ghostly theremin music
Charles Collins
I started fixing musical instruments, amplifiers, and stereo equipment 35 years ago for a local store. That had to go somewhere. My name's Charles Collins, and I build theremins.
sci-fi outer space theremin
Charles Collins
The theremin is a musical instrument that you can play without touching it.
theremin oscillates eerily
Charles Collins
You don't find the theremin; the theremin finds you.
quivering high-pitched opera-like theremin
Charles Collins
A person named Leon Theremin invented it back in about 1919, 1920.
film reel static
frightening theremin, heavy breathing
Charles Collins
It's just a creepy sound that every B-movie had back in the '50s.
ominous theremin
Charles Collins
When the monster comes out, he always had a theremin.
Actor
It's unbelievable.
intimidating breathing
Actor
You listen to that, you gotta have one.
heavy breathing
Actor
I was able to find one at a swap meet, and the guy thought it was a burglar alarm that didn't work very well. It was fascinating, and I thought, "You know, other people would like this. Maybe I could make a cheap one." And it took off from there.
futuristic squawking
Actor
There's the monster. I've sold over 10,000 in 25 years. It operates with two radio frequency oscillators mixing together to form a third frequency, which is an audio tone.
ascending notes, then siren
Theremin has two circuits
one being the pitch circuit and the other is the volume. This is the pitch antenna, and the note gets higher as your hand comes nearer to it.
high-pitched saxophone-like sound
Theremin has two circuits
This is the volume antenna, and as your hand gets nearer to that, the pitch gets quieter until you can't hear it.
sound waivers between audible and silent
Theremin has two circuits
It's essentially a pretty simple circuit. It's still challenging-- It can be-- When things don't work quite right, there's a reason, and sometimes that reason can be very elusive.
theremin sounds like a needle scratching a record
Theremin has two circuits
I started 25 years ago. I didn't want to work in a factory, so I essentially made my own factory. I haven't gone mad.
funky music
Theremin has two circuits
There could be other worse things to do. You're finally done making one, and it works, and it's going in the box and being sent out to the person. That is the best feeling.
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