The theremin is one of the oldest electric instruments around, and its distinctive sound is instantly recognisable. However, real ones are hard to find, and even harder to play. Sam Inglis tries to work out a way of cheating.
Though sound synthesis has a relatively short history, its progress has been rapid, with the result that the basic concepts of synthesis are now becoming lost in the mists of time — yet to effectively programme current synths, it really helps to know them.