Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Turn an iPhone Into a Pocket Theremin

Posted by timothy on from the extremely-happy-to-see-you dept.

Earyauteur writes "The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) is running a story on an interesting motion-controlled iPhone application which uses the iPhone's 3-axis accelerometer to control a digital synthesizer. The musical instrument is played much like a theremin with the added ability to perform music using different musical scales. TUAW also links to a YouTube video which shows a performer demonstrating the iPhone instrument."

4 of 31 comments (clear)

  1. And use your iPhone as a pocket dictionary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    So you can figure out what a Theremin is

    1. Re:And use your iPhone as a pocket dictionary by NeverVotedBush · · Score: 4, Informative

      I would mod you up if I had mod points.
      The video is pretty cool, and so is the application (apparently now available at the Apple Store), but the comparison to a Theremin is a bit off.
      All the tilts were from front to back. Maybe if they add side to side (if the iPhone has those accelerometers as well), then it would be more Theremin-like with both pitch and volume instead of just pitch.
      How to play a Theremin:
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd4jvtAr8JM

  2. Fun, but not a theremin by theefer · · Score: 5, Informative

    The musical instrument is played much like a theremin [...]

    Clearly whoever wrote this has never seen, let alone played a theremin.

    You don't play a theremin by rotating a mobile phone (or anything) in your hand. There is no notion of angle, since you play with your bare hands, only distance. The distance to the vertical antenna determines the pitch, whereas the distance to the horizontal circular antenna controls the volume. The whole point is the expressiveness of playing music with your whole body.

    If you want a small silly toy theremin, you should order Vol. 17 of Japanese magazine Otona no kagaku (the whole thing is in Japanese, but easy enough to build). You can only control the pitch, the sound is pretty awful, and you cannot place calls with it, but at least it's a theremin.

    --
    theefer
    1. Re:Fun, but not a theremin by Earyauteur · · Score: 5, Informative

      The musical instrument is played much like a theremin [...]

      Clearly whoever wrote this has never seen, let alone played a theremin.

      Actually I have built a Theremin from a kit. It worked when I was done soldering -- so I have both seen and played a Theremin if it matters to any one here besides the pedant trolls. I included a link to the theremin in my submission so without knowing anything about me you might have noticed that I at least knew what Leon Theremin and his instrument looked like.