Control a Shruthi with a Theremin?
  • Mr53rg10Mr53rg10
    Hi!

    I saw that Moog makes a new theremin with CV out. THey say it is possible to control a synth like that.
    Well, I see that Shruthi has got CV in.... What do you think?

    The only problem is that the etherwave plus is TOO expensive.
    But I like to dream in advance :)
  • pichenettespichenettes

    Won’t work, the CV in for the Shruthi-1 is too low-resolution for pitch control.

  • loderbastloderbast

    you could maybe use something like this and some sort of cv to midi conversion

  • herrprofherrprof
    How about a theremin into a kenton control freak live. Then you have a control surface for the shruthi as well!
  • rumpelfilterrumpelfilter

    or instead of a theremin you could use a ribbon controller. not the same thing but if it’s the sliding sounds you’re after, it might work for you.

  • 6581punk6581punk

    I’ve got a D-beam controller on my V-Synth, that would do something similar. But I think it outputs Control Changes not Pitch Bend.

  • Mr53rg10Mr53rg10
    @ rumpelfilter: like electribe and monotribe? They have ribbon controller

    I have found a Theremin with incorporated midi out. Costs half of a basic Moog one, sounds good, is beautiful.
    With this, can I control the shruthi??? Can I? Can I?

    :)
  • gwaidangwaidan
    What's the Theremin with MIDI you mentioned? I'd be interested in one myself :)

    I built a different one a while back from a kit and it was very hard to use as it would put out every note in a glide (I really should try it with a chromatic quantizer like MIDIpal).

    Etherwave plus is worth it when you try to play chromatically-cheaper ones like Paia or Bourns don't have equalisation coils on the pitch antenna which means the playing response is more inverse square law than linear....the CV out is useful for controlling filters for dynamic sweeps so you could still use a Shruthi or modded MIDIPal productively if you use the theremin's own oscillator filtered through the Shruthi's VCF....
  • Mr53rg10Mr53rg10
    gwaidan: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elettrorama/127874287232106
    Mmm, yes, based on Paia.
    They also make a strange diy called WEIRD SOUND GENERATOR. It sounds interesting and can be connected to the theremin via cv and gate. I like it.

    I am not sure to, ok, I am sure that I do not understand what you are saying.
    But I am very interested in it so, could you explain it in more simple words? Especially this: if you use the theremin's own oscillator filtered through the Shruthi's VCF....
    And this: Paia or Bourns don't have equalisation coils on the pitch antenna which means the playing response is more inverse square law than linear...

    First of all, what's wrong with Paia? And Burns? It has got thin antennas but it sounds good in the video. I knew that thin antennas make it more difficult to control. Maybe is the guy that is a genious (the strange one of the videos).
    This sounds very good: http://www.pegna-instruments.com/
    :)
  • defenestrationdefenestration
    one idea that just came to me is that you could use a MIDI ribbon controller that sends MIDI pitchbend, and then merge that midi stream with a 'gate' MIDI note that you have set to retrigger the envelopes (.96 retrig feature wewt)

    not sure what usable range you'd get but pitchbend has a lot of resolution

    this thinger would be just the ticket? http://www.straytechnologies.com/products-page/onestring-main/
  • rumpelfilterrumpelfilter

    @Mr53rg10 was thinking more about this one: http://www.eowave.com/instruments.php?prod=78

  • Mr53rg10Mr53rg10
    SUPER cool, but it is only usb, so how am I supposed to control the shruthi or any synth which has got only midi in?
    Mmm, and it is quite expensive in this moment. Still prefere the theremin if I have to choose one of the two. Anywaz later.
    But it is very cool.
  • defenestrationdefenestration
    ribbon usb -> computer with DAW/MIDI-OX/MIDIpipe -> MIDI out from computer to shruthi

    or there is the kenton USB-MIDI host device - http://www.kentonuk.com/products/items/utilities/usb-host.shtml
  • tonebursttoneburst

    Years ago, I bought one of these (or something like it). If you connect a light-dependent resistor (LDR) to it, you can make a primitive photo-theremin type thing. For example, you could map the controller data the pedal box sends out to cutoff freq. of a self-oscillating filter. Obviously, it’s nothing like a real theremin, and the resolution is limited to 128 steps, but it’s nonetheless quite fun to play with, and worth a try if you happen to see one of these boxes going cheap.

    a|x

  • gwaidangwaidan
    Mr53rg10: Sorry, didn't mean to knock the Paia or to put you off getting an affordable theremin-they're a lot of fun!

    I was just referring to the fact that theremins without an equalisation coil tend to have a gradual response when your hand is away from the antenna (usually bass notes, but as you get closer to the antenna the higher notes get very close together so a bit harder to play chromatically. It can certainly be done but it's a bit harder than having the antenna more or less respond to a 1cm hand movement with a predictable pitch change regardless of whether you are in the higher register (close) or lower register (far away). I've built a couple of non-linear ones (Jaycar/Silicon Chip theremin, Silicon Chip MIDI Theremin) and have a couple of linearised ones (Jaycar/Silicon Chip/EPE Deluxe from kit and MoogEtherwave) and the linearised ones have a shallower learning curve if you want to play chromatic music.

    That said, the project you linked to looks really cool-and having a computer onboard means that the software could remap the pitch curve of the antenna to a more linear field. I believe Moog themselves did a similar trick with the Etherwave Pro, only with analog distortion circuits.
  • Mr53rg10Mr53rg10

    Sorry guys, I stopped to receive the notifications emails (actually I am not even sure if I had ever received one, so maybe I just got lost and stopped to check this forum).

    Well, gwaidan, your info where very useful, I will eventually ask him better.
    As far as I know, he is preparing a new Theremin with the addition of a ribbon controller (also connected to the optional midi out).
    Nice idea, especially if the theremin is not linear (the ribbon should be more precise, right?)
    But where do you read that it has got a computer onboard?

    Defenestration, thanks, I was 0 in Midi, so I had no idea (now I am just 1, but better than 0).

    Tonebrust, interesting. I am not sure to understand this of the pitch bend. Does it mean that people can use an expression pedal connected to that unit as a sort of ribbon controller, sending a continuous note command (but with different pitch) or something like that? And where it says “Another unique feature of the Pedal Controller is its ability to add a variable amount of curvature to the response of the pedal. This allows you to correct for pedals with nonlinear responses, or to add greater response at one end of the pedal compared to the other”, does it means that I could use it to make a non linear midi theremin in a more linear one (at least when using it as a midi controller of course)?
    But cannot that be done with any good midipedal?

  • gwaidangwaidan

    It contains a Miduino-so it contains an embedded computer. Ribbon should be more linear.

  • Mr53rg10Mr53rg10

    Roger that.
    I wait with anxiety his answer. The last three things which I must own or I will not have peace are his theremin (super beautiful, full of features, good sound, good price, DIY), his Weird Sound Generator (connectable to his Theremin!) and the Shruthi (no need to say why).
    Funny, these are 3 of the first things I have tried to get when I decided to make music, months ago.
    Getting them now as “last purchases” before quitting the job is a sort of closing the circle, to pass to a new phase.

    I must tell you, I am pretty excited with this new adventure of my life. I mean music.
    But I am also excited with the decision of entering the DIY world :)

    Cheers.

  • p22p22

    Speaking of ribbons, I just found this:

    StribeMote

    Looks so cool.

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