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RS
Theremin & Lev Termen
Below is a great email I received
from a dear friend of Lev Termen
March 27, 2007
Hi Christopher,
My name is Olia and
I live in WI near Chicago and Milwaukee. I am actually a former Lev
Sergeevich Termen student. It means that I met Lev Sergeevich back in
Moscow in 1979 and was spending time in his shop in an attic of the
Department of Physics and observed him building the Theremins including
the most complicated one, which to the best of my knowledge, has never
been finished.
It was a platform
where the player could move his whole body instead of waving a hand in
front of an antenna.
(I believe it
is a terpsitone similar to my half done theremin platform the kids use for break dancing - RS Theremin)
Lev Sergeevich was the one who taught me to play his instrument
including more complicated version that could play simple chords (two
tones at a time by opening and
closing a palm in addition to your hand movements).
(My Ultermen 5 volume control is similar creating two tones or octave
sliding.mp3. It uses palm held device - RS Theremin)
All his complicated Theremins were built using parts from the toy
department (Detskii Mir) in
Moscow and at that time nobody in Moscow was interested in his work.
(Radio
Shack is my toy and electronic parts store - RS Theremin)
He actually slept in his lab in the attic and had a pet mice which he
trained to come out to the certain tone of the Theremin!
(I use to sleep with my
whippet (dog), she would yelp when I played theremin. LOL - RS Theremin)
See, for me it is more of nostalgia to build unique Theremin similar
that I used to play.
I really liked your sound
Finding Clara's Voice thevoice16.mp3. It came really close to the
instrument I used to play built by Lev Sergeevich, unlike all other
prototypes I've heard. I'd like to try building something similar to
your Clara Voice.
(I discovered
Clara's Voice.mp3 hidden in the simplicity of a two transistor theremin, no acoustics are used - RS Theremin)
Could you help with an advice? Of course, I am not into electronic
devices since I am only a molecular biologist who can tear apart and
compose molecules only, not electronic devices, but I have an engineer
friend who is willing to help with this project. His idea is even to go
with an original tube design, for more mellow sound.
(With several tube/valve designs on the
web, not many furnish sound files or music - RS
Theremin)
But you suggested that
tubes may not be necessary. What is your opinion about such possibility?
Thanks for your advice and suggestions,
Olia
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