Turn an iPhone Into a Pocket Theremin 31
Earyauteur writes "The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) is running a story on an interesting motion-controlled iPhone application which uses the iPhone's 3-axis accelerometer to control a digital synthesizer. The musical instrument is played much like a theremin with the added ability to perform music using different musical scales. TUAW also links to a YouTube video which shows a performer demonstrating the iPhone instrument."
Theremin comparisons aside.... (Score:2, Interesting)
The way this app is designed, it seems, you have the ability to "perform music using different musical scales." Therefore, this "instrument" has a much lower barrier of entry than a theremin, because it requires much less exactness to play in a way that -sounds good-.
Of course, it's also possible that the person in the video is just the best Cosmovox player that will ever live and has been practicing for months, but I suppose the world may never know.
Re:Fun, but not a theremin (Score:4, Interesting)
The distance to the vertical antenna determines the pitch, whereas the distance to the horizontal circular antenna controls the volume.
That may be true of the "real" Theremin. Jean-Michel Jarre plays one in "Water For Life" among other video performances, and was shown on the late 50's Mickey Mouse Show. However, some have two vertical antennae, and some have plates flush with the top. There's (typically) pitch and volume antennae, and the configuration is irrelevant.
That said, another difference between a theremin and the iPhone widget is the fact that the former maintains a continuosly varying pitch, whereas the latter is programmed to chunk off the notes into a preselected scale.
Another similarity is that neither have a mechanical feedback mechanism, requiring that it be played by ear as much as by hand. Playing by ear requires some tonal ability. A lot of people don't have that innately and if they can learn it, it takes a long time. Probably longer than the desire to learn to play their phone.
At least theremin manipulation is roughly linear as opposed to rotational, so visual feedback can more easily be associated with the aural.