Intermit.

Certain temples, crimson societies, lambed surgery from subconscious as it began.

Verves from Olympuses, at once, through the values of constraint gold-embedded codex.

Concrete, vibrate, pulsion, an intermit, as it began.
Deep paths, germinal stradivariuses, mausoleum(s) of energy.

Delia Derbyshire

About Ziwzih Ziwzih OO-OO-OO (1966) (1:44)

“written as theme for an episode of Out of the Unknow based around an Isaac Asimov story in which automata rebel against humans and worship God in an energy converter”

 -- Ian Burdon

 “based around a resplicing of Science and Health, is her most  terrifying moment, tumbling into a nightmare, the sound of  childhood at its most chilling.”

 -- Robin Carmody, 11th July / 16th October 2000

 “Most of the programs that I did were either in the far distant  future, the far distant past or in the mind. I think this was the  climax of a science fiction play called The Prophet. It ended  up with all these robots and they sang a song of praise to this  bloke, presumably the prophet, and this was the song they  sang. It is difficult to pronounce because it's made from  backwards chanting and I think if you play it forwards it  would say something like “Praise to the master, his wisdom and his reason” and I just chose the best bits and ’Ziwzih Ziwzih’, ’his wiz, his wiz’: it's that backwards. And I must say that the Oo-oo-oo is electronic! I think it was at the same time as one of the Beatles' songs, Please please me, and so that was like, I think, er, Drew said he thought it sounded medieval. Well that was because it was like a new religion and they’d go back to square one and the perfect fifth as the greeks did. And so my oo-oo-oo’s were done on the Wobbulator.” 

-- Delia in the Radio Scotland interview

“I did the music for the whole programme. It was probably in the mid '60s. [...] I never watched the stuff. I had a script, that’s all. The actors, I got them to chant. The words they were singing were, “Praise to the master, his wisdom and his [reason]” [...] I turned it backwards first, then chose the best bits that sounded good backwards and would fit into a rhythm, and then speed-changed the voices. Then I used just this one bar repeated which had [previously] been rejected from a science and health program for being too lascivious for the schoolchildren. It was like a science program... it was supposed to be about sex, but under another name. And then the producer had the nerve to turn down my music, saying it was too lascivious. It was just twangy things with electronic pick-ups, and I just used a single note and then did little glissandos on it and pitched it and treated it. But the ’Ooh-ooh-ooh’ isn’t me... that’s wobbulator, pure wobbulator. That’s a piece of test equipment that does wave sweeps.”

-- Delia, in the Surface interview, December 1999

 

“the voices are reversed but actually say ’Praise to the Master/His Wisdom and His Reason/Praise to the Master/Forever and OO-OO-OO-OO/His Wis.../His Wis.../OO-OO-OO-OO/’.”

-- Peter Marsh, BBC 

An image of the Radio Times lists the TV programme as Out of the Unknown: The Prophet, from Reason by Isaac Asimov for BBC-2 on Sunday 1st January at 10.05 but the year is missing. An analysis ofthe BBC Programme Catalogue for the series suggests that was a 1 Jan 1967 retransmission of the 29 Dec 1966 episode.

Released on 10" vinyl Music from The BBC Radiophonic Workshop by Rephlex as CAT147LP (2003)

Released on vinyl BBC Radiophonic Music by BBC Records as REC25M (1971 and 19 May 2003) and on CD as REC25MCD (26 November 2002)

source: http://delia-derbyshire.net/

Clara Rockmore

Audiological anamnesis - Epistolary drama

 In general, I can tell you that a lot has already been  accomplished:

1) The melody, with its just intonation, performed on the  Termenvox (this is how the Theremin is called here) may  be accompanied by the 2- or 3-voice chords in natural (i.e.  pure, not tempered) tuning. Depending on the modal scale  degree of the melody, these chords alternate by way of  specific, more consonant constructions that I have  developed. There are 8 different combinations that produce  the highest consonance with the melodic voice. I designate  them by triads a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, and they practically  overlap all combinations used by classical composers and  in church choirs and folk singing. There are two ways of  controlling how it works: one is the spatial control by the  left hand by means of moving it left and right, independent  of the height of its position which regulates the volume.

Second method is the automatic switch over of the chords in accordance with the scale degree of the melody. Depending upon the character of the melody (major, minor, or other types), the left hand, by moving right and left, turns on the appropriate registers, in the course of a relatively long period of time, for instance, when major transforms into minor, and so on.

These devices allow for a good performance on my instrument, surpassing in clarity and in nuances the usual choir or, for instance, quartet sonority.

