Best Theremin, Best Moog Theremins, Best Theremin Brands
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The theremin is a simple musical instrument, and its range in specs and cost largely depend on the materials and quality of the instrument. The typical overall design of the instrument has not really changed a lot since the production of theremins began decades ago, so, it might not be difficult to get yourself one and start playing.
Before you start contemplating about the different features and all you need to know about buying a theremin, there are some basic things that simple ones should have and what they do to enable you to play it better.
What are the Best Moog Theremins to Buy?
Basic beginner requirements
Before even a beginner can start playing the instrument, there are a couple of things they should look out for when buying a theremin. These things to look out for are not major pointers to a good product, but they will make the item an enjoyable one to have.
Because playing it depends on the relative distance of the hand from the antenna, the model of the theremin you purchase will affect the natural range of each note. You might want to consider this because a small-sized theremin might be challenging to play.
A theremin doesn’t have to be expensive to be easy enough to play. The simplicity of the instrument matters a lot. Just be careful so you won’t pack up additional features which you don’t necessarily need in your instrument. If you take up more than you need, playing it might be difficult, and you may end up dissatisfied with the musical instrument. Some features can be a distraction from the main goal of controlling the pitch to produce good sounds.
The original theremins came with two heterodyne oscillators as part of their design. One of the oscillators plays a fixed frequency, while the other plays a different pitch relative to your hand movement. The difference between those two will be what you hear. But theremins today can be made with only a pitch oscillator. This makes the instrument simpler and easier to build.
Playing preference
Before buying a theremin, ask yourself what you intend to do with it. This will affect the standard of theremin you can get for yourself. Do you want to generate spooky sounds for your Halloween parties and for fun, or do you want to play classical music? How the pitch is controlled will determine which one to go for.
Playability
Look for a theremin that has good pitch linearity. This means that the notes are more evenly placed across the pitch range of the theremin. You won’t find a perfectly linear theremin, but the more expensive ones tend to have significantly better linearity, and as such, they are quite easy to play. This is what determines the playability of a theremin – its linearity.
Pre-built or No?
When considering an unassembled theremin, it is crucial that you have some fundamental understanding of how the electronics work. It also helps if you have any previous experience with electronic kits. If you’re comfortable with following directions and also comfortable with using a soldering iron for building electronics, you can easily build any theremin kit for yourself. Assembling kits yourself is a fantastic way to save cost when buying a theremin. However, if you cannot do that yourself or even give it to someone who can assemble it for you, then you can get an already built one.
Appearance and portability
The appearance and portability of the theremin have to be taken into consideration, especially if you are someone who will travel a lot with the theremin. The weight of the instrument and how it is padded during your trips is significant in your decision-making process.
5 Best Moog Theremin Reviews
1) Moog EWSTD019 Etherwave Theremin Standard
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The Moog Etherwave Theremin Standard has a power rocker switch which allows players to switch on and switch off the theremin power conveniently. Its timbre has two continuous rotary controls for the brightness and the waveform. The power input for this Moog Etherwave Theremin Standard comes with an AC adapter. And as for the tones, the Moog Etherwave Theremin Standard has a pitch range of 5 octaves (2 below the middle C, and 3 above).
The audio output for this device is a regular 1/4″ jack which can allow you to send line level output to an amplifier to fill the atmosphere with the classic theremin sound it produces. With the clean appearance of the Moog Etherwave Theremin, the musical instrument measures 21.4 x 7.1 x 7.3 inches and weighs about 7 pounds. Its antenna connectors can be carefully removed for safety whenever you want to travel with the theremin.
For a great musical instrument, it can be a fun instrument to have. The theremin has a good sound response. You might want to use an amplifier to drive a louder sound with good quality. It is a great analog musical instrument for fun or practice, or if you are looking for a new musical instrument to experiment with.
2) Moog Theremini
Theremins are an old instrument. And because of their fretless design, playing the musical instrument only requires you to move your hand across around the theremin’s antenna. This might be a little challenging to play especially for anyone who has not played the instrument before. However, this instrument comes with built-in scales which you can select and play. Also, you can select the root note so you will always be on key.
The Moog Theremini has up to 32 sound presets – some of which allow you to create 50’s sound effects from sci-fi movies. There are also modern sound effects you can play with as well. Since the Moog Theremini comes with a USB MIDI as well as CV/Pitch outputs, it is a fantastic way to control your hardware and software synthesizers too.
