Customer Reviews

Theremin

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This thing is a hoot! Learning to 'play' actual music will take a lot of practice, but you can get those spine-tingling 50s Sci-Fi movie sounds right out of the box. It'll add a nice soundtrack to your next planetary invasion.

Carl Wilson and Jimmie Page used a Theremin with their bands, and it's great for basement bands, too. Plug it into your favorite guitar stompbox. We run it through a Boss ME50 and dial up some delay, a little overdrive and a taste of chorus, and A/B it with a Strat. With a bit of practice, its possible to switch between the two in a way that makes the Theremin sound like an otherworldly extension of the guitar. Very nice.

Theremaniacs' delivery was prompt and the unit survived shipping unharmed. It's a very basic 4x6" black box. There's a mike-stand mount on the bottom; rubber feet are optional. It comes with a 9VDC battery installed, so all you have to do is extend the antenna, plug a guitar cable or headphones into the 1/4" jack and wail. You may also need to adjust a few settings, but it's easy and a screwdriver (of sorts) is included ... see the instruction sheet.

If you're a musician stuck for inspiration, or just someone looking for something from another planet, get a Theremin (spaceship sold separately).

Years ago--probably before Theremaniacs was selling their fully assembled instruments and kits through Amazon.com--I purchased both a kit and a fully assembled model. Over the years, I bought several Theremins, some that were pitch-only and others (one that was fairly pricey) that included both a pitch and a volume antenna. Of the pitch-only instruments, these stand head and shoulders above the rest. I've previously reviewed the company's kit, but thought that since I also own their fully assembled instrument that I would offer some observations here, too. Several things make this instrument stand out, not the least of which is the full tone, very reminiscent of what you hear in recordings of the early vacuum-tube Theremins. Another thing is the stability of tuning/adjusting the Theremaniacs instrument. Another important feature is that you can "tune" it to respond to the presence of your hand at a wide range of distances--wider than any of the other four Theremins I have. And, once you have the instrument adjusted, it is very stable. If you are concerned about dynamic shadings, or about having fuller control over attack and decay of notes, you can easily run a guitar volume pedal between the Theremin and your amplifier. In many respects, this makes playing the instrument much easier than trying to control pitch with one hand and volume with the other hand. The Theremaniacs Theremin is highly recommended and a great deal of fun!

This was a gift for my husband, and he said it works beautifully. Great communication with the seller. Comes with detailed instructions.

The craftsmanship and attention to detail were wonderful. A great sound with clear, easy to follow instructions. Simple and durable! Clear communication as well! High marks all around!

I bought the the Mic stand theremin as a present for my husband, and he was pretty excited about it, particularly since the hardware closely resemble the original theremin. Although the black box is a bit cheap looking, the sound is excellent! and you cant beat the price.

I love this theremin. I bought it a few years ago and have used it extensively on recordings and at shows. I make noise with it, I don't try to "play" it in a traditional sense. It's so much fun running it through effect pedals: delay, distortion, flange, phase...it all sounds wonderful! It doesn't have the volume control, but I run it through a small mixer and turn the faders up and down. A volume pedal would also work. Personally, I like having the other hand free to tweak effects. People will tell you that it's easy to make your own, and I'm sure that is true, but if you're a guy like me (kids, job, very little free time) you probably can't be bothered with doing that. This is a real gem for the true sonic seeker.