Prompt Cast
The Theremin: The World's First Electronic Musical Instrument
TLDR The theremin, the world's first electronic musical instrument, was created by accident and became popular in Russia. It was later used as a listening device and gained popularity in the 1940s and 50s, being used in movies and becoming a symbol for psychological distress.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The theremin is the world's first electronic musical instrument, created by accident and played by moving your hands in and out of an electromagnetic field.
05:02
The theremin was created by accident when Lev Turman added sound to his invention that was originally meant to measure gas density, and it became the world's first electronic musical instrument.
10:03
Lev Theraman's theremin became so popular in Russia that Lenin sent him on tour to promote electricity and electronic music, and he later became a spy for the Soviet state while touring Europe and eventually settled in the United States where he became well-known and RCA started manufacturing their own version of the theremin.
15:21
The theremin is a difficult instrument to learn and RCA produced a limited number of units, some of which are still valuable collector's items today due to their original electronics and unique sound.
21:06
Leon Theremin invented a listening device called the Buran, which functioned as a laser microphone that could sense vibrations in glass, and he also created a passive bug inside a wood carving of the great seal of the United States, which allowed for spying on conversations for seven years until it was discovered by accident.
26:03
The Theremin gained popularity in the 1940s and 50s, being used in movies and becoming a symbol for psychological distress, and it was introduced to the general public by composers Miklos Roshia and Samuel Hoffman; Robert Moog, who later invented the synthesizer, also played a role in popularizing the Theremin by selling Theremin kits.
31:01
The Beach Boys song "Good Vibrations" does not actually feature a Theremin, but rather an Electro Theremin called a trombonous thing, and the Theremin is also not used in the Star Trek theme, but rather soprano Lulee Jean Norman hitting the notes.
35:56
A theremin works through electronic magic with two different circuits for pitch and volume, and it has two antennas for adjusting pitch and volume.
41:00
A theremin is played by interfering with the electromagnetic fields produced by the antennas using your own electrical charge, and it requires a good ear for pitch and a steady hand to play effectively.
45:47
Playing the theremin requires precision movement of the fingers and hands, and staying still is important to avoid interfering with the sound, as well as using an amplifier to produce the sound.
50:33
The theremin has a dial that allows you to adjust the level of forgiveness in playing, and there are kits available for building your own theremin as well as hacks to turn gaming consoles into theremins.
Categories:
Society & Culture
