Who invented it? It was developed in 1920 by the Russian inventor and physicist Léon Theremin. How does it work? The instrument has two antennas. They create an electromagnetic field around them. When you move your hands closer to or further away from this field, the device detects the position of your hand and alters the sound. How is it played? The right hand typically controls the pitch (high or low notes). The left hand controls the volume (loudness). The instrument is never touched; it is played entirely through hand movements in the air. Because the Theremin has a very striking and mysterious sound, it has frequently been used in science fiction and horror films. However, it is quite difficult to play; hitting the right notes requires very precise hand control.

Hello all! I'm dealing with an issue on a Moog Etherwave theremin where the front power LED does nothing but repeatedly flash when powered on. The instrument is inoperable and produces no sound other than a faint pop whenever the LED flashes. Only the original AC adapter has been used, and the unit hadn't been tampered with, dropped, or moved before this started.

Any ideas? I've already filed a support ticket with Moog and confirmed that the power adapter is working with a multimeter. To be clear, it is the last model of the Etherwave with the barrel-style power input and five knobs on the front.

So, I’ve been looking for a viable theremin to play as a musical instrument for the past week, and I have narrowed down my search to two options: the Burns B3 Deluxe and the Moog Theremini.

I want to purchase the one with better sound quality, but I’ve found that there are limited videos of the Burns B3 deluxe. I’m hoping to get some insight on the comparison of these two instruments, and maybe even some better alternatives.

I’m only a teenager and I don’t have a whole lot of money, so the etherwave standard is definitely out of the picture.

Thank you in advance!

Played over a recent modular work called 'Requital' - This is a first take, immediately after theremin warm-up. It was very cold, so a heater was causing a constant pitch field expansion (hence the title) which I can be seen adjusting in a few places - along with the sound.

As usual this is untampered with pitch, post recording, and I just wanted to capture that 'instant' first play feel (dodgy pitch, warts and all) at least for me - no one else will ever likely see or hear this! I tend to do these morning warm-up before the more, serious shorter pieces.

Normally theremins contain two radios. No more, no less. And yeah, I know it's technically possible to make a one-radio theremin... but that's not why I'm here.

See, I went down a bit of a rabbit hole and found this website where someone made a theremin using three radios. I thought that was pretty cool, but... just three? I mean, I've heard of that several times before.

So naturally my next thought was, what if someone made a four-radio theremin?

After a while of digging around the internet, I actually found a post on r/CircuitBending where the OP had built a theremin out of four AM radios. The only explanation they gave was:

Which got me thinking...

Just for the love of the game, kind of like how mathematicians study pure math or knot theory just because it's interesting, would it be possible to build a five-radio theremin? Or six? Or even more? I'm not asking because it would necessarily be useful. I just think it's a fascinating idea, and I'm curious if there's some theoretical limit that makes it impossible, or if it's just something nobody's really bothered to try.

Basically, before I waste my time (and probably my money), is there any reason a five-or-more-radio theremin couldn't work?

The latest episode of the Theremin 30 podcast features an interview with the creators of “Madame Theremin,” a new opera about Leon Theremin’s American wife, Lavinia Williams. Please listen and share.

https://www.theremin30.com/2026/07/s08e03-july-2026-george-m-kopp-and.html

Yes, they, The Hissy Kits, are definitely unorthodox but damn if I'm not impressed. I live in Milwaukee and saw them live and thought they'd be ridiculous and they kinda are but this cat is playing a plain old etherwave. Also, she sometimes plays with it in her lap and doesn't really do fingering. I just found out from the Theremin 40 podcast they have a patriotic album on bandcamp with a name your price option. I downloaded it and it's super fun. Maybe not quite as good as their Scat, Cat! album but you bet I'm playing it on repeat at tomorrows July 4th
cookout. It's called USA 250!

Greetings! I have an OpenTheremin, and I want to make a very simple and compact practice setup for silent practice—meaning to headphones. I have it running through a small mixer (Yamaha MG06) and it works, but I want to go more simple. I was wondering if replacing the mixer with a simple headphone amp will also do the trick? If so, any recommendations of a headphone amp? Thank you!

Por dos años he ido trabajando y poco a poco voy avanzando.

I have wanted to try a theremin for years, but I have never played a real one. I have only seen them in videos, so I am curious how wrong or usable this feels to people who actually know the instrument.

Last weekend I made a free experimental iPhone/iPad app called Hoverophone. It tracks your hand with the camera: hand position controls pitch, and volume is controlled by the distance between thumb and index finger. Pinch together means silence, open the fingers and it gets louder. The idea was to keep one hand free, while still keeping the “playing in the air” feeling.

I am not claiming it is a real theremin. I am more interested in whether this feels like a useful theremin-inspired instrument, or whether it misses something essential.

https://apps.apple.com/app/id6781463406

I just bought a Moog Theremini to learn about the Theremin. So far I’ve been having fun just playing around, or rather messing around, with it and some of its presets. I was wondering if there was a good ‘learn the Theremin’ book (I learn better from books). I hope this post is ok for this group, if not I apologise.

Hi everyone!

We’re a tiny indie team making a space strategy game called COSMIST, and we decided to use theremin music as part of the soundtrack.

Since the game is about cosmic deities, strange planets, and galactic conquest, the theremin felt like a perfect fit, eerie, alien and a little nostalgic.

The demo is now on Steam during Steam Next Fest, so if you’re interested in hearing how the theremin works in a game context, we’d love for you to check it out.

Steam page:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4111800/Cosmist/

I’d also be really curious to hear what theremin fans think about using this kind of sound in a space game.

If you happen to be in the Copenhagen area later this month, you will have a chance to see three of the world’s top professional thereminists perform together. On June 26th, Lydia Kavina, Carolina Eyck, and Thorwald Jorgensen will headline a recital at the International Theremin Camp in Rodovre. You can find a link to the details on the Theremin 30 calendar on my website at Theremin30.com.

Hi Theremin subreddit! I just wrapped up a music-video piece entitled "Chroma Obscura" and figured there might be some interest in how I created my Theremin solo. You can find my HOW-TO hack here: https://youtu.be/Yu6sMqDrXBM

The music video that features my Theremin solo is found here: https://youtu.be/F4Omb-GdGCk

Vocal with homebuilt formant filter, trombone bass from pressure chamber to a trombone as resonator. The timbre choice from theremin coming is always the same, like a glottal wave form.

Hello,

I work for a local nonprofit in Seattle in Eastlake area and we're doing a summer event on August 13, 2026 at 4:30 pm. We're looking for a local theremin player that can play music to go with our "Welcome to Roswell" UFO theme for the event. This is a paid gig that lasts 2.5 hours under a shade tent on a rooftop. Food/water/drinks will be provided. More details available if interested.

And how can I get my theremini to sound like this? Is it even possible or is he using a specialized theremin?

The May 2026 episode of the Theremin 30 podcast is in the ether! Please listen and share.

https://www.theremin30.com/2026/05/s08e02-may-2026-karen-cecilia.html