i agree that the sound of the early electronic instruments is really
beautiful and special.

i can say confidently that the theremin tone is not a pure sine wave.
i can't guess what the waveform would be or how it occured in terms
of physics considering the circuit of the theremin is well known
(perhaps the components yeild unique non-linearities not possible with
modern/solid state parts ), but it almost reminds me of some of the
possible sounds of an old lowry organ.

i'd say be creative with filters and waveshapers and try damn hard to
get that sound. i've come pretty close and a wee bit of sineLFO
vibrato brings home the old school sound.-tom

--- In Doepfer_a100@yahoogroups.com , "jalmari3" <jari.jokinen@...> wrote:
>
> I think we need one!
>
> How to make a Theremin or Ondes Martenot sound Obviously, those
> instruments have their unique playing controls and Ondes Martenot
> also has those special speakers. Still, even their raw sound seems
> to be somewhat magical. I don't think it can be properly reproduced
> with standard analog synthesizer components.
>
> - It is often said, that Theremin sound resembles sine wave.
> However, for example the sound used by Clara Rockmore (often referred
> as the best ever Thereminist) is actually quite "earthly". And Ondes
> Martenot can even make a nasal or buzzy sound especially in the low
> register. Listen here:
> http://www.archive.org/details/Harada (track no 5 "Thermal
> Conductivity")
> http://www.cmusge.ch/recherche/zea/martenot.html (lots of different
> sounds)
>
> - The Theremin/Ondes Martenot timbre correlates with pitch. This is
> musically important and sounds different from the normal VCO+VCF
> application. It is explained here:
> http://www.paia.com/ProdArticles/thereton.htm
> Note the part: "Some listeners find the sound of the current crop [of
> Theremins] to be lacking in this kind of character"
>
> A "Doepfer Theremin (and Ondes Martenot) oscillator" might be very
> useful and musical. Think about the status value! :) - The Ondes
> Martenot is practically the only electronic instrument, which is
> used in symphony orchestra...
>
> The hypothetical module should have an adjustment for timbre and
> perhaps for timbre/pitch correlation too... What do you think
>
>
> Best regards
> Jari jokinen
>