How to Make a Theremin Instrument
The theremin is unique among musical instruments in that the player does not actually touch the instrument. It is played by waving your hands near two antennae -- the left hand controls volume and the right hand controls pitch. It was patented by Russian inventor Leon Theremin in 1928 and became famous for supplying the eerie soundtrack to movies like "The Day the Earth Stood Still." Thanks to modern chip technology, a theremin can be assembled in an afternoon for under $200 plus the cost of the chassis -- which can be as simple or elaborate as you want.
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Things You'll Need
- 2 antennae
- 2 172 kHz oscillator chips
- 2 220 kHz oscillator chips
- Radio frequency power amplifier chip
- Several capacitors in the 1- to 5-picofarad range.
- 8 ohm loudspeaker
- 9 volt battery
- Circuit board
- Solder
- Wires
- Tools
- Chassis
Instructions
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Build a theremin in a chassis that has two antennae -- one vertical and the other horizontal. Connect the input to a 172 kHz oscillator chips to the vertical antenna, and connect nothing to the input of the other 172 kHertz oscillator -- this stabilizes its output to 172 kHz. Wire both 172 kHz oscillator outputs to the input to the amplifier chip. Connect the input of one 220 kHz oscillator to the horizontal antenna and leave the input to the other 220 kHz oscillator unconnected. Wire both 220 kHz oscillator outputs to the control pin of the power amplifier. Do not solder the connections in place until after the circuits are tested.
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Connect the positive terminal of the battery to the positive power pins of all four chips. The chips should all be on the same board, so running a wire along one side of the board makes this easy. Finally, there should be a wire from the output of the amplifier to the positive lug on the loudspeaker and a wire from the negative lug of the loudspeaker to the negative terminal of the battery.
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Test the circuits before you solder the wires in place. For each place where the outputs of a pair of oscillators are tied together before going to the amplifier, try a capacitor in the 1- to 5-picofarad range and see how it influences the sound. Both oscillator outputs go to one side of the capacitor and the other end of the capacitor goes to an amplifier pin. The exact value that will work best depends on the combination of wire, chassis and chip. The easiest way to find the best capacitor is to just try a few. Any capacitor in this range should work.
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Tips & Warnings
Design the chassis with the battery and loudspeaker in mind. The battery should be easy to get to because it will need to be changed periodically. The loudspeaker should be placed so the sound can be easily heard.
Do not leave the chips in their sockets while you are soldering the wires. The heat from soldering will damage the chips.
References
Resources
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