Messing around with this virtual theremin is completely addicting

If you've ever wanted to try messing around with a theremin, there's a virtual one you can try out online or on your phone, aptly called Theremin.

Theremins are strange early electronic instruments that typically look like a box with a metal rod sticking up out of it and another bent rod sticking out the side. You don't touch theremins; instead, theremin players wave their hands around both rods, which sense the relative position of their hands. One rod controls the volume and the other rod controls the pitch.

Here's a popular example of someone playing a theremin:

The virtual theremin doesn't mimic the structure of a physical theremin, instead translating the two rods into a rectangular sound board. As you click or tap from left to right on the X axis, the pitch increases. The Y axis doesn't exactly scale the volume like expected -- as you move up the Y axis, the strength of the sound increases. If you have a touch screen, Theremin supports multitouch.

There are settings at the bottom of Theremin too, which control the amount of delay, feedback and "scuzz" (distortion). There are also different settings in the top right that change the overall sound.

Via Giphy

Once you start getting a hang of the virtual theremin, you can purchase the app for Chrome or iOS, which allows you to record the sounds you create and save them. 

The web version is free to use, but doesn't allow you to record. The app is available for $3.99 on iOS and $5.99 on Chrome.

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