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What is a Theremin?

In the words of Mr. Robert Moog the Theremin is a "unique musical instrument, played by the free movement of the performer's hands in the space surrounding the instrument." The instrument is named after it's inventor, Leon Theremine, who built the first known model in 1919.

In it's original form, the Theremin consisted of two oscillators, two antennae, necessary electronic circuits and a small speaker. One antenna was assigned to control the overall amplitude of the instrument (volume) and the other antennae controlled the frequency of the sound (pitch).

The original design has been changed slightly in consideration of emergent technologies, but many would argue that it has never been improved upon! Some modern Theremins incorporate multiple oscillators, some incorporate multiple antennae, some have been transformed into digital instruments while a great many are still analog (tube versions and/or solid-state).

For more information about the Theremin, I recommend ThereminWorld.com.

The Idea

Note: This page describes an imaginary object. The installation piece described herein does not exist...yet.

The premiss of this installation piece is to create music reminiscent of the early electronic instrument, the Theremin, which is directly related and/or a direct result of motion within the installation's space.

This project began in January 2001 when myself and a friend/colleague, Dr. Douglas Nottingham, were working together on a project for the Institute for Studies In the Arts at Arizona State University. Doug, an experienced Theremin-ist, and I, a novice Supercollider-ist, spoke of the possibility of creating a digital-analog-Theremin-Supercollider-MAX hybrid instrument.

Even in the early/brainstorming stages, this piece seemed destined to be amazing! Just think: the Theremin is perhaps one of the most primitive forms of electronic instruments; and Supercollider is perhaps one of the most advanced digital synthesis programming languages; and MAX is possibly the most powerful tool for building interactive media applications. Combining these technologies would yield a truly unique and interesting result. The motivation for developing this idea further was generated by the following questions:

• What might we learn by combining age-old technology with contemporary technology?
• Considering the development of electronic music and the important role that the Theremin has played since its inception, both in musical composition and in forming contemporary artists' understanding of reactive electronics, is it appropriate to build a modern-day hommage to Mr. Leon Theremin?
• Is it possible to create a computer-controlled, interactive, sound installation and pay our respects in 21^st century fashion, to more than 8 decades of electronic music?

The Title

In my mind, Theremin, The Giant is an appropriate title for this piece as it encapsulates aspects of the project that I feel are important to explore. The title began as The Giant Theremin but it didn't quite serve my purpose completely and I felt that it was slightly misleading.

• The piece makes conscious reference to the early 20^th century electronic instrument commonly known as The Theremin.
• The piece,in effect, is an hommage to Leon Theremine, the inventor of the instrument by the same name.
• Leon Theremine, among the community of electronic musicians/composers/technologists is considered a giant in the field.
• The instrument is also considered to be one of the first electronic instruments (ca.1919) and has had immeasurable impact on subsequent developments in the fields of electronic music and other inter-media arts.

The Subject

I am interested in using this project to explore the following:

Retrospection and Introspection.

The subject of this piece is on one hand a retrospection of the instrument known as the Theremin. By recalling the design and sounds of this early electronic instrument I believe that innovative sounds may be conceived in its spirit.

I also believe it is important to realise the current musical possibilities which were borne from the work of the early electronic composers and technicians such as Leon Theremin. Emerging technologies are an outgrowth of the giants of the industrial and electronic past. What is my electronic past?

Real-Time Digital Audio Synthesis.

The amount of information which needs to be processed to generate sound via computer is astounding; historically, computer generated sound was a difficult and time-consuming process. Computers could take days to render/process the information before actually performing the sound. As computers grew faster, that time was cut to hours, then minutes, then seconds and not until recently were computers capable of generating audio in real-time.

I am not referring to the mere reproduction of sound via digital systems (i.e. compact disc players and MP3 files). That kind of system is based on the process of reading digital information from pre-existing source files. I am talking about generating digital information which synthesizes audio on the fly (if I can borrow that term). Sound can now be created and performed by a computer simultaneously; in this kind of environment it is possible to control every aspect of digital synthesis mere milliseconds before it is actually heard by an audience.

In this respect, reactive electronics can play a grand role in constructing the composition.

Reactive Electronics.

Reactive electronics, combined with the computing power of contemporary technology, allow for a great number of possible constructs by which sound can be generated and music composed.

Electronic systems can monitor movement, sound, light, heat, pressure, etc. In effect, computers can be equipped with senses which can be used to control various aspects of a composition.

As real-time synthesis and reactive electronic systems are explored and developed further I believe that we will continue to move towards greater interactivity in all forms of media art.

Generative Composition.

