Gakken Mini Theremin

[epicentre]

Looks fun and is very cheap, I wonder if it can be moded or/and put through some effects to sound "cleaner"... I would love to have something capable of making those creepy old sci-fi movie sound, but I'm unwilling to spend a lot of money for a real theremin just for adding occasional flavour to my songs.

Anyone had any experience with it?

[Circuitbenders]

link?

[epicentre]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mini-Theremin-Kit-Digital-Instrument-with-Eng-manual_W0QQitemZ290369346421QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Pro_Audio_Synthesisers_CV?hash=item439b5c9b75

Mini digital instrument Otona no Kagaku VOL17 Mini Theremin Gakken Sell With English Manual Gadgets

Gakken Theremin Mini Review

[Circuitbenders]

Looks pretty good for the price. Its certainly got a whole lot more range to it than i would have expected.

I'd imagine that a direct recording would sound a lot better than those videos which both appear to be just recorded from the internal speaker.

To get a really good 50's sci-fi tone you're going to have to spend a whole lot more than £15!

[Gordonjcp]

To get a really good 50's sci-fi tone you're going to have to spend a whole lot more than £15!

Or you can stuff a sinewave oscillator through an echo pedal ;-)

[Matt the Modulator]

The theremin can be used to controll the pitch of the gakken sx150 mini synth which has pitch modulation vibrato type ting and a filter and you can ciruit bent the hell out of the sx150 as well
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_the_modulator/3375768994/#
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_the_modulator/3369079034/#

The theremin does have a good pitch range its hard to beat for the price
most sellers on ebay sell both kits and will make a reduction for buying both together.

[Circuitbenders]

Or you can stuff a sinewave oscillator through an echo pedal ;-)

never sounds quite right though does it? I'm thinking that with a theremin the method of playing the thing is at least as important as the sound it produces.

[epicentre]

To get a really good 50's sci-fi tone you're going to have to spend a whole lot more than £15!

Sure, but I can't really afford to buy pro equipment just for fun, so I'd be more than happy if I can get a sound that's just similar

I just found this mod:

Gakken theremin mods

http://njb.virtualave.net/web/rl2007/theremin/theremin.htm

Still sounds dirty, but much better

[epicentre]

Ok, I've ordered one so I'll just have to see for myself. Worst case scenario I'll have an amusing toy

[jamiewoody]

though i would not expect it to sound like the model jimmy page used on whole lotta love...

i wonder if one were to bypass the tiny speaker that comes with it and preamp out, (using 1/4" phone/guitar jack) into a nice tube guitar amp, what the sound would be like?

[jamiewoody]

are there any united states or canadian distributors selling these things? i notice the price (around $20 usd), is not bad, but the shipping is a killer, coming from japan!

[Matt the Modulator]

yeh maker's shed but there not as cheap
http://www.makershed.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MKGK8

[jamiewoody]

i suppose they have to pay shipping from japan like everyone else.

[phantompowers]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=somh4wKqcs0

I made this a few weeks ago to play on stage with my band.
I know it doesn't sound as good as a proper theramin but it was dead easy to make and all the parts were recycled. Although if you bought the parts new, it would only cost a couple of quid!

555 timer chip
LDR
jack socket
capacitor
optional LED's
9v battery

I will print out a schematic for you if you like but if you google '555 tone generator', there are 100's of schematics out there.

[tinsolder]

the tinfoil-trick is very cool and improves the gakken pitchrange.but if you're a bit into d.i.y and like the sine-wave then
you have to build one of his : http://home.att.net/~theremin1/ . the "minimum-theremin" is so easy to build an all the part cost about 15 euros.
cheers to all