AETHERPHON, global theremin family

On 16 May 2006, at 15:35, I wrote:

Re: the frothatrill (I'm fed up of writing coffee-frother trill);

> I didn't get an perceptible effect with the volume antenna. I imagine
> that's down to the shorter field and the thin wires I'm using as
> antenna.

Correction - it was down to the presence of my hand in the volume  
field. Holding the coffee-frother at the very end  and letting the  
propellor go right into the centre of the loop half the time (or a  
little less for some reduction of the effect) gives a very pleasing  
rapid throbbing to the sound.

Also:

>  Perhaps you could arrange something with a vice and a
> steel rule so that the free end moves in and out of the volume field.

That works too. The twangulator is an 50 cm (18 inch) steel rule,  
extending horizontally from the top of a dining chair, to which it is  
lashed by the last 8 cm (3 inches). The free end goes under the  
volume loop, and the volume field adjusted so that it ruler is only  
just beneath it so that whilst stationary it does not affect the  
maximum volume, so does not interfere with regular playing. Twanging  
the end gives a slower throb, about five times a second. The  
vibration can be maintained by tapping rhythmically about half-way  
down the ruler, or closer to reduce the maximum volume. The frequency  
of the throb can be fine tuned by sticking a fridge magnet to the ruler.

omhoge - thank you very much for pointing me at the pitch antenna - I  
am delighted with the outcome. I'm just off to listen to the next  
episode of Infection (it's a cracking good sci-fi podcast novel by  
Scott Sigler - highly recommended if you have a taste for the  
gruesome and can resist the urge to scratch!) and then I think the  
frothatrill and twangulator deserve an entry in Gordon's Progress.

:-)

Gordon