ThereminVR

Description

For the third project I would like to make a theremin in Virtual Reality. The two biggest issues that making an instrument can solve are cost and audio output. A real theremin usually costs about 300+, but if a person has a VR headset, they can easily download this application and play around with this facsimile of a theremin in VR. As a musician myself, I know how difficult it is to find a space in which you feel comfortable practicing your instrument. You don't want others to hear for fear of bothering them, or worse, them hearing your mistakes. By creating a theremin in VR, a user can play wherever their VR setup is located, and they can use whatever audio output they desire.

An additional reason that I've chosen to create a theremin in VR is because it doesn't require the same sense of touch needed with any other instrument. You are not physically touching anything when playing a theremin, so the illusion of VR is never asked to be broken.

Software

• Unity
• VRTK - For cross-platform VR development
• Wolfram SoundNote - for ease of programming sound.
• Wolfram UnityLink - to utilize SoundNote within Unity.

Hardware

• HTC Vive
• Possibly the Oculus Quest
  • Stretch Goal
  • My preference would be to make it for the Oculus Quest and then allow for other platforms, but I had issues getting the Oculus Quest to work consistently with VRTK at an internship this past Summer. I don't want to fruitlessly spend hours on a platform that is inconsistent.

What Can Users Do?

• Main Project:
  • Play a theremin!
  • Use a metronome!
  • Check to see overall tuning!
  • Learn to play some music with the theremin!
• Stretch Goals:
  • Change theremin timbre!
  • Place sheet music in app!
  • Record yourself!

Plan

• I will likely try to model the theremin from the Moog Etherwave, but change the interaction method of the various knobs.
  • Etherwave Manual
• The base project will contain:
  • A theremin model.
  • One specific theremin timbre.
  • A knob to change the overall volume.
  • A knob to change the pitch tuning.
  • An instrument tuner to show if you're in tune.
  • A metronome.
  • A few pages of sheet music to choose from.
• Add-ons after the base project:
  • Various knobs to adjust timbre:
    • Reverb
    • Brightness
    • Filters
    • Other sound synthesis.
  • Sheet Music importer.
    • Be able to take in a pdf of sheet music and place it on a stand right behind the theremin.
  • The ability to record what you play.