AETHERPHON, global theremin family

Yes, that is Art Harrison's work.

http://harrisoninstruments.com/302/302_description.html

I was real sketchy about the plate antennas and the inverse volume mapping at 
first, but I knew that Harrison's instruments produced amazing bass sounds and 
the "putt putt" of the Etherwave in the bass range cramped my style so I bought 
one.

After the first week I could play it and after two weeks I could play it better 
than the Etherwave.After the third week I had to replace the battery. I had 
played the Model 302 more in three weeks than I had played my Etherwave in the 
last three months. It was just that much fun. BTW - the 9 volt battery lasts for 
over 24 hours of play.

I found that I could also  play it backwards and I could put the volume antenna 
at a 90 degree angle and play the volume antenna from underneath to enable play 
like a standard Etherwave, but those ergonomics are just wrong. One hand going 
one way and the other hand going the other way just makes things difficult. With 
both hands operating in the same direction, the same model of play can be used 
by the cerebellum. Could anyone imagine walking with one leg going back and 
forth and the other one going left to right?

Peter Pringle has likened playing the Theremin to walking a tightrope. No 
wonder! Just look at the pole antenna. Could you walk along that? Whereas the 
plate is like walking a sidewalk. You are not as likely to take a spill and if 
you do, it is only a couple of cents off rather than a semitone or more.

The whole notion that the theremin has antennas rather than capacitor plates is 
why the instrument has had such a difficult go of it - it is easy to play, buty 
hitting notes and holding them, not so much - because an antenna is the wrong 
tool.

Rupert

 



________________________________
From: David V <porphyrous@topicbox.com>
To: aetherphon@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thu, August 26, 2010 8:59:26 AM
Subject: Re: What y'all up to? (was Re: [Aetherphon] told you so

  
On 8/25/2010 5:43 PM, rupert chappelle wrote:
> I decided to become the best theremin player ever - at least until
> Pamelia, Lydia and Carolyn switch to the Model 302.
I'm not familiar with the Model 302. Is that one of Art's designs?

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