torspo | # 31 | 2009-10-02, 09:07 | Report

If it's a theremin, chouldn't this be controlled via the proximity sensor and/or the accelerometer to emulate an actual real life theremin?

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd4jvtAr8JM

igagis | # 32 | 2009-10-02, 10:07 | Report

overfloat
>I just wish my thumbs weren't so fat

Personally, I dont think that using thumbs is the best way to play Maemo Theremin, when I play I use 4 fingers of the right hand, I do not use thumb, see my video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIO0AiyDlx4

>I was just getting corrupted static out of the speakers...

Do you use latest OS2008? I have 5.2008.47-3 firmware flashed and I have not ever observed this problem. Possibly there is some bug in ALSA packages or dependencies, that is when installing some other application which depends on ALSA it replaces the ALSA lib which depends on libhildonmm-1.0.so.1 instead of libhildonmm-1.0.so.2. Unfortunately, this problem remains unresolved.

torspo
I think it is possible to use proximity sensor for controlling sound pitch, for example.
I did not investigate proximity sensor APIs available on maemo 5, don't know if it is possible to get distance info, rather than just two possible states close/far. Also, I have no N900 to test this on.
So, I think it IS possible to make that, but I have no plans to do it in near couple of months.

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Last edited by igagis; 2009-10-02 at 10:43.

lcuk | # 33 | 2009-10-02, 10:49 | Report

what an excellent idea!
yes the accelerometer gives information about the accelerations occurring on the device and tells you the orientation of the device at any moment, so it should be possible.


btw, I doubt the proximity sensor would be useful though, its range appears to be extremely limited (detecting faces in close proximity), but if you used the face camera and a quick algorithm I bet you could get the same effect.

overfloat | # 34 | 2009-10-02, 21:28 | Report

Yup latest firmware - could easydebian be interfering with ALSA?

This is my new favorite game - although I still play with my thumbs

igagis | # 35 | 2009-10-02, 23:03 | Report

overfloat
Don't know about easydebian, maybe.

Try playing with fingers, I found it really better than with thumbs. For the first time it is hard but after you get accustomed it becomes easier.

overfloat | # 36 | 2009-10-09, 04:00 | Report

You'll have to forgive my large thumbs and poor timing, but I made a video..... and i'm also not really using it like a theremin... but whatever....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4qd-W9SsGU

my playing gets progressively worse as the video goes on.... its so hard when you know you're being filmed!

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Last edited by overfloat; 2009-10-09 at 04:05.

igagis | # 37 | 2009-10-09, 10:42 | Report

overfloat

Nice video!

By the way, do you know that you can tune it to other pitch ranges using the Arrow keys? Left/Right is by one semitone and up/down - by one octave.

Also, I noticed that you are playing it just like it would be a keyboard. Just to let you know, I plan to add a keyboard mode in the next release of Maemo Theremin.

Also, I once caught you playing using the "listen others" feature of the Theremin, you were playing the same melody as on your video :-).

overfloat | # 38 | 2009-10-09, 12:45 | Report

Haha thanks - yes a keyboard feature might help to mask my inability to hit the center of the notes

eiffel | # 39 | 2009-10-09, 13:49 | Report

A keyboard would be great, to set the starting pitch for each note. After that, it would be nice if you could still wobble your finger left-to-right to get frequency tremolo when you want it.

igagis | # 40 | 2009-11-01, 19:50 | Report

eiffel
I added the "add vibrato for keyboard" feature to the TODO list.

All

New version of Theremin has been released and available in Diablo extras repository, version number is 1.5.0-2.

New features:
- new instrument voices: Violin
- Keyboard mode