itself. Plug the round three-pin 'DIN' connector
on the adapter cable into the mating power
socket on the back side of the
ETHERWAVE
.
(That's the side opposite the control panel and
the player.) Then plug the adapter itself into a
grounded power receptacle, or into a three-
wire extension cord which provides a good
ground connection. The ground connection
stabilizes the
ETHER-WAVE
's operation.
d) Connecting the amplifier-speaker: The
ETHERWAVE
may be used with a wide variety of
musical instrument, stereo, or public address
amplifier systems. The nominal level of the
ETHERWAVE
's audio output is one-half volt RMS
and the nominal output impedance is 2.4
Kilohms.
We suggest a small but high-quality portable
'keyboard amplifier' of the sort that synthesizer
players frequently use for practicing. Use a
shielded audio cable with a conventional 1/4"
phone plug on one end, to be plugged into
the
ETHERWAVE
's audio out jack. The other end
of the cable should be equipped with
whatever kind of plug your sound system
requires, and should be plugged into a jack
labeled line in, instrument, or aux on your
sound system. Do not plug it into a microphone
or guitar input, as these inputs are designed for
much weaker audio signals.
e) Setting the tuning adjustments: Turn on both
the
ETHERWAVE
and your sound system. Set the
loudness or volume control on your amplifier
about one third of the way up. Touch the pitch
antenna of the
ETHERWAVE
and slowly rotate
the
ETHERWAVE
's VOLUME tuning knob
clockwise. A high note will be heard. At one
setting of the VOLUME tuning knob, the volume
will be at a maximum. Starting from this setting,
turn the VOLUME tuning knob counterclockwise
until the loudness of the tone begins to
decrease. Now bring your left hand near the
volume antenna. Note that the tone's loudness
decreases smoothly, and finally becomes silent
when your left hand is two to three inches from
the volume antenna. Then remove your left
hand from the volume antenna but, still
touching the pitch antenna, adjust the volume
control on your sound system so that the tone is
as loud as you will want it to be.
Now remove your right hand from the pitch
antenna. Turn the
ETHERWAVE
's PITCH tuning
knob fully counterclockwise. You will hear a
high pitch. Now
slowly
turn the PITCH tuning
knob clockwise. You will hear the tone's pitch
go down. When it is about an octave below
middle C, step back from the instrument. You
should hear the pitch decrease further until the
tone stops completely ('zero beat'). Adjust the
PITCH tuning knob carefully so that, when your
right shoulder is about 24" from the pitch
antenna and your right hand is down at your
side, the tone's pitch is audible but lower than
two octaves below middle C. (Two octaves
below middle C is the lowest note on a cello,
and slightly below the lowest note on a guitar.)
PLAYING THE
ETHERWAVE
THEREMIN
Pitch and volume of the
ETHERWAVE
sound is
controlled by the free movement of the
player's hands in the space in the electric fields
which surround the two antennas.
Changes in pitch are produced by moving the
right hand nearer to or farther away from the
pitch antenna. Moving the right hand nearer to
the antenna raises the pitch; moving it away
lowers it. Changes in volume are produced by
moving the left hand nearer to or farther away
from the volume antenna. Bringing the hand
nearer the antenna weakens the sound;
moving the hand away from the antenna
strengthens the sound.
Since any moving body will influence the
theremin's pitch and volume, it is important that
only the player be near the theremin when he
is performing. Other people should be at least
four to six feet from the pitch antenna.
Timbre, or quality of the tone may be varied by
changing the settings of the WAVEFORM and