Theremin - Sixty Symbols

[Kurtlane]

How do you tune it?

And how do you know where to put your hand to get specific sounds? Where is C#?

[Moriarty2112]

@Kurtlane Hi. There's a "trimmer" capacitor on the side of the box which allows for tuning in terms of the notes made at particular hand positions. But the only way you know where to put your hand to get a particular note is by practice. Lots and lots of practice!

I just make noises with the theremin in the video. If you want to see how it really *should* be played search YouTube for "Clara Rockmore The Swan" or "Lydia Kavina Claire de Lune".

All the best,

Philip (speaking in video)

[ArsonistInUrFirewall]

I have been wanting a theremin ever since star trek.

[MrKitrid]

Do you really have to wiggle your hand i front of the antenna to produce a sound ?

[iasedu]

@MrKitrid No



[eliezer1117]

Professor Moriarty, you are incredible.

[hedleypanama]

@sixtysymbols why the theremin has a single antena? how do you explain the "volume" antena (absent in this video)

[boogerfly100]

Einstein's Bell's theorem

[bogdan1231]

can we give him the decaf next time?

still wonderful :)

[Mustyrat]

Theremins are so pro.

[Speekerful]

Yeah the Theremin!!! Making Sci-fi films sound peculiar since the beginning of time!

[wreynolds1995]

Press 1 over and over again.

"PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW!"

[VictorVonFox]

@wreynolds1995 sounds like an 80s arcade

[paintballer9110]

0:59

[Th0usandMaster]

lol look like fun

[breaneainn]

Put it in a fish tank, quit your job, and take acid...just an idea.

[EddyScbr]

He's talking about Led Zeppelin. That's precisely why I find Moriarty to be so freakin' AWESOME!

[SuZeeTV]

Low cost digital Theremins do not have inductors

[BlackSunSerenade]

I now want a theremin...

[Zappyguy111]

BACK FROM MY THEREMIN MUSICIAN SEARCH! What did I miss?

[breaneainn]

@Zappyguy111 ..the last 70 years Marty McFly..

[hotrodmind]

Kinda sounds like the ghost sounds on Scooby Doo, Doesn't it ??

[SlipperehPuppeh]

My question: Can you play chords on it?

[serloinz]

hehe the 2 poor kids in the background are like 'cant you see im trying to bloody study here' whooohhoooouuraahaha hehe ;p i own a theremin and love it :)

[quarksandsoul76]

I want to play with his theremin.

[Faiyer117]

I wonder what would happen if he really touch that.

[Mvilhel]

@Faiyer117 Everything would expolde!!!!

[Muscleduck]

Prof. Moriarty is one cool guy.

[AssemblerGuy]

As far as I understand the circuitry of it, the innards of a theremin is quite similar to those of a superheterodyn radio reciever. For a long time I guessed that the theremin was invented by accident, by someone tinkering with/trying to fix a superheterodyn radio...

[FHomeBrew]

What's the other aerial for? There's also one sticking from the side with lots of theremins...

[dreasim]

ive wanted a theremin too...thanks for the reminder lol

[tuberlook1]

poor jean michel jarre didnt even get a mention.

[NagaJolokiafied]

I LOVE LED ZEPPELIN!!!

[yertcho]

thumbs up for Slovenia :D

[AntiProtonBoy]

I have built one of them! :D One of the most satisfying things ever.

[Skindoggiedog]

I've got to say, I absolutely love the way this guy explains things.

Awesome stuff.

[autismboy]

One nob...

[Terrayeah]

I've found that sculpting bass lines using a theremin is incredibly fun! I unfortunately don't own a really real one, so I'm confined to software synthesis, but, the low frequencies at the proper amplitude with a little wobble is so cool!

Seeing this vid makes me want to go from the world of vsts and see if I can get my hands on one. (:

[MarkArandjus]

Did someone say Slovenia :P?

[hezzart]

Blues Explosion!

[LegallyMoi]

Were can you get a theremin?

[TypicalGam3r]

What happens if you touch it?

[Phantomsbreath]

@TypicalGam3r It goes silent. Because the circuits been cut.

[JimmyPage968]

I have this. Now i get alot of noise out of mine, How would i quiet that?

