SONIC WAVE
This page is on I.W. Turner's fascinating theremin, SONIC WAVE. I will add more information as time goes. For now, I've taken my unit and created a schematic below. For those unaware, this was the same theremin used by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin.
For information on the components, please see the video and/or PDF below!
I.W. Turner's SONIC WAVE Schematic:
If you have any questions about the schematic, presentation, unit, etc., please don't hesitate to contact me! You can either reach me through the Youtube channel or email me at: gaijean <DOT> guitars <AT> gmail <DOT> com , where <DOT> = . <AT> = @
UPDATE (5/12/2024): I wired up a Sonic Wave clone using the previously uploaded schematic and found that it didn't work right off the bat. Puzzled, I triple checked all my connections and was quite baffled. Deviating from the original schematic, I discovered that I could get the clone to work with a different configuration for the IFT coil pins. Investigating the issue, I discovered that the pin 2 on both IFT coils for the original SONIC WAVE had no continuity to pins 1 and 3 (from here , it appears like it may be a BM Connection). For the time being, I've updated the schematic which I have verified works (see clone video) using modern yellow-core IFT coils.
sonic_wave_iw_turner.pdfUPDATE (5/13/2024): Using the schematic above, I built my first preliminary clone of the SONIC WAVE. In this clone, I replaced the Delco DS-26 transistors with Hitachi 2SB155 transistors. As mentioned in the parts overview, I found that the GE-2 transistor is quite similar to the Delco DS-26, and through a rabbit hole of searching for alternatives, found that AC128 is also similar. If you search for AC128 replacements, you'll find several alternatives. Given that I'm based in Japan, I landed on the Hitachi 2SB155. For the diode, I use a 1N60 germanium diode, and for the trimmer capacitor, I use one in the range of 6-20pF. Cost-wise, I think this build was around $25~30. If anyone would like to build their own and would like any help, please let me know and I'll gladly make a video to demonstrate the building process!