And Here I Thought It Was Just A Gadget

[JonDouglas]

I just got an email from an old HS friend who reminded me of something I built. I remember my father and I building a fun little gadget that make noises of different frequency and amplitude by just moving your hands. It was called a theremin and we dinked with it a little but i couldn't make anything other than noise. No wonder, it is really an instrument that is most difficult to play, perhaps one of the most difficult. I hadn't thought about that little project until about 15 minutes when I got an email from Jerry with an embedded video. I can't show that but here's another.

All these years and just tonight I learn it's more than just a project gadget. Below is short intro to the theremin.

 

[J.B Books]

I saw a guy with one of those on Johnny Carson!

 

[Llynn]

It was used on a lot of old sf movie sound tracks and on the Beach Boys recording of Good Vibrations.

 

[Ceege]

The Big Bang Theory

Sheldon's Theremin

via @YouTube

 

[jujube]

I had forgotten how much I loved that theme music (and that movie).

 

[Ken N Tx]

I just got an email from an old HS friend who reminded me of something I built.

 

[JonDouglas]

I believe we got the plans for the theremin we built in either Popular Mechanics, Mechanics Illustrated or some other mag/article.

Edit Update: More likely, it would have been Electronics Illustrated or Popular Electronics. I remember we made a trip up to Allied Radio in Chicago to get the parts.