they put the "quantize" knob, makes it way more fun for adults that have learner level music skills;) You are spot on about the manual. I tried, and could make noise but not like I can now;) I appreciate you and your channel. Happy music making friend.

Thank you, Wes. It's very gratifying to know you find these tutorials useful. There are a lot more intended to take Theremini owners through the entire gamut of what the machine can do and how to make the most of its features. And the link to the PDf file in the description above provides even more tutorials that are applicable.

@@dnteuxurois oh cool, thanks again, I’ll check it out 🤙🏽😎

@@dnteuxurois I got the PDF, nice, also, one thing that would be cool is some videos on who to do some fun basic tunes, like the imperial march, or star trek, which I see a lot...not sure how crazy that is to do, or maybe an "approach" type video. thanks

The way to find out if you've got the sequence correct is to A) record yourself doing the exercise, making sure that the recording hears both you and the video, then B) listen/compare carefully to each section of the recording to determine if each sequence that you played matches what was played in the video. Remember - this exercise is like a game that tests your ability to listen, remember and repeat. It's challenging. For a somewhat easier challenge try this following, and make sure to record yourself. When you've done both exercises, listen to the recording to see how close you came to matching pitches. A great way to double check is to have a friend or family member listen to the recording playback with you and give you their assessment as well. Try these - type each to the TH-cam search: Kip Rosser Lesson 07 Kip Rosser Lesson 08 It's unimportant what the actual note is ( a, b, g, etc), the only criteria is to honestly determine: "did the pitch I played match the pitch I heard in the video?"

Thanks, Paul: This piece is really tricky with skipped beats, jumping octaves, odd rhythmic changes, etc.

...which begs the question: how is your own practice going?

@@dnteuxurois Terribly underpowered, alas, because of a new hire at the company, and guess who has to do the mentoring... Good thing, now, I have a week off, so it's slowly picking up again. Currently studying "King of the Road", which is a fun tune to play.

Very glad you enjoyed it.

I agree with you; somehow its haunting nature, at least for me, is compounded by the record's age and surface noise. It's sonic character almost makes me feel I've gone back in time.

Thanks for listening. Taking into account all that's been uploaded here, it represents less than 100th of Juliet Shaw's total recorded output! The same goes for the photos.

You're very welcome.

Thanks, Emily. We're still waiting to hear about the donation. the institution is conducting their final internal review. We just have to wait and see. I'm asking everyone in the theremin community to please spread the word about the Juliet Shaw Legacy Project web site. So many people expressed their initial excitement about the entire project, but I confess I'm little surprised that so few thereminists are actually exploring the site and Juliet Shaw's life and career. The discovery of her collection and her place in the theremin's history as one of the few first generation thereminists is of incredible significance. I have a little over 2,000 subscribers, and yet, only 29 people have viewed this video in the past month. Where is everybody?

"Sparks and strings" indeed. I'm unaware as to whether you've performed in public as yet, but when you do, be prepared for that type of response. When playing in the Manhattan subways, people have been absolutely sure that they see me pulling a string (the pitch hand's movements can make it seem so). spectators have also been convinced that I either A) am miming the movements and the sound is actually prerecorded or, B) have a microphone in my mouth and that I'm really making the sound with my voice. It's hilarious that they'd think those things rather than just believe that the instrument is producing the sounds.

@@dnteuxurois Just reading your comment made me laugh out loud. I can imagine people thinking that. The theremin is such a unique instrument, most folks can't wrap their heads around it.

It's just the tip of the iceberg, as they say. One of the vinyl recordings in the collection features the 12 piano symphony in its entirety.

@@dnteuxurois You really opened a giant box of surprises.

@@PaulKater And had it not been for Sandra's determination, that box might never have been found (especially because everything was all over the place in zillions of boxes. And bags. And envelopes. A folders. And loose stacks. And even more boxes. And... well, you get the idea.

