Today we take a look at the otherworldly Moog Theremini, an updated version of the classic theremin. The theremin is one of the oldest electronic musical instruments and definitely one of the most unique. Featuring two antennas that detect and respond to your movement, theremins are known for being able to produce eerie and atmospheric sounds.

An Updated Classic

The theremin was originally patented in 1928, and since then has been featured in sci-fi movie soundtracks, concert performances, and even pop songs like the Beach Boy's Good Vibrations. However the eerie whine of the theremin was first popularized by touring musician Clara Rockmore, who helped it's founder Leon Theremin further develop the instrument.

In the '50s,a young Robert Moog began developing build-your-own theremin kits and eventually patented his Moog Etherwave theremins to sell to the public. 60 Years later, Moog Music has now created the user-friendly Theremini, with an updated look and powerful synth engine to push the boundaries of the theremin even further.

The Theremini features a sleek white design that looks quite different than its predecessors. This spaceship-like synth includes a variety of built-in presets and variable assistive pitch correction. The Theremini also comes with a built-in tuner, which can help players during practice or performance.

Watch the video below to hear the Theremini in action!

Theremini Presets

The Theremini is capable of producing a wide variety of tones ranging from heavy and menacing to ethereal and dreamlike. Within the presets section, you are able to choose from 32 wave or wavetable-based patches, and specify per-patch settings for the included stereo delay. Our favorites were those that produced bass-heavy drones and the classic eerie whine characteristic of theremins of the past.

Additional Features

The Theremini features a speaker and headphone jack (great for practicing), but you may want to plug into an external amplifier to give it a bit more juice - at least for live performances. For the video above, we recorded straight out from the handy stereo outputs on the back of the unit.

The Theremini also features built-in tuner, delay effect, pitch quantization, a pitch CV output with selectable range, and a mini USB jack for MIDI I/O and connectivity.

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Considering the steep learning curve of more traditional theremins, we are happy to see that the Theremini was built with ease of use and education in mind. With a powerful synth engine and capabilities packaged in a fun interface, the Theremini could be a game changer for the world of theremins.

Shop Theremins >>>

For more information about the theremin, check out this video from Moog Music: