A massive thank you to Kip for just freely sharing so much knowledge and expertise on the theremin and Theremini. I learned about Theremin when I was a kid in the 70s, and I always dreamt of playing one. There were electronic schematics in technical magasines, but I have never managed to build one myself. Now I got a Theremini and I found Kip's lessons extremelly useful. I am starting now my Theremini journey! Kip, thank you so much for your generous sharing of decades of experience and practice! Dan
You're very welcome, Dan.Like you, I knew what a theremin was from a very early age, but never would have guessed I'd be able to acquire and play one; it took until 1996. I've been hooked ever since. So glad you're finding the Theremini tutorials useful.
I faced this issue when plugged the instrument into a 12V inverter outlet, which turned out to be extremely noisy. Luckily, the instrument can be powered from 12V directly, regardless of the manual insisting on using only the Moog power adapter. When powered directly from a 12V battery, it is stable even without grounding.
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.
If this doesn’t work, there’s a possibility the outlets aren’t actually grounded outlets. Definitely worth trying in a building with confirmed grounded outlets
Thank you, Josie. I hope others read your comment. It may prove helpful. Also, people in Europe and India that have contacted me may experience difficulties associated with their outlets as well since, according to some, they are only for two-prong plugs. Myself, I have a Monster brad power strip/surge protector (quite expensive) that has grounded outlets for regular, high voltage and digital appliances; that's probably why the fluttering anomaly never occurs on my Theremini.
Just an additional little side-note: sometimes those screws in the middle of those outlets aren't conductive - either the metal is painted over, or they're made from some type of plastic or nylon...
Thanks, Yuri. People need to know that. Of course, if anyone encounters this, it's easy to put in a replacement screw that's just metal without any coating.
Hi, Alvaro: I've been hoping people would let me know the result. And, It's very disheartening to find that using the grounding procedure failed to fix the fluttering problem. As I mentioned in the video, my theremini has never exhibited the fluttering behavior. That makes it difficult since I am unable to duplicate the problem; if I could, I could then experiment to find a way to alleviate the fluttering once and for all.
Something I've found is that depending on the flooring and relative humidity (such as during winter when it's especially arid) getting a good ground can be challenging, but a consistent fix is to make physical contact with the power cable. I'm usually barefoot in the house and in winter when I have trouble with grounding I tuck the cable under my toe and it goes right away.
Hi, Kip! The root of the problem was so simple that you even won’t believe. You need to stick the antenna and push it a little bit harder into the nest. That’s all!
Yes, as I mention in the tutorial, that's one thing to always check. The pitch rod often feels as if it's seated completely, but sometimes, it needs an extra push. I'm glad the issue is solved for you.
Аліса: I'm very hopeful, however, as you can see from Alvaro's comment above, the grounding procedure failed to work on his Theremini. However, it may still work for others. It's always worth a try. I'll keep searching to see if I can find something that will work effectively.
Hello again Kip Rosser, as I said, I bought the moog theremini and it will arrive on the 14th of the month. What should I do after I open the package, how can I practice and play?
Hello, Alesandru: The most important thing to become proficient at is to be able to properly calibrate the Theremini prior to playing it. Without correctly calibrating it, the instrument is virtually unplayable. This calibration has to be performed every time you turn the Theremini on, so being able to do it correctly and quickly is going to spare you a tremendous amount of frustration. So, once you've opened it up and plugged it in, I highly recommend that you follow the link below and watch it - without doing anything - just look at the controls on your Theremini, follow along and observe. This will take time, but you'll find it's definitely worth it. Afterwards, take a break and start the video over - this time, actually go through the steps of calibration. If you have difficulty and the theremin fails to function properly (as I demonstrate), then it's necessary to start over. Here's the link: th-cam.com/video/gNuQy8guC18/w-d-xo.html Go slowly, carefully and be patient. Pause the video if you need to. Once you get the hang of it, go to the follow-up link and follow it as well: th-cam.com/video/iZYdSTnVVRo/w-d-xo.html Believe me: calibration is the single most crucial and serious key to playing the Theremini. After that, learning to play songs and music is when the fun starts! You can then take part in all of the Theremini tutorials, exploring every aspect of playing. In every tutorial description there's a complete list of all tutorials. You can do them in sequence or jump around a little. By the time you finish, you'll be amazed at your own progress. Once you learn to calibrate, the next things to try are here: th-cam.com/video/JG__ui2wZZk/w-d-xo.html and here: th-cam.com/video/9Hae03RQoKs/w-d-xo.html From there, just keep going. Let me know how it goes.
@@dnteuxurois Today i tryed to callibret my theremini i spend a few hours on it and i manage to do it. My question is my anthena has red line mark on it. But on your videos i dont see that line, im afraid to push it harder. Should i push it or new thereminis has that red circle on the antenna.