@@dnteuxurois Sounds like a giant puzzle with a couple of pieces missing all the time. Those pop up when you're not looking for them. Really, a tremendous achievement from both of you.

So glad you're exploring. If you're seeing thee videos on TH-cam, great. However, there's even more on the site itself. I'm asking that everyone who's discovering Juliet Shaw spread the word in the theremin community and electronic music community, so that they can discover the collection as well.

Very glad you're enjoying it. Be sure to visit the site: www.jshawlegacy.com there's a lot more.

We want to give everyone the opportunity to discover Juliet Shaw. Since there's a chance we may be limited once an institution takes ownership of the collection , please spread the word while these videos and the site are still available for people to see.

Fantastic. I'm confident that the tutorials will help a lot. Please keep me posted as to your progress.

AVery glad you found the videos helpful. I’m sure you have seen, if you have looked at the extensive descriptive text below the video, that if you have a Theremini you can go from beginner to advanced just by taking all of those tutorials. They will cover every single thing A there Yes, I thought he got off at an exit minist needs. Enjoy.

Very happy that you found the tutorial helpful. FYI: the Theremini never goes silent if your volume hand is above the distance you set - it just stays loud as long as your pitch hand is in the pitch field. Volume is quiet if your pitch hand is below your Near Pitch setting, or, if your pitch hand and volume hand are out of their respective control spaces, or, if you loop your cable over the volume loop.

Thanks. I'm having a bunch of technical problems getting this stuff to show up on the site. A guy I know is going to show me what I'm missing. That's the reason I'm posting several of the videos today, so that I can get them to function on the Juliet Shaw Legacy site. Once I can do it correctly, there's more going up. By the way, the Jason Mysteria "infommercial" is fantastic. Everyone should go and take a look: th-cam.com/video/E2YrqPQiUac/w-d-xo.html

What's really amazing was that it was exhilarating; a bit like what it must be like to participate in an archaeological dig. I've enjoyed the process thoroughly, and Sandra's excitement over hearing and seeing things that she never knew existed continues to be very rewarding. Unfortunately, I'm having some technical difficulties getting everything uploaded to the site. Over the next few days, check back on the site and there will be new audio, photos and some of the only video of Juliet Shaw performing live.

@@dnteuxurois Thanks for that update, Kip. I'll keep my eyes open!

Very glad it helped - and the great thing about the new EW is that you can access the ocillator/transformer slugs without having to take anything apart! Part of me believes that the folks at Moog (who've seen a lot of my videos) have seen that years ago, I drilled holes in my EWs to be able to re-calibrate things quickly.

I am happy you find this tutorial useful. There are many more possibilities for what you can do with the presets. Thanks for your comments, Laurent.

A heartfelt thanks.

Here's an entire page with different ones: www.sweetwater.com/store/search?s=Quick+Release+Mic+Adaptor

Hi: Do you mean that you have "exactly the same" theremin and you are unable to get it to make any sound at all? How long has this been happening - since you first purchased it, has it ever made any sound, at any time? In almost all instances, the reason it's unable to make any sound is that something went wrong during the calibration process. It actually happened to me yesterday - without realizing it, while setting my far pitch, my pitch hand (right hand) moved before the end of the countdown. I continued to set near and far volume and... nothing. Whenever that happens, I turn the Theremini off. I then turn it back on, calibrate very carefully and the Theremini functions properly. But if calibration repeatedly fails when you do it, and the theremin continues to be silent, there may be something seriously wrong with it. That usually means contacting Moog and sending it to them for repair.

