09.10.05

This is an excellent software theremin pitch tuner with a fast response.

Display - precision notes - amplitude - frequency - basic wave shape. 

It makes use of any old Win 98 or later computer microphone input with your sound card. 

The tuner program still allows for simultaneous recording into programs like Audacity.

Download the tuner12.exe (286k) Freeware

Visit William Andrew Steer the Audio Website for his other well thought out and interesting programs.

The DevCaps button is inoperable.

If the sampled audio is too weak or not clean the display remains dim. If the input signal is too loud into the computer input then the display is red. The theremin is a perfect sound source for this software.
My RS Theremin "Audio-Out" level can be reduced by turning Pot 2 counterclockwise.

I Created a PDF file to print one octave with the spacing of a piano keyboard, I then tape three of these graphics together on a wooden yardstick to make a practice strip between me and my theremin antenna.

Three of these strips end to end make a good three octave reference. 

Theremin antenna tuning and octave spacing is not a conversation your going to readily find on the internet. It is a difficult subject to technically understand and control. Most Thereminist learn to play within non-linear pitch fields, adapting and remaining with a specific playable theremin model. Until a antenna tuning standard comes about, their will be large inconsistencies from model to model. Why do so many people want the Moog EtherWave Pro? It plays with the beautiful ease found in a noticeable linear response. I don't know if it was ever mentioned in the circles of Moog Worship but people quietly sent me emails they did not like the original Pro's sound, out of the box and unprocessed.

Here is the higher screen resolution Oscilloscope 251 (89k) freeware program software for observing only your audio wave shape. I have used it in the past and it seems to perform quite nicely. This is able to give higher definition of output wave shape. 

Connect my RS Theremin board with a audio out cable to feed a small signal into the microphone input of your computer sound card. Avoid overdrive and peak clipping. Have Pot 2 (Gain 2) turned way down. Have Pot 3 completely turned away from the square wave side or remove the TLC555 chip to get a pure sine wave for testing.

This photo to the right reveals the first setup that allowed me to validate perfect pitch linearity. Using my Lev Antenna tuning I witnessed notes with equal intervals,  spaced exactly as they should be. Like the keyboard graphic they line up identical with perfect intervals from the outside right up next to the antenna. Adjusting a theremins null or pitch knob sets the desired size of the octave widths while all the notes remain equal in width relative to one another.

With perfect linearity it is also possible to demonstrate Tannerin style note selectivity using a true Theremin as the pitch engine. The slider would be your finger tips hovering above the keyboard graphic. Actual note selection is based upon the relative forward finger tip position relative to it's distance to the antenna.

My circuit board is under the black leather while the antenna is in the bamboo.

The odd thing about tuning for theremin linearity, it locks in like it has always been part of theremin design, LINKS something he waited to give you.