[HN Gopher] What the hell is a luminiferous theremin?
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       What the hell is a luminiferous theremin?
        
       Author : edent
       Score  : 15 points
       Date   : 2024-08-09 18:49 UTC (4 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (extkits.co.uk)
 (TXT) w3m dump (extkits.co.uk)
        
       | amelius wrote:
       | ... but why the hell would you listen to one?
       | 
       | This last question is unfortunately never answered.
       | 
       | The theremin is a good example of we made it "because we can"
       | instead of "because we should".
       | 
       | Of course, glad to be proven wrong.
        
         | Al-Khwarizmi wrote:
         | Music is of course subjective, but for me, this would be a
         | constructive proof:
         | https://youtu.be/62lT9XsZVio?si=4ZHl-2dyihhAaLOA
        
         | PAPPPmAc wrote:
         | It certainly is a bit of a novelty, but there are a few
         | Theremin-featuring pieces that I find pleasing, a classic
         | example is the Theremin and piano arrangement of Saint-Saens'
         | The Swan.
         | 
         | Here is Clara Rockmore performing it (I think this is a video
         | of the recording on The Art of the Theremin)
         | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdFSU8sn3mo . There's a very
         | nice arrangement of La vie en rose from the same sessions.
         | 
         | She developed a lot of the Theremin techniques and - despite
         | some argument about how practical vs. performative they are -
         | is likely the best Theremin player ever. She was previously
         | trained as violinist and an answer to why you would _play_ a
         | theremin: her tendinitis killed her violin career but could
         | keep playing music with the force-less theremin.
         | 
         | There are also a surprising number of well-known pop (etc.)
         | songs that include a theremin somewhere. Not my list, but I see
         | most of the ones I'm aware of here:
         | https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0p2SpBZ3xDEjemAVlwmWeF?si=...
        
           | davidw wrote:
           | Good Vibrations used something else:
           | 
           | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electro-Theremin
        
         | MetallicCloud wrote:
         | It features in one my favourite songs 'Red right hand' by Nick
         | Cave.
        
         | soulofmischief wrote:
         | Neutral Milk Hotel uses the theramin to great effect in their
         | music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FeD16vu_qQ
        
         | WarOnPrivacy wrote:
         | > ... but why the hell would you listen to one?
         | 
         | My son took this album to scout camp.
         | https://duckduckgo.com/?hps=1&q=%22Music+Out+of+the+Moon%22&...
         | 
         | Backstory is they weren't allowed to bring electronics to camp
         | so he brought a portable, 1921 hand crank 78 player, some
         | bakelite 78s and extra needles.
        
       | hettygreen wrote:
       | What part # is used for the TOF sensors? The PDF schematic shows
       | nothing...
        
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