This musical instrument comes has amazing features that make it outstanding. Some of its features include built-in speakers and headphone output. It also includes up to 32 Wavetable presets and pitch correction with selectable root note and scales. If you have a challenge learning how to play it, you can use its built-in tuners to adjust the Moog Theremini to scales and pitch you can learn with.
3) Moog Limited Edition Etherwave Plus Theremin
The Etherwave has a lot of great features as well as the tone of a standard theremin. The CV output control signals are proportional to theremin’s audio signal for volume and pitch. But it helps to know that the CV signals aren’t limited to the volume and pitch control. You can route them to your preferred CV destination and generate a new atmosphere of expression.
Like every other theremin, any player of this musical instrument can control the pitch and volume by simply waving their hands around the theremin’s antennas. The Moog Limited Edition Etherwave Plus Theremin is not as heavy as you might imagine. It weighs only 6.7 pounds, and it is easy to carry around, set up, and play. Any standard microphone stand will do as this Moog Limited Edition Etherwave Plus Theremin will just screw at the bottom.
The antennas are nickel plated, and its cabinets are made of hardwood. It comes with an adapter you can use to mount on a microphone stand, and you can also use the Moog Limited Edition Etherwave Plus Theremin with a simple musical instrument amplifier. As a fretless musical instrument, you might take some time to get used to playing it since sound creation required hand movements.
4) Moog EW-Plus-0011 Etherwave Plus Theremin
The Moog Etherwave plus is one of the authentic adaptation of the original theremin design. The instrument extends the gestural playing of the theremin to analog synthesis and more. With this instrument, you can easily control the effects and synthesizers while playing the instrument. The Moog Etherwave Plus Theremin weighs roughly 7 pounds. Which is normal for theremins, and its size measures 21.5 x 7.4 x 7.2 inches.
The Moog Etherwave Plus Theremin has every important feature expected from a standard theremin including volume and Pitch CV outputs which allows any player to conveniently control the different CV parameters with each of their hands. The musical instrument has a power led that serves as a notification for users about its power status dim lit stages. It also comes with a powerful audio control to enable you to hear the sounds and notes before your audience can.
The Moog Etherwave theremin has a classic theremin sound, and among its other outstanding features, it gives the player different controls including controls for the volume, the waveform of the audio output, pitch, and even the brightness of the audio output. In a case where the user has to travel, the antenna connectors can be removed to make traveling with the instrument easier.
5) Moog Etherwave Theremin Kit
The Moog Etherwave Theremin Kit comes packed with everything you need to assemble your own theremin. The package includes an unfinished wood cabinet as well as a prebuilt circuit board for you to build for yourself. This Moog Kit option is mainly for those who don’t really mind assembling a theremin by themselves. There are several points for wiring which require a little soldering to get the finished product.
In the right hands, assembling this instrument can be quick, or it may take some time. The duration of time taken to assemble the kit will be determined by the experience of the person assembling it. If you don’t feel confident enough to couple it together or do the soldering in the appropriate places, you can easily give it to someone else to do it for you.
The Moog Kit can produce a five-octave pitch range with its spacing between the notes for more elaborate playability. The antennas of this kit are nickel-plated brass tubes, and the cabinets are made from furniture grade wood. Players can fit the instrument with an adapter in order to mount it on a microphone stand. Also, the musical instrument is designed to support an instrument amplifier.
Choosing the Best Theremin
There aren’t many sellers already built theremins out there. The brand names behind this musical instrument are few, the one that popular is moog. This reduces the number of options you have to choose from, and variety may not be the case for buying a theremin.
Above everything you read about the features of different theremin products, first, you must acknowledge why you need it and what you want to use it for. Starting from that there, it will be much easier to make decisions about the theremin of your choice. For instance, if you want to have the instrument and play with it for the fun of it, it will make a lot of sense to try to get the musical instrument at a cost that you will be pleased with.
Also, if you want to use the instrument for more professional purposes, you can afford to get one of the best theremins you can find and feel no regrets because it is worth it. As always, seek the advice of someone who has played the musical instrument for recommendations and thoughts before committing to a purchase.
You will be amazed at the crazy and beautiful music someone can create with this instrument. All it takes is a little practice from time to time.