Hi, Julian: I'm glad you found them. What type of theremin are you playing? I'm unable to recognize it. You're very good, by the way. If you're interested in Juliet Shaw, the website is about to undergo a major content reworking. The fundraising arm the the project is over. Over the next few weeks, I'll be posting more of Juliet Shaw's music, additional photos, some very rare video foot of her interviews and in performance. Unearthed by Juliet's daughter, Sandra, and compiled, cataloged and digitized by myself, the completed archive is massive. Thereminists, theremin enthusiasts and lovers of electronic music are going to finally be able to access things that have been never been seen or heard (even by Sandra herself) for over thirty to fifty years. Since you've just found me on TH-cam, there are two types of videos. the first is over 100 tutorials, most of which are applicable to any type of theremin. Then there is a series of tutorials specifically for the Moog Theremini. the second type of videos are my theremin music videos. they can be a little difficult to find among the tutorials, so here are a few links to various genres of music: th-cam.com/video/ph4neJ3iFWs/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/l_Sr7_PWuHI/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/RXiATlt2W7Y/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/CEP-oHJdVoE/w-d-xo.html

@@dnteuxurois Wow, Kip - that's a tremendous amount of resources! I'll start digging in, for sure! Thank you for the compliment - I'm just getting started and I have a newfound appreciation for the challenges string players have. A lot of things to manage, all at the same time lol. I'm playing an old Etherwave Standard that's probably about 25 years old...maybe more. I don't have a lot of gear, so I'm running it through a little old practice amp and the sound is...not fantastic...I'd love to have a good speaker at some point and some other things for effect, but for now, I'm just working on technical improvement, so the bells and whistles can wait. Thank you for all the great direction - looking forward to reading and watching more!

To my ear, you're well on your way. Weird that I was unable to recognize an old Standard Etherwave (I have three of them!) Also, your waveform and brightness settings are producing a very unique sonic character. I provide this only for your curiosity, and just to make them available to you: to see all tutorials listed in their correct sequence and what each one deals with, go here: kiprosser.com/?page_id=215 You may find some useful, and you can access them all directly on TH-cam by simply typing in my name and the lesson number (for example, Kip Rosser Lesson 23). For lessons 1 through 9, put a zero first ( Kip Rosser Lesson 01, 02, 03, etc.). Have fun!

The PAIA Theremax was the very first theremin I ever owned. Purchased the kit back in 1996 and built it. And, as I've said so many times. I never knew (at that time) that Moog (then Big Briar) was selling the Standard Etherwave - already put together. That realization came seven months later. I still have my Theremax and I play it occasionally.

Very glad you're finding the tutorials helpful and enjoying them. I'll take the Bob Ross comment as a real compliment. My dad (who was a fine artist his whole life) and I used to watch Bob Ross together!

You're very welcome. The whole point is exploration, thinking creatively and opening up possibilities for using the Theremini in ways that align with what you as a thereminist want to play and do.

Hi: Apologies for taking so long to get back to you. The holidays were extremely busy with family festivities, a houseful of company and more, including all the cleanup that followed after everyone was gone. My Theremini is set to Preset 01 CLASSIC THRMN, with the Scale: Ionian and the Root: C. All Presets are OFF. The Pitch Correction knob is fully clockwise so that the notes are fully quantized. With all the settings this way, the Theremini plays a perfect major C scale without sharps or flats, automatically. It matches perfectly with a keyboard C major scale. Take a look: th-cam.com/video/UJHvmJv09A0/w-d-xo.html Your Theremini should behave precisely the same way. Of course, as you back off of the quantization by gradually turning the Pitch Correction knob gradually counterclockwise, it requires that you use your ear and fingering to locate the pitches (notes) and play the same scale. You state that with your settings that you "have not the effect" that you want. Maybe I am misunderstanding what effect you want. Has this helped at all? Let me know and let's see if we can figure this out.

@@dnteuxurois Thank you vero much! The problem was with the pitch connection knob! I did not turned it fully clockwise. Now i am able to play the major scale. Thank you!

Stonkpuppets6393! I must tell you that your Theremini will arrive UNcalibrated. As a matter of fact, it requires calibration every time you use it. So do all other theremins regardless of make and model, however, the theremini is particularly tricky as you will discover. But if you follow the instructions in this video and in this one... th-cam.com/video/iZYdSTnVVRo/w-d-xo.html ...you'll be an expert. -Kip