@@aleksandruserkankucukberks1528 the "red line" is a common question. The answer is "yes," it needs to be pushed in all the way down. The safest way to do it is to place one hand under the Theremini for support and push down firmly until the antenna locks into place. You will feel it. Unless the antenna is pushed in all the way, you will have all sorts of playing issues like the sound fluttering, and even more crucial, is that your calibration, even though you do it correctly, will be erratic and your range will be inconsistent. Pushing the antenna in will feel like it's being forced a little too hard, but with support from your hand underneath, it will be fine.
Hey Kip, it's cob. I think I'm having this issue but it's pretty subtle - I can hold the pitch dead in the center and it has this warbling sound. But, I have another one on the way due to the other issues I was having. Do you think this a problem that is specific to a particular theremini, or more of an environmental thing? Thanks, cob
The warbling can be caused by any number of things. Take a look at the other comments that appear here. I've experienced the issue only periodically and Ive solved it in various ways: a)switching to a different amp, b) changing outlets, c) using the wire-to-grounding screw-to outlet screw method, d) inaccurate calibration, e) electrical interference coming from the Theremini to the outlet and the cable's connection to amp. However, the issue is a rare occurrence for me. Most of the time, everything's fine.
I don't know Kip - is there a way I can send you an audio sample? Or a video so you can see that my hand is still. Not real familiar with this format. I live in an apartment 300 units so no telling what interference from wi-fi, satellite dishes so forth. But it might be user error, not ruling that out 😀 But do you think I can play this here? Thanks, cob
@@oldboy853 You can create a short video sample so that I can both see and hear. If you have a TH-cam channel, just upload and make it "unlisted," then send me the link. You can also send it via www.wetransfer.com to kr@performancekr.com
@@dnteuxuroisWell I did the ground wire and it didn't do much good, but my daughter came over and graced it with her magical presence, and it sounds great now! She set it on ethereal which, on my machine when you turn it on in that mode it is set like a straight theremin with a slight reverb, no effects or correction. If you change it around with the preset knob it is completely different. So you have to set it on ethereal, turn it off and back on with that preset. Thank you sweet pea!
Thank you for this video, helped me get my theremini back to playable again 👏
Excellent. I'm glad it worked. Sometimes it solves the problem, other times it fails.
A massive thank you to Kip for just freely sharing so much knowledge and expertise on the theremin and Theremini. I learned about Theremin when I was a kid in the 70s, and I always dreamt of playing one. There were electronic schematics in technical magasines, but I have never managed to build one myself. Now I got a Theremini and I found Kip's lessons extremelly useful. I am starting now my Theremini journey! Kip, thank you so much for your generous sharing of decades of experience and practice! Dan
You're very welcome, Dan.Like you, I knew what a theremin was from a very early age, but never would have guessed I'd be able to acquire and play one; it took until 1996. I've been hooked ever since. So glad you're finding the Theremini tutorials useful.
I faced this issue when plugged the instrument into a 12V inverter outlet, which turned out to be extremely noisy. Luckily, the instrument can be powered from 12V directly, regardless of the manual insisting on using only the Moog power adapter. When powered directly from a 12V battery, it is stable even without grounding.
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!
If this doesn’t work, there’s a possibility the outlets aren’t actually grounded outlets. Definitely worth trying in a building with confirmed grounded outlets
Thank you, Josie. I hope others read your comment. It may prove helpful. Also, people in Europe and India that have contacted me may experience difficulties associated with their outlets as well since, according to some, they are only for two-prong plugs. Myself, I have a Monster brad power strip/surge protector (quite expensive) that has grounded outlets for regular, high voltage and digital appliances; that's probably why the fluttering anomaly never occurs on my Theremini.
Just an additional little side-note: sometimes those screws in the middle of those outlets aren't conductive - either the metal is painted over, or they're made from some type of plastic or nylon...
Thanks, Yuri. People need to know that. Of course, if anyone encounters this, it's easy to put in a replacement screw that's just metal without any coating.
I'm still getting the flutter after grounding it and i'm loosing my mind. The people at moog aren't very helpful
Hi, Alvaro: I've been hoping people would let me know the result. And, It's very disheartening to find that using the grounding procedure failed to fix the fluttering problem. As I mentioned in the video, my theremini has never exhibited the fluttering behavior. That makes it difficult since I am unable to duplicate the problem; if I could, I could then experiment to find a way to alleviate the fluttering once and for all.
Something I've found is that depending on the flooring and relative humidity (such as during winter when it's especially arid) getting a good ground can be challenging, but a consistent fix is to make physical contact with the power cable. I'm usually barefoot in the house and in winter when I have trouble with grounding I tuck the cable under my toe and it goes right away.
Hi, Kip! The root of the problem was so simple that you even won’t believe.
You need to stick the antenna and push it a little bit harder into the nest.
That’s all!
Yes, as I mention in the tutorial, that's one thing to always check. The pitch rod often feels as if it's seated completely, but sometimes, it needs an extra push. I'm glad the issue is solved for you.
