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Gakken Mini-Theremin: It's Weird, and Portable!

by Warren Riddle on March 11, 2009 at 06:03 AM



Fans of odd, haunting electronic melodies rejoice! With the release of its portable Japanese Premium Theremin, Gakken allows you to entertain, or annoy, anyone, anywhere.

In 1938, Leon Theremin patented the eponymous instrument, through which a player manipulates electronic frequencies by waving his hands, or other appendages, over two antennas. By raising and lowering the right hand next to a vertical antenna, the player can adjust pitch, while a horizontal, left-hand antenna controls the volume. Introduced to mainstream pop/rock fans by The Beach Boys with their 1966 release 'Pet Sounds,' the instrument now appears in a wide variety of musical styles, including rock, as demonstrated by Jon Spencer of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.

Perfect for the folks who don't have a couple weeks to build their own, the Japanese Premium Theremin also appeals to aspiring musicians who don't possess the manual dexterity to manipulate strings or keys. Plus, it's infinitely cooler than this thing. [From: DVICE]

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Tags: gakken, music, musical instruments, MusicalInstruments, theremin, weird

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