[rovusss]

don't you think that Jimmy Page looks a lot like Michio nowadays?

[berniebay]

@rovusss

Michio Kaku?

Definitely

[leftatmars]

I totally LOVE this guy!

[rey619yomama]

1:00 "FUCK you don't touch it. "

[derickhaywood]

poor kid at 0:46 just trying to do his work with Prof. Moriaty all up in his shit

[WOWJBEOWULF]

Thank you for showing the Theremin, in my electronics labs I could alter the outcome of circuits by how I wave my hand around them. I never realized that I also act as a capacitor; they were floating grounded experiments. This also helps show some kind of quantum entanglement by an observer collapsing and reforming the wave function, the observer being the Universe itself.

[homousios]

There is a good channel on YT called copperleaves and the person is a great theremin player and is a fantastic player

[BrootalMetalBanjo]

LED ZEPPLIN!

[brenoakiy]

what's that little tune in the beginning?

[DJPaddy643]

@brenoakiy its from that 70's film about the aliens....Close Encounters of the Third Kind

du dee doo..doo...dooooo!

[Tfr3sh17]

I came when he said "How water flows"

[AssemblerGuy]

Heh, I long suspected that the theremin was "invented by accident" by someone tinkering with a superheterodyn reciever: Feed the areal input with a signal that almost matches that of the local oscillator, then try poking a screwdriver around near the tuned circuits, while listening to the lowest frequency component coming out of the mixer... XD

[Moondye7]

You're such a great teacher I envy all student of Nottingham so great !!!

[humaner]

BTW just trying to get a more simpler analogy for my son.He really wants to understand.

[chrisofnottingham]

The antenna is one plate of a capacitor and the other plate is the earth. The player is on the earth too, so when they approach the antenna they decrease the plate separation which changes the value of this weird capacitor. This effect doesn't relay on waves, it just happens anyway even without the box of tricks

This capacitor is part of a resonating electrical circuit which is combined with other circuitry in the box to make a sound. Changing the capacitance thus changes the final sound.

[IsabellaManticaB]

@humaner Well, you explain it to your son!!

[humaner]

So in effect the antennae is sending out waves and the hand by shortening the distance from the antennae increases the intensity and speed of those escaping waves like waves in a pool creating a higher and speed and vibration if the pool was slower shortened by mechanical means, therefore this phenomena is transferred to the capacitor creating a higher pitch with speakers vibrating at a higher speed.

[humaner]

typo: was slowly shortened

[pezdispenser2435]

I've been looking into buying one of these, and have noticed this one does not have a volume antenae, does this one not need one? how do you control the volume on this one?

[GordonCharlton]

You could use a foot pedal and a kill-switch (hand-held push-to-break button in the audio cable) but it's a poor substitute for a volume antenna.

[Moriarty2112]

@pezdispenser2435: I feed the signal from the theremin through a guitar effects unit with a volume/wah pedal. You can see the effects unit on the floor at ~ 2:48 in the video. It's perhaps worth noting that the first instrument developed by Theremin used a foot pedal.

Best wishes,

Philip (person in video "playing" - for want of a better word - the theremin)

[KillcrazeWoW]

Theremins don't have speakers generally. They usually plug into an amplifier, all of which have volume.

[ben9345]

So is he storing charge and if so is the charge flowing and what is carrying it or is it just being induced in him????

[MrSpirit19]

I really like this. Thanks for posting this video. I can't say I knew much about a theremin before. I want a theremin now, though.

[f417h]

super star :)

wow

[desiredusername]

This video shows up in my New Videos about once every 4 days.

[Dodexas]

Guys like these can talk all day.

[Films4You]

Hey! They're some sudent's trying to sudy there. Let "sleeping dogs lie"

[rroge5]

i want one

[nymphetismal]

Beautiful.  But, is it easy to build?

[BrutusBlackest]

Very, Very cool. I have to get one. Awesome.

[nospam671]

Nice job, and nice explanation! I feel smart right now : )

[brilliantfranz]

LOL I just watched this video /watch?v=umb9hXPo3xc

the guy at the end of the videos plays a Theremin !!!

[ConnorFlockSpeevage]

O want one. . . no, two. How do you actually learn to "play it though??"