👋 Everyone
Problem solution.
Set the tone range to max 1a2 octaves.
I found C3-C5 a nice range setting.
Gr Stephan.
Thnx, Kip. I’ve seen this hack in the manual, have another types of plugs here, but anyway I’ll try to do it somehow 🙂
Аліса: I'm very hopeful, however, as you can see from Alvaro's comment above, the grounding procedure failed to work on his Theremini. However, it may still work for others. It's always worth a try. I'll keep searching to see if I can find something that will work effectively.
@@dnteuxurois if Moog's support gives me some solutions I'll let you know as well
@@sarasvatinath3527 Thank you. Meanwhile, I'm looking into it more closely.
Hello again Kip Rosser, as I said, I bought the moog theremini and it will arrive on the 14th of the month. What should I do after I open the package, how can I practice and play?
Hello, Alesandru: The most important thing to become proficient at is to be able to properly calibrate the Theremini prior to playing it. Without correctly calibrating it, the instrument is virtually unplayable. This calibration has to be performed every time you turn the Theremini on, so being able to do it correctly and quickly is going to spare you a tremendous amount of frustration.
So, once you've opened it up and plugged it in, I highly recommend that you follow the link below and watch it - without doing anything - just look at the controls on your Theremini, follow along and observe. This will take time, but you'll find it's definitely worth it. Afterwards, take a break and start the video over - this time, actually go through the steps of calibration. If you have difficulty and the theremin fails to function properly (as I demonstrate), then it's necessary to start over. Here's the link:
th-cam.com/video/gNuQy8guC18/w-d-xo.html
Go slowly, carefully and be patient. Pause the video if you need to. Once you get the hang of it, go to the follow-up link and follow it as well:
th-cam.com/video/iZYdSTnVVRo/w-d-xo.html
Believe me: calibration is the single most crucial and serious key to playing the Theremini.
After that, learning to play songs and music is when the fun starts! You can then take part in all of the Theremini tutorials, exploring every aspect of playing. In every tutorial description there's a complete list of all tutorials. You can do them in sequence or jump around a little. By the time you finish, you'll be amazed at your own progress.
Once you learn to calibrate, the next things to try are here:
th-cam.com/video/JG__ui2wZZk/w-d-xo.html
and here:
th-cam.com/video/9Hae03RQoKs/w-d-xo.html
From there, just keep going.
Let me know how it goes.
@@dnteuxurois Thanks alot i will let you know once i have done it!
@@dnteuxurois Today i tryed to callibret my theremini i spend a few hours on it and i manage to do it. My question is my anthena has red line mark on it. But on your videos i dont see that line, im afraid to push it harder. Should i push it or new thereminis has that red circle on the antenna.
@@aleksandruserkankucukberks1528 the "red line" is a common question. The answer is "yes," it needs to be pushed in all the way down. The safest way to do it is to place one hand under the Theremini for support and push down firmly until the antenna locks into place. You will feel it. Unless the antenna is pushed in all the way, you will have all sorts of playing issues like the sound fluttering, and even more crucial, is that your calibration, even though you do it correctly, will be erratic and your range will be inconsistent. Pushing the antenna in will feel like it's being forced a little too hard, but with support from your hand underneath, it will be fine.
Hey Kip, it's cob. I think I'm having this issue but it's pretty subtle - I can hold the pitch dead in the center and it has this warbling sound. But, I have another one on the way due to the other issues I was having. Do you think this a problem that is specific to a particular theremini, or more of an environmental thing? Thanks, cob
The warbling can be caused by any number of things. Take a look at the other comments that appear here. I've experienced the issue only periodically and Ive solved it in various ways: a)switching to a different amp, b) changing outlets, c) using the wire-to-grounding screw-to outlet screw method, d) inaccurate calibration, e) electrical interference coming from the Theremini to the outlet and the cable's connection to amp. However, the issue is a rare occurrence for me. Most of the time, everything's fine.
I don't know Kip - is there a way I can send you an audio sample? Or a video so you can see that my hand is still. Not real familiar with this format. I live in an apartment 300 units so no telling what interference from wi-fi, satellite dishes so forth. But it might be user error, not ruling that out 😀 But do you think I can play this here? Thanks, cob
@@oldboy853 You can create a short video sample so that I can both see and hear. If you have a TH-cam channel, just upload and make it "unlisted," then send me the link. You can also send it via www.wetransfer.com to kr@performancekr.com
@@dnteuxuroisWell I did the ground wire and it didn't do much good, but my daughter came over and graced it with her magical presence, and it sounds great now! She set it on ethereal which, on my machine when you turn it on in that mode it is set like a straight theremin with a slight reverb, no effects or correction. If you change it around with the preset knob it is completely different. So you have to set it on ethereal, turn it off and back on with that preset. Thank you sweet pea!