Stylophone Theremin

The Stylophone Theremin is a portable, battery-powered theremin synth from Dubreq, the British company behind the original Stylophone, made for curious beginners, synth fans, performers and anyone who has wanted to make spooky sci-fi sounds by waving a hand in the air. It combines a pitch antenna with a slider, so you can play wild glides and accurate notes on the same instrument.

How the Stylophone Theremin works

A classic theremin has two antennas: one controls pitch and the other controls volume. The Stylophone Theremin keeps only the pitch antenna. Move your hand towards the telescopic antenna and the pitch rises. Move it away and the pitch falls. Without a volume antenna it’s much easier to start with, because you only manage one hand position.

To make notes start and stop, the theremin has a trigger button with a decay control, so you can play short, plucked notes instead of one continuous tone. Flip the drone switch and the sound plays continuously for classic theremin swoops.

Antenna and slider: two ways to play

Free-air playing is fun but hard to keep in tune. That’s why the Stylophone Theremin adds a horizontal pitch slider. Run your finger along it for more controlled melodies, or use it alongside the antenna. Each control has its own pitch centring dial, a mix slider blends the two, and an octave switch moves you between a low and high range.

This combination is what makes it more than a novelty. You can play a bassline on the slider and add theremin swoops with your other hand.

Sound shaping and built-in delay

• Waveform: choose a smooth sine wave for the classic theremin voice, or a square wave for a buzzier, more synth-like tone.
• Vibrato: adds the wavering quality theremins are known for.
• Modulation: two modulation settings for more unusual, warbling sounds.
• Delay: level, time and feedback knobs. Turn the feedback up for long, echoing trails that spill into each other.

There’s no filter, so tone shaping comes from the waveform, modulation and delay. If you want to sculpt sound in more depth, have a look at our synthesizers.

Speaker, outputs and mounting

A built-in speaker means you can play anywhere, straight out of the box. For quiet practice, plug into the 3.5 mm headphone output and use your own headphones. The 1/4″ output connects to an amp, mixer or audio interface for gigs and recording, and you can run headphones and the main output at the same time.

The Stylophone Theremin can be mounted on a microphone stand, which puts the antenna at a comfortable height for standing performance. If you need one, see our stands. It runs on AA batteries, which aren’t included.

Who is the Stylophone Theremin for?

• Beginners curious about theremins who want an easier, cheaper first step than a full two-antenna instrument.
• Synth and effects fans looking for a hands-on sound source for sci-fi textures, drones and sound design.
• Performers who want a visual party trick on stage that also sounds good through a guitar amp or PA.
• Gift buyers after something fun for a music lover who already has the usual gear.

It isn’t a replacement for a professional concert theremin. There’s no volume antenna, so you can’t shape the dynamics of each note with your second hand the way classical thereminists do.

Stylophone Theremin vs a classic theremin

• Antennas: a classic theremin has pitch and volume antennas. The Stylophone Theremin has a pitch antenna only.
• Playing aids: the Stylophone adds a pitch slider, trigger button, drone switch and octave switch, which classic designs don’t have.
• Effects: vibrato, modulation and delay are built in.
• Portability: battery power and a built-in speaker mean no amp is needed to start playing.

Compared with the original Stylophone pocket synth, which you play by touching a stylus to a metal keyboard, the Theremin version is played mostly without touching anything, and has a much wider range of sounds and effects.

Tips for getting started

• Start on the slider with the drone switch off, and use the trigger button to play short notes until you know the range.
• Pull the antenna fully out and keep your body still. Moving closer or further away shifts the pitch too.
• Set the pitch centring dial so the note you want sits where your hand naturally rests.
• Add delay last. A little feedback makes simple melodies sound much bigger.
• Use the sine wave for traditional theremin melodies, and the square wave for basslines and sound effects.

Key features

• Telescopic pitch antenna
• Pitch slider with mix control
• Separate pitch centring dials for antenna and slider
• Low and high octave switch
• Sine or square waveform
• Vibrato and two modulation settings
• Trigger button with decay control
• Drone mode
• Delay with level, time and feedback
• Built-in speaker
• 3.5 mm headphone output and 1/4″ audio output
• Mic stand mountable
• AA battery powered

Frequently asked questions

Is the Stylophone Theremin hard to play?

It’s easier than a classic theremin, because it has only a pitch antenna and adds a slider and trigger button. Most people make interesting sounds within minutes. Playing precise melodies with the antenna alone takes practice.

Is the Stylophone Theremin the same as the Stylophone Pitch Theremin?

Yes. Some stores and articles use the name Pitch Theremin for the same instrument, because it has a pitch antenna and no volume antenna.

Does it have a volume antenna?

No. Volume is set with the volume control, and notes can be shaped with the trigger button and decay control.

Can I plug it into an amp or record it?

Yes. Use the 1/4″ output to connect to an amp, mixer or audio interface. The headphone output can be used at the same time.

Does it need a power supply?

It runs on AA batteries, which aren’t included.

Can I mount it on a stand?

Yes. It’s designed to attach to a microphone stand for standing performance.