On Sat, 16 Nov 2002 14:09:51 -0500 Maurice Rickard wrote:
At 1:54 PM -0500 11/16/02, Zachary Steiner wrote:
A friend and I are looking to build a Theremin as a project. We've scoured the internet for schematics and have found some good ones. We are left with a question whether to use vacuum tubes or transistors.
Not sure about the sound differences for theremins, but I'd say that tube amps generally sound better to my ear. As a tube afficionado, however, I'd suggest that if it's your first project or one of the first, go with the transistors--there's easily enough current flying around in tube circuitry to kill a person, and transistors operate at much lower power. Still, it all can be done safely with precautions (bleeding capacitors, never reaching in with both hands, making sure you're not a good path to ground, etc).
But the argument for vacuum tubes mainly applies to power amps, not low level signals, right (because as far as I know I am not aware of 16-bit D/A converters made out of vacuum tubes, and every CD player has two such beasts)? Since the point of the Theremin is the production of a low level signal whose frequency is dependent on the position of its environment, I don't see a point in using a vacuum tube oscillator (except for fetichist reason, it goes without saying). Patrice.