Also, you might have explained this, but, why do you have to wiggle your hand about to make it make a noise??

[Moriarty2112]

@ConnorFlockSpeevage: I enthusiastically recommend Thomas Grillo's YouTube theremin tutorials. If you also scroll down the list of comments under the video you'll find the names of professional thereminists who put my bumbling efforts to shame!

Re. the wiggling: It's next to impossible to play a note on the theremin without vibrato ("wiggle") because the slightest change in your hand position can radically affect the pitch of the note.

Philip (bloke in video)

[ConnorFlockSpeevage]

Awesome, are they expensive? I might learn to play one purely to say I can :D

[inund8]

300-600 Us dollars... cheaper if you get a kit and build it yourself. check out 2oo6's channel if you want to know see some more theremin

[Moriarty2112]

@inund8: Thanks for the comment. For professional theremins which have both a volume and a pitch antenna the figure you quote (~$300-$600) is about right.

The "entry level" theremin I use in the video is, however, much cheaper. It doesn't have a volume antenna - I use a foot pedal on a guitar effects unit instead.

I don't want to advertise on YouTube (!) but those who are interested in the (inexpensive) theremin used in the video should Google "Zep Theremin".

Philip Moriarty

[inund8]

cool thanks for the info

[harshm2u]

2006's channel?

[inund8]

no the letter o's instead of zeros

[inund8]

oops its ooo6 :P letter o's instead of zeros

[Nighthawkinlight]

Pretty cool that. And a very well made video.

[ThomasGrillo]

This is a great technical description of the theremin's functionality. Thanks.

[Moriarty2112]

@ThomasGrillo: I'm honoured to have you comment on the video - you're an inspiration to all budding thereminists! I've learnt so much from your YouTube tutorials (although I know it doesn't look like it from the video!). Keep up the good work.

All the best,

Philip

[ThomasGrillo]

Thanks, and I shall. :)

[gulllars]

Added to the list of cool geeky stuff i'm going to buy :D

[Bcherrick]

That thing is awesome.

[itsabomberscope]

WOW I just noticed the name on that door "Professor P.J Moriarty" the very nemesis of Sherlock Holmes!

[nibelungensohn]

i've been wanting to build one myself

[12gaugebleachdrinker]

you can make one out of an altoids tin. google it

[cc6809]

run the audio out through a distortion pedal :-)

[Moriarty2112]

@cc6809: Yep, then it gets really fun! In fact, throughout the video I'm running the theremin signal out through a guitar effects unit (have a look at the floor 'round about 2:48). In the last twenty seconds or so, I'm using both distortion and a wah pedal to shape the sound. I also use quite a bit of delay in some places.

But it's so much more than a weird sound effects unit - in the hands of a trained thereminist some beautiful music can be produced!

Philip

[CoolMinty]

Wicked! What a cool way to teach physics. Looking forward to that notorious publication in the future ;)

[trumasamune]

I fucking love theramins.

Great explanation/demo. =)

[brilliantfranz]

such a cool guy !, please more videos with him or the one who made the Angular momentum

[ZenityChenity]

I wish I had a theremin! It's timbre is cool and, at least for me, could pass off as anything from a voice to a violin o.o

I still prefer the piano, but it would still be awesome to try one.

[GordonCharlton]

if you want to see what a theremin can really do, search youtube for "theremin music"!

[Moriarty2112]

I'm the person in the video and I entirely agree! I've had the theremin for only a few weeks and it is incredibly difficult to play. Search YouTube for Clara Rockmore, Lydia Kavina, and Thomas Grillo - maestros whose command of the instrument is just staggering. In particular, look for "Claire de Lune" by Clara Rockmore (or go to my YouTube homepage). She is unbelievably good; simply spellbinding. Rockmore could make the theremin sound phenomenal. Also check out Thomas Grillo's theremin lessons!

[mrrig91]

when you said she can make it sound phenomenal, you weren't lying!

...just had a listen to clara rockmore and its absolutely amazing, sounds to me like some kind of electric violin.

[Moriarty2112]

I know! The first time I saw that video I nearly wept - it's incredibly striking. I can barely get a major scale out of the thing and she makes it sound so beautiful!