Composers in the electronic genres have realised the ability to generate a musical score by means of programmatic or algorhythmic computation. Hence, it is possible to define a process by which a computer can generate music.

Generative composition, that is to say music composed by means of processes such as human-machine interaction and mathematical structures, allows for innovative musical forms - forms which are not restricted by time or the endurance of performers (i.e. infinite and ever-changing).

Chaotic Systems.

Combining a computer's ability to generate music via pre-determined processes with the notion of chaos allows for interesting possibilities. Infinite musical forms, as generated and composed by a computer, may explore complex mathematic or perhaps randomised systems. A program can be designed to perform literally millions of distinct sounds over the course of many years - or as long as a computer was provided with electricity, yet maintain a coherent continuity and aesthetic.

The Object

The object I refer to here is the hardware and materials necessary to create the piece (i.e. what does it look like?) As I percieve it, the object will consist of antennae, the necessary computer hardware, and of course the space. In the current concept of the piece, no other elements are necessary. I would like an opportunity to consult with a visual artist to discuss the design of the installation. Ultimately the visual presentation of the piece should be consistent with the subject of the piece.

Space

Space is an important element of this piece and must be negotiated carefully. One of the goals outlined in the piece is to construct a sonic environment, so to speak, which reacts to movement in and around the installation. A small room poses different problems than a large room, likewise high-traffic areas pose different problems than low-traffic areas. Suffice to say, the space need to be large enough that a single person/body will have some effect on the proximity sensors, while many people/bodies combined will not overload the proximity sensors. Therefore, certain elements of this piece need to remain flexible depending on the particular space in which it will be installed - whether it be a gallery, a stage, a dance hall, a museum, etc.

In my concept of the piece, I would like the installation to be effective when only one person occupies the space - providing that visitor with an intimate experience; but I also foresee wonderful effects while a dozen or more people occupy the installation's space, perhaps not as intimate but equally as interesting.

Antennae

The essence of the Theremin are its pair of antennae, one of which controls the amplitude of the sound (volume) while the other controls the frequency of the sound (pitch). The instrument therefore is sensitive to motion in the space surrounding the antennae.

Computer controlled digital synthesis allows for a great number of possibilities that were never imagined by Mr. Theremin in the early 20^th century. For example, the antennae could be assigned to control any number of musical parameters and not limited to just amplitude and frequency. Therefore, this project explores some of the possibilities that are presented by emerging technologies.

True to the original form, this object includes antennae, each of which is assigned to manage specific elements of the music.

Computer Hardware

I've yet to decide between two possible visual designs. I feel that both have integrity yet the more I think about this project, the more I find I am leaning towards option #2 below.

1. One possibility is to display all the necessary hardware in the installation space. This includes computer equipment, wires and cables, speakers, audio equipment, antennae, and all other necessary materials. This type of presentation of course brings visual attention to the technology, which is perhaps overwhelming. An age-old, motivating force in the development of electronic music is curiosity and our desire to understand technology. "How does it work?" leads to "What else can it do?" and so on...probably since the discovery of fire! Therefore, by putting the technology on display in this piece, that curiosity is brought to the forefront of the participants' experience.

   Earlier in this project, I made a Virtual Prototype of what it might look like, you can find this prototype here on my website.

2. The other possibility is to hide all of the necessary hardware save for the antennae. After all, the original Theremin displayed only the antennae while the circuitry was hidden inside a small wooden box.

   If the technical aspects of the piece are transparent (i.e. not seen), then the participants' experience is focused on aural product. Perhaps the technical mystery need not be displayed at all?

The Electronics

I would like to collaborate with a electronic engineer (preferrably one who has experience with audio electronics) to design the necessary hardware for the piece. I have an adequate abstract understanding of the electronics, but by no means am I an expert. What I describe on this page is a result of some preliminary research regarding electronic sensors and analog/digital conversion. I'm merely hypothesizing...

Antenna -- Proximity Sensor

This is one of the most flexible elements of the installation. After all, proximity sensors can be created using a number of different materials and can be of many different types:

• Cameras
• Light-Motion sensors
• LED or infra-red sensors
• Heat or thermal sensors
• Metal or alloy like a typical antenna

In respect to the original concept of the Theremin, I would like to eliminate all but the metal or alloy types.

Having said that, the sensors do not need to be restricted to the shape of metal rods. I would like to explore the possiblity of creating proximity sensors of various shapes. I think that this would be benefial for two reasons:

1. Perhaps square, circular, or asymmetric shapes would yeild more sensitive results than the phallic shape of typical antennae.
2. Perhaps an effective thing could be created. For example, it would be possible to construct a metal room wherin each wall is an antenna, or railings along a stairway, or pillars in a large hall. Of course, designs such as these may not be relevant to the subject of this piece...or maybe they are?