2) coordination between the timbre of the instrument and the modal position of the melodic pitch that is being performed. For instance, on the scale degrees that require an accompaniment of a minor third, the harmonics are [removed ?], corresponding to the 5th overtone that has a sound of the major third but two octaves higher.

3) a verbal sonority of the melody that allows romances and songs with words to be performed. Switching on the verbal sonority is accomplished through a weak whisper of a voice, without singing, but in accordance with the rhythm being performed.

Big kisses to you, and I wish you happiness, health and joy.

16 September 1972

source: http://www.nadiareisenberg-clararockmore.org/clara_ihow.htm




Lucien Bigelow Rosen

Glyphs of enchanting

 Intonation on the Theremin

 _________________

 To the Music Editor:

In reading some of the criticisms of the theremin I have been struck by the repetition of “false intonation,” which every artist dreads to  hear. 

For the true ear is generally blamed for the error of the hand, and in the case of the theremin the instrument itself too often is  blamed, though it is possible to play wrong notes on any other  instrument, and to sing them too, as any one will agree who goes often  to concerts.

I really cannot believe that any one willing to appear in public at all is  not fully conscious and deeply distressed when he has not produced the  note intended, either from nervousness or other emotion, or speed  where the hand did not sufficiently obey the ear.

It is therefore correct to say the hand was not expert, or adequately  controlled, but it is important to respect the ear and the instrument, unless the artist has been sufficiently known to play false more often than true.

After trying to give the artist the benefit of the doubt, I would like to call attention to the fact that we hardly ever hear willingly what is scientifically known as a “pure” sound. 

The vibrations of a voice or a string are agreeable, because they vibrate -that is, their position is not stable- but the tone rocks from side to side, and the straight tone, or many of them. would be unendurable. 

The artist, therefore, whether singing or playing a violin or a theremin, has to control the vibrato so that it does not rock to an audible impurity, but keeps approximately true. For all notes are only approximately true, as we play them, no matter what human being you name.

Now the theremin is peculiarly true in the sense that it reflects accurately the whole nervous and emotional system behind the hands that play on it, more sensitive to the musician’s hands than any other instrument, and for this reason capable of a profounder variation in tone color.


LUCIE BIGELOW ROSEN.


New York, Nov. 20. 1934.

source: http://www.charliedraper.co.uk/articles/lucie-rosen-new-york

Circuit Description

Power Supply

Transformer T7 converts the AC mains voltage to high voltage for paralleled dual rectifier tubes V13 and V14. A 5V winding provides 6 amperes of filament current for V13 and V14, and a 6.3V winding provides 4.2 amperes of heater current for audio power amplifier tubes V7 through V12. DC high-voltage filtering is provided by capacitors C29 and 30, and inductor L3. They are followed by two 90V in-series voltage regulator tubes, VR1 and VR2. R19 serves as a current limiting ballast for the regulators. The regulated 90V is used for the theremin's three oscillators, and the regulated 180V for the volume circuit. T8 provides a total of 10.75A of heater current for the volume section tubes (V1, V2, V3) and pitch-section tubes (V4, V5, V6). There is no indication of a safety fuse in the source document.

Amplifier

Pentode tubes V7 and V8 are drivers for push-pull beam power tubes V9 through V12. Potentiometers RV1 and RV2 provide amplitude trim for adjusting waveform symmetry. The potentiometer adjustments also influence V7 and V8's DC bias. R17 sets the output tube class-A DC bias. Tone control is provided with an eleven-position rotary switch in the podium cabinet, of which five are used to connect various capacitors directly across output transformer T6's primary. No values for these capacitors are provided in the original schematic, however, physical examination of the instrument revealed some of them, as may be seen in this photograph. The capacitors shown in the photo are not original, and were replaced during a repair by Robert Moog. Here is an image of the amplifier assembly, probably capable of delivering at least 100W of peak power for performances in large rooms such as the concert hall at Caramoor.

Pitch Section

Triode tube V6 and associated components form a resonant Armstrong oscillator that provides a pitch reference frequency. Air-core transformer T4 provides plate-to-grid feedback coupling, and capacitors C14 and C15 provide frequency adjustment. Variable capacitor C15, presumably located on the operating panel, allows the player to adjust zero-beat when the pitch hand at the furthest distance. Resistor R8 provides DC grid bias for V6, and capacitor C13 provides AC bypass.