Rockmore essentially specified key elements of Theremin's final design of the instrument (which was sold by RCA). I'm reading a great book on Theremin which I thoroughly recommend: "Theremin; Ether Music and Espionage". He was a remarkable man (and Rockmore a remarkable woman - check out the Wiki entry on her).

Philip

[mrrig91]

just read the wiki entry, and it really is amazing... the saying "everything happens for a reason" really is no exception in this case. well, its not good she had bone problems, but without that she most probably would have stayed with the violin!

Well its been nice talking but im staying up too late these summer holidays... my body clock has shifted a few hours!

oh, and keep up the good work with the sixty symbols, im a big fan!

Rares

[Moriarty2112]

Fun chatting with you. I know exactly what you mean about body clocks shifting - I'm currently jet-lagged at Yale (back to Nottingham on Friday).

Sleep well!

Philip

[Kargoneth]

Professor Moriarty! Teacher of science and nemesis of Holmes! (Is there a person with the last name of Holmes at the university of Nottingham?)

You look like you are having a lot of fun! :)

[Moriarty2112]

Prof. Eaves, another physicist in Nottingham (and who features in a number of other Sixty Symbols videos), once told me that he was going to track down a Dr. Watson and a Holmes at Nottingham! I don't know if he ever got 'round to doing it...

It'd be good to have a joint publication with Holmes, Watson, and Moriarty as co-authors!

Philip

[PERSONIFICATIONOFYAY]

You're Smexy (Smart and Sexy) ^ ^

[GordonCharlton]

Not to mention Barbara Buchholz, Carolina Eyck, Charlie Draper, Pamelia Kurstin and Peter Pringle.

You MUST see this vid... /watch?v=nzDLkSsD5DY

[Moriarty2112]

Gordon,

Thanks for that great link. Wonderful version of the Star Trek theme (starting at about 2:10) . Am I hearing correctly, are they playing harmony theremin lines?! If so, that's mightily impressive. (The best version I had found prior to that was ... /watch?v=Bd9oBpfTw5M). I fully agree with your comment - anyone interested in the theremin should watch the video you mention.

Lydia Kavina is such a stunning thereminist, isn't she?!

Thanks again.

Philip

[GordonCharlton]

Philip,

Yes, you are hearing correctly, and no pitch correction or dubbing in, unlike your link to a man playing a theremin that is not plugged into anything. That's just too accurate! Charlie and Carolina are both prodigies, and spent quite a long time rehearsing - I'm not sure quite how long before they joined up with Lydia and Barbara (sadly not featured playing in the video) to spend over a week rehearsing their other ensemble pieces. Lydia is terrific - and so is Barbara!

Gordon

[Doogeedoo12]

That... is.. kickass.

I felt sorry for the two students in the background. They are probably thinking "For Crissake!  Go away, I'm trying to study!"

[NAMLegolas]

Sweeeeeet. The Theremin has always been one of my favorite instruments because you never touch it and yet it makes epic sounds! Maybe some time in this life I'll get one :D

[superdau]

NAMLegolas: "Maybe some time in this life I'll get one"

:-) It isn't too big of an investment. In Japan I've seen these things in the science section of book stores really cheap (the japanese seem to love this instrument). Or, with a little knowledge in electronics, you could even build your own for less than 20€ in parts (there are many tutorials online).

[Moriarty2112]

You need to be careful - the sounds of those Japanese cheap instruments is not good (I'm put in mind of a demented bee). Check out Thomas Grillo's YouTube videos and, in particular, the associated comments. He recommends some good places to buy theremins! (Also worth googling the name Robert Moog).

Note that I am using a guitar pedal to control the volume of the theremin. Professional theremins have two antennae - one to control pitch and one to control volume.

Philip (bloke in video)

[SilkSwe]

I actually got to try one for the first time just recently and must say that it's harder than it looks. ^^

[Moriarty2112]

That's an understatement and a half! Some reviews of performances by even professional thereminists have been described as "akin to playing a violin with a buttered bow". This makes the talent of Clara Rockmore - *the* theremin virtuoso - all the more impressive.

Philip (bloke in video)

[mrrig91]

haha i didn't see what you wrote about the violin until now... so its not just my opinion!

[redpenguin666]

I was wondering where this theremin was purchased. I'm assuming you bought it online. I've wanted to get a theremin for a while and the one in the video doesn't look (or sound) half bad.