Moreover, the number of sensors required by the piece is yet to be determined. This will likely remain flexible and ultimately depend on the size of the installation space, the capacity of the programming, and personal aesthetic.

Micro Controller

Somewhere in the link between the sensor and the computer is a tool which converts the output from the sensor into control voltage. As I understand, this magical tool is called a Micro Controller.

Analog/Digital Converter

Following the Micro Controller, voltage needs to be converted into numbers: digital information. This can be done either by using a commercially available A/D converter (included in some Micro Controllers or a PCI Card), or an Analog to MIDI converter (MIDI controllers such as the pitch wheel and modulation wheel use values between 0 and 16384 - while the others use 0 - 127).

Computer Input

Of course, the whole point of this is to produce numbers which can be used in a computer program (such as MAX or Super Collider) to manipulate digital synthesis.

The Computers

In my current concept of this piece I believe it is theoretically possible to manage the installation (proximity sensors and sound synthesis) using a single computer. I believe that the best software tools to manage the digital synthesis and the input/output from the proximity sensors are Pure Data [PD] and SuperCollider.

Sensory Information

The premiss of this installation piece is to create music which is directly related and/or a direct result of motion within the installation's space. Therefore, the first step in producing the music is to accurately measure the movement of the audience - whether it's an audience of one or one hundred. In the spirit of the original Theremin, I have chosen to use metal/alloy proximity sensors.

Thus, the computers will be provided with numbers which represent the distance from a sensor to a body or object within the space. That data will be used for a number of processes:

• To determine location of audience.
• To determine the speed and direction of travel.
• To determine the number of people or objects within the installation's space.
• To manipulate the frequency, amplitude, duration, timbre, envelope shape of individual sounds.
• To manipulate the amplitude, harmonic and rhythmic texture, and tone qualities of the cumulative sound.
• Various others as possibilities are presented as the details of the piece become clearer.

Audio Synthesis

Regardless of which software is used to generate the audio I feel that it is important to consider the sound quality of the Theremin when making musical decisions about the overall sound of this piece. The Theremin is/was an analog instrument; therefore it seems logical to focus on digital sounds that are reminiscent of analog electronics (i.e. simple wave shapes as opposed to granular for example).

The Sound

Of course, I can't say exactly what this piece will sound like but on this page I try to describe some of the characteristics of the sound as well as the methods by which sounds will be controlled. This piece is a mixture of both generative composition and indeterminacy; hence, I have a general idea how the piece will be created but I cannot say exactly what will be produced -- that's for time and motion within the installation's environment to decide.

Characteristics of the Composition

• I would like the piece to focus on simple wave forms such as sine, triangle, and pulse waves to generate sound as well as control all parameters of those sounds.
• The pitch material should include the entire audio range and not be limited to a tempered scale.
• Sliding tones should be prominent -- in honour of the Theremin's capacity for portamento.
• This installation is of course more than a single instrument; it can be many instruments and should therefore be capable not only of "melody" but rhythm and harmony also. (i.e. it can and should be an orchestra of sounds).
• The form is infinite (i.e. for as long as the electronics have electricity) and can therefore not be observed in its entirety. I will not concern myself with known formal designs and will assume that all sounds are related to all other sounds by the property of continuity.

Control of the Sound

The first step in controlling the sound is to understand the interaction of the proximity sensors.

For the purpose of understanding the necessary programming and the interaction between sensors/computer/sound, I have defined certain "things" as follows: (Organized in terms of scope - large to small - big picture things down to the little pieces):

Installation

The entire apparatus including all objects plus the software and aural result - i.e. everything.

Piece/Composition

The aural product of the installation.

Episode

A small division or section of the piece. Each episode will consist of multiple layers as well as randomly generated elements. The duration of an episode will be controlled either by preset duration or by critical mass.

Layer

Layers are synonymous with musical elements. 1) Rhythmic layer; 2) Harmonic layer; 3) Melodic Layer. However; I would like to clarify each of these.

1. The rhythmic layer is that which controls events over time.
2. The harmonic layer is that which controls the texture of the sounds.
3. The melodic layer is that which provides pitch material.
4. There should be as many distinct layers as there are antennae.

Instrument

A single construct which can produce a sound. There will always be as many active instruments as there are antennae. Instruments may or may not effect other instruments. Depending on the properties of an instrument at any given moment it may be heard outright or may be heard only as a characteristic of another instrument (i.e. the way that analog oscillators can generate sound directly or may be used to modulate other oscillators.)