Walkie-talkie feedback for theremin effect

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By Collin Cunningham
Posted 2008/10/27 @ 6:21 pm
Category Music

Further proof of the music-making possibilities that lie dormant in many of our common electronics.
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4 Responses to Walkie-talkie feedback for theremin effect

jakeofalltrades.wordpress.com on October 28th, 2008 at 4:33 am said:

Try this with a cellphone and a land-line for some really bizarre noises!

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Anonymous on October 30th, 2008 at 4:43 pm said:

I understand it’s a cool thing, seeing as how the audio feedback can be repurposed to a musical effect.

However, if you want to do this with walkie-talkies, please remember that YOU’RE ON THE AIR! It means a) a lot more people may hear you than you realize; b) any time the button’s down, the channel’s yours. Exclusively. In effect, you’re hogging the channel, and being annoying about it. Few people appreciate the theremin-like sound of the howl when they have to switch channels – if they have agreed on a backup channel – or wait for the noise to stop.

There is no problem, of course, if you know there’s nobody on the channel. However, it’s pretty hard to know, unless you can be sure beyond reasonable doubt that there’s nobody within range.

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Collin Cunningham on October 31st, 2008 at 7:15 am said:

that’s an interesting point. I imagine it wouldn’t be an issue for low power ‘toy’ models. But something to keep in mind with the ‘family’ communicator talkies and up.

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Gordon Charlton on October 31st, 2008 at 4:47 pm said:

This is best done indoors. Walls limit the range of the broadcast and increase the range of the feedback tone by reflecting the sound back. The tones heard outside of the playable range are informed by the resonant frequencies of the room and vary from location to location.

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