[solomsolomol]

the First time i saw one of these things was here on youtube , some guy used as a controller for a video game , i didn't know that it even existed , so i looked it up on wiki and didn't get much from what the article said (which is common for the wiki articles) , but your explanation prof. is really simple and easy , hell , i didn't even get how capacitors work until now !! so thank you very much , now I'll go and see if there's any Theremins for sale on e-bay : )

[Moriarty2112]

@Solomsolomol: Thanks for your kind words. I think, however, that it's only fair that I point out that the lion's share of the credit lies with the film-making talents of Brady (our film-maker in residence). As ever, he took my tortuously long and rambling explanations and cut them down to size.

e-bay is a very good place to look for a theremin. It's where I got mine. (Although building a theremin would make for a wonderful electronics project).

Philip (bloke in video)

[TheCynicalAtheist]

These videos are brill mate, big thank you to everybody involved in them!

BTW, Nice attempt at close encounters at the start, lol.

[jacoman1234567]

Wish I had prof Moriarty as my physics teacher. By the way, your 'theremin pose' looks cool haha!

[DanMan7997]

Haha that was awesome, very cool device!!

[NautiKijana]

Is it just me or does prof Moriarty resemble the character Moriarty from fallout 3?

[bakanatorz]

I think he looks more like Gordon Freeman from the Half Life series.

[MagikGir]

just you

[Nuedad]

FISHBONE! lol

[goldliquid]

anyone realised that he ALWAYS wears a black long sleeve shirt? o_O''

[GronTheMighty]

he's got 73 of them :))

[Moriarty2112]

It's not black - just very, very, very, *very*, very dark blue... (Hat tip to Matthews and Linehan!)

Philip (bloke in video)

[JimPrower]

Hey, there was one of these in SBCG4AP...

This is an awesome instrument. Think they used these for the Dr. Who theme?

[GordonCharlton]

They didn't. :-(

[ThomasGrillo]

They used synthesizers, and samples. :)

[holsson85]

Stand-up comedian Bill Bailey often uses one. This was great now I know what's it called and how it works!

Can you make a episode where you explain how a radio converts radiowaves to sounds. It's an ordinary piece of technology but how does it really work?!

[Maladath]

OK, I must know this.

What happens when one DOES touch the theremin aerial?

[DeoMachina]

Léon Theremin will come for you in the night.

[flach99]

what happens when you touch the two plates of a charged capacitor? they discharge, to develop the same charge, which on most occasions is neutral. i dont think anything bad happens.

[gobaskof]

It goes to its maximum pitch. I only know this because I had a go once filming finished. (I am the long haired one in the background.)

[flach99]

nice :)

[jewfishie2]

@Maladath it gets divided by zero

[grnlfe01]

That is so cool. Plus I never new that about Led Zepplin

[flippinrawks]

thats is how I will power and control my next gravityship!

[seanbrockest]

excitable fellow. little jumpy, likes to pace.

[grampaj0e]

In my experience, those have always been the best teachers.

[gobaskof]

You should see his lectures, he doesn't have Brady telling him not to pace around so much!

He also like to swing meter rulers around.

[humanentropy]

i want to go to the uni of nottingham after watching these videos.

[zageiger]

Seriously. I need to investigate their graduate programs.

[Roddyoneeye]

Sort of like the doppler effect? The closer the approach the higher the pitch, and as you withdraw the pitch drops?

[solomsolomol]

The noticeable effects are somewhat the same , but the idea behind the theremin is totally different from the Doppler effect , the Doppler effects relies on waves and their frequencies (without getting into further details , as i'm sure you're familiar with the subject) ,while theremins are based on capacitors , or rather the variable capacitors as the prof. explained in the video , so yeah , they're not the same thing.

[chemiealex]

Yeah, I wondered, why suddenly the video was gone :D

Thanks for uploading this video! Very interesting!

[sixtysymbols]

Sorry for posting this to periodicvideos by mistake - the chemistry purists must have been mortified!!!!

Amazed how many of them managed to watch it and make comments in the 30 seconds before I took it down.

Feel free to re-post any of the good comments!

[FrostPegasus]

Shit happens mate. =D