APHRODITE Theremin From Golem Instruments

[Peter Pringle]

Here is a demonstration of what seems to be a new "Aphrodite" model theremin from GOLEM INSTRUMENTS in Oerlinghausen, Germany.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cv1lrwSyHU

GOLEM makes several different models of theremin all of which, to my ears, sound sort of kazzooish. I have never understood why theremin makers seem to prefer to demonstrate their own instruments when they themselves play so poorly. Why don't they do what acoustic instrument makers do and find someone who can actually PLAY?

With any musical instrument, our appreciation of the tone is greatly influenced by our esthetic reaction to the music.

Gene Segal did the same thing demonstrating his Wavefront Classic in the Howard Shore video interview that CRL mentioned. He played a few bars, very badly, of one of the melodies from Tchaikovsky's piano concerto #1.

There are three possible explanations for this:

1. They don't know how bad they are and think they sound great.

2. They know how bad they are but they don't think it matters.

3. They just don't givadam.

As Uncle Howie and the King of Siam say, "It is a puzzlement!"

[mpic...@earthlink.net]

Not a bad sound on the earlier musical choices- very flutey, didn't care for the last sound. It reminds me of "Richard Clayderman plays the classics on the Pan Pipes!"

Anyway what I thought was odd was the switch shifting of the octaves. I wonder how many are actually available at any one time.

SO that was a Wavefront in the Howard Shore interview? Very pretty instrument. I like the sound of Amethyste's Wavefront.

Sarah

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[Lawrence P Kaster]

It certainly makes it unlikely for potential buyers to be enthusiastic enough to buy one.  One reason I built my own instrument was that there wasn't -even in a big city as Dallas-Ft. Worth- a single instrument to try. 

Thought if I built it I would have more ability to shape the sound.  Then, of course, develop the taste to make good sounds!

It may very well be a combination of not having access to an accomplished musician to demonstrate their instrument, and the undeveloped taste to select a proper voice. Oh Fortuna! 

"Etidorhpa" is a fascinating hollow-Earth novel by John Uri Lloyd published  in 1895. (Notice the mirror-writing) Has virtually nothing to do with Aphrodite!

And neither does this Golem.

LPKaster

http://lpkaster.com

Sent from my iPhone

--

[Uncle Howie]

Leveren:
I sincerely hope and pray this so-called theremin never goes into
production and the model shown spends its existence relegated to a
basement closet.
It is hard for me to believe that all the work the maker put into
this
device didn't produce a sound that in no way has any richness of tone.
It is a whistle, pure and simple. I don't even believe that a dog would
come running when hearing this machine generating ten versions of bird
sounds.
Der Ton ist schrecklich. Ya?
Uncle Howie
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>.

[Amethyste]

Friends,

 

Don't fprget you are also hearing the sound of an unknown theremin played by someone who

has no clue about playing one. I believe that 90% of the sound you hear from a theremin comes from the soul of the player. :)

(one can dream right?) :)

 

Amey

[Amethyste]

Sarah,

 

Yep! That's a Wavefront alright :) It is indeed very pretty :)

 

Amey

[a.e.c...@freenet.de]

Hi Uncle Howie,

I only can agree with you: The sound is "schrecklich", indeed! I remember my first theremin by Golem Instruments which just was a toy, an over-paid toy.

Its sound was equally dull and paper-thin, and even worse, the pitch went up and down with every movement of the volume hand.

A lady I learnt to know in 2010 at Lippstadt Festival wanted to buy a theremin. I warned her to buy a Golem - but at "Don't Touch 5.0" in November 2012 she told me that she had purchased the "Polyphem" from Golem. All I could do was to wish her good luck and a lot of pleasure with her new instrument.

I thought of our famous German poet Friedrich Schiller who wrote: "Against stupidity even Gods fight in vain!" (Gegen Dummheit kämpfen selbst Götter vergebens)

Kind regards

Arno43



> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: Uncle Howie
> Gesendet: So. 03.02.2013 17:28
> An: lev...@googlegroups.com
> Betreff: Re: APHRODITE Theremin From Golem Instruments

>
> Leveren:
> I sincerely hope and pray this so-called theremin never goes into
> production and the model shown spends its existence relegated to a
> basement closet.
> It is hard for me to believe that all the work the maker put into
> this
> device didn't produce a sound that in no way has any richness of
> tone.
> It is a whistle, pure and simple. I don't even believe that a dog
> would
> come running when hearing this machine generating ten versions of
> bird
> sounds.
> Der Ton ist schrecklich. Ya?
> Uncle Howie

> style="color:green">>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>
>>>>>>>.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Peter Pringle
> To: levnet
> Sent: Sun, Feb 3, 2013 6:51 am
> Subject: APHRODITE Theremin From Golem Instruments
>

> Here is a demonstration of what seems to be a new "Aphrodite" model
> theremin from GOLEM INSTRUMENTS in Oerlinghausen, Germany.

> target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cv1lrwSyHU

> GOLEM makes several different models of theremin all of which, to my
> ears, sound sort of kazzooish. I have never understood why theremin
> makers seem to prefer to demonstrate their own instruments when they
> themselves play so poorly. Why don't they do what acoustic instrument
> makers do and find someone who can actually PLAY?
> With any musical instrument, our appreciation of the tone is greatly
> influenced by our esthetic reaction to the music.
> Gene Segal did the same thing demonstrating his Wavefront Classic in
> the Howard Shore video interview that CRL mentioned. He played a few
> bars, very badly, of one of the melodies from Tchaikovsky's piano
> concerto #1.
> There are three possible explanations for this:
> 1. They don't know how bad they are and think they sound great.
> 2. They know how bad they are but they don't think it matters.
> 3. They just don't givadam.
> As Uncle Howie and the King of Siam say, "It is a puzzlement!"
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "LevNet" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it,
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> an email to levnet+un...@googlegroups.com.

> For more options, visit href="https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out."
> target="_blank">https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.

>
>
>
>
>
> --
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> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht Ende-----

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