Triode tube V4 and associated components form a second Armstrong oscillator that provides a variable frequency dependent on pitch hand position. Air-core transformer T3 provides plate-to-grid feedback coupling. Capacitor C11 provides frequency selection. Resistor R5 provides DC grid bias for V4, and capacitor C10 provides AC bypass. Coil L2 has a large inductance, permitting a reactance that is easily affected by small hand-capacitance variations, effecting a greater change on oscillator frequency that would otherwise be obtained if the pitch antenna were directly connected to V4's plate. In addition, the composite response of the two tuned circuits (T3-C11 and L2-Chand) somewhat improve the linearity of hand distance and pitch. Blocking capacitor C9, not a significant part of the tuned circuit, ensures there is no high-voltage DC potential present on the antenna.

Tetrode tube V5 provides the heterodyning function that mixes the waveforms from the two pitch oscillators. Resistor R6, in series with the screen grid, and R7 in series with the control grid, are surmised to provide a degree of tone control by both altering the degree of mutual coupling (through V5) of the two pitch oscillators, and by changing the DC operating point of V5, thereby affecting the heterodyne waveshape. +180 V is provided to V3's plate via T2's primary.

T2's secondary drives triode V3's grid. V3 provides amplification of the tone and drives the power amplifier input via T5's primary. The amplitude of V3's plate waveform is controlled by the amplitude of a DC voltage provided by the V1, V2 volume control section.

T2, prominently branded with the United Transformer Corporation's “UTC” logo, appears to be one of the premium “Linear Standard” highly-shielded types introduced in the 1940s. It may be an early replacement; archive notes mention that a transformer in one of the two Rosen theremins had been replaced, although the notes are not clear as to which theremin it was.

Volume Section

Triode tube V2 and associated components form a third Armstrong oscillator that provides a variable frequency dependent on volume hand position. Air-core transformer T1 provides plate-to-grid feedback coupling between its center and right winding. Capacitors C5 and C7, and variable capacitor C4 provide frequency adjustment. Resistor R3 provides DC grid bias for V2, and capacitor C6 provides AC bypass.

T1's third (left) winding couples the oscillator’s output into a resonant circuit comprised of coil L1 and capacitor C2. L1 and C2 provide a hand capacitance-dependent waveform amplitude corresponding to the volume hand’s position. L1 has a large inductance, permitting a reactance that is easily affected by small hand-capacitance variations, effecting a greater change on waveform amplitude than would otherwise be obtained if the volume antenna were directly connected to V1's grids. This waveform is applied between the cathodes and grids of dual triode tube V1, which modulates its conductance. (Both sections of V1 are paralleled, so it essentially acts as a single triode.) As V1's conductance varies, so does its cathode voltage, which feeds the plate supply of V3 through its plate load, which is T5's primary. This design is somewhat an innovation compared to Theremin's previous volume circuit designs (e.g., the RCA and Rockmore theremins), since the volume oscillator frequency is not modulated with hand capacitance. Instead, the resonance of the following stage is varied. (Note that some variation in the volume oscillator frequency will likely still occur with hand distance, due to the mutual coupling between T1's windings.)

Battery B1 is inserted in V1's cathode-to-grid circuit to offset the operating range of the tube, presumably allowing its complete cut-off when the volume hand is closest to the antenna. A battery tap at -4.5V is presumed to further ensure volume cut-off, perhaps by offsetting the operating range of V3. Beyond these general assumptions, however, the exact function of the battery is difficult to define without making direct measurements. Sometime in the 1990s, Robert Moog replaced the battery with a line-operated power supply that was evident in the physical theremin.

Discrepancies

Some of the instrument’s physical attributes do not match the schematic details.

A paper inside the theremin refers to “variable condensers [capacitors] inside cabinet.” However, the only variable capacitors in the schematic are the ones that have exterior knobs; C4 for volume and C15 for pitch. There is a short shaft adjacent to the shaft extension that goes from the chassis to the front panel’s pitch knob. This may be the shaft for one of the variable condensers noted on the paper, perhaps for pitch calibration. The location of a second calibration capacitor shaft was not apparent in any of the images.

The physical instrument has a lamp on the top-left of the enclosure that is presumed to be part of a pitch-indicating circuit. This circuit, according to Rosen's notes, uses two vacuum tubes, a type 57 and type 58, not in the schematic.

Rosen’s notes refer to a capacitor between V5 pin 2 and V3 pin 3 that is adjusted in value for residual tone (tone that is present with the volume hand closest to the antenna, allowing the player to have a pitch cue). In modern theremin parlance, this is often called “pitch preview,” while the historic notes refer to this feature as “audio leakage” and “hum.” Such a capacitor is not in the archive schematic.

There is no schematic indication of an AC pilot light, which is present in the physical instrument.

source: http://www.theremin.us/Rosen%20Theremin/rosen.html{fullWidth}