False Theremin

fth

[vilxes91] sent in this cool little false-theremin (translated). Its a pretty simple circuit, that can fit in really small places. It isn’t a true theremen because it uses the amount of light coming in around the lid for the modulation. To play it, you turn it on and open it up, the more open the lid, the higher the pitch. You can see a video of it in action after the break.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1E8zfIacw0]

18 thoughts on “False Theremin

  1. @epicelite
    Google’s hard, right? Your name is wholly inaccurate.

    Sounds more like a kazoo, something that’s been missing an electronic counterpart for far too long.
    555 timer circuits are fun to mess around with, stick another 555 on there, or redesign with a 556, add another LDR and it’d be one step closer to theremin-hood.

  2. this is not a theremin not even remind of theremin. This is buzzer just a buzzer. In a first place theremin is analog device and if you try to emulate it using microcontroller at least use something more sophisticated than a pulses, com on put at least capacitor filter to quit down annotating square noise

  3. Hey, at least they are beginning to make the distinctions that they are >false< Theremins, and that’s a step in the right direction. Makes me happy.

    Someone really needs to come up with a name for the plethora of these kind of devices, as they really are their own distinct category and really can’t be accurately lumped in with any other instrument class.

    There kind of projects are actually cool, if useless, the only thing about the articles that bugged me was conflating them with actual Theremins.

  4. Hey, thanks everyone for the comments!!
    I knew that this wasn’t a theremin, but it is something similar, I mean, you can modulate sound by approaching your hand.
    I’d love to make a real theremin, and I’m looking up for information (I think there are kits at Make)
    About circuit bending, I have to explore it. I’ve saw some modifications over a little keyboard I have, and I’ll try to open it and “touch” some terminals.
    So that’s all, thanks to all the hackers and makers, your comments will persuade me to continue with this hobby between exam and exam. Next project: “Pic Pong” (Yeah, the old, old game) and tetris over a pic16f84, a simon game, and finishing my Arduino.
    Greetings from Spain!

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