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10, 11. OCTAvE NEAR AND OCTAvE FAR SELECT
The Altura has a range of eight octaves (1 – 8), covering MIDI note numbers 12 (C0) through 119
(B8). (The original theremin had a range of about 5-1/2 octaves.) You do not have access to the lowest
subsonic tones, or the few highest squealing notes. The OCTAvE NEAR knob sets which octave is active
when your hand is near the right sensor. The OCTAvE FAR knob sets which octave is active when your
hand is far from the right sensor, at the limits of its range. When both OCTAvE knobs are set to the
same number, the Altura covers that one octave range. The nearest and farthest notes will both be the
root note as selected with the KEY knob; in between will be the notes specific to the mode selected by
the SCALE knob. Thus for one octave of a pentatonic scale, six notes will be accessible; for a harmonic
scale, eight; and for the chromatic scale, thirteen.
The more octaves you assign to the right sensor, the smaller is the air space for each note. If you are
trying to play a specific melody, two octaves is probably your practical limit. If you are jamming along
with the band, just set the key and scale and as many octaves as you like, and get grooving. You can
adjust octaves on the fly as you play.
If the OCTAvE FAR value is higher than OCTAvE NEAR, then naturally the scale will ascend as you
move your hand farther from the sensor, and vice versa. If you set the two octaves to be equal, then the
Altura covers a single octave, and its direction will match the previous selection: if it was two octaves
ascending, then now it is one octave ascending. If it was two octaves descending, then now it is one
octave descending. To demonstrate this to yourself, follow these steps and listen carefully:
a. Set the Altura to C Major. The display shows "
b. Set OCTAvE NEAR to 5 and OCTAvE FAR to 6. The display shows "
note C5 near to the right sensor, and C7 far from the sensor: two full octaves ascending, with
the root note at both ends.
c. Set OCTAvE FAR to 5; the display shows "
C6 far away: one full octave, ascending.
d. Set OCTAvE FAR to 4. The display shows "
far away: two octaves descending.
e. Finally, return OCTAvE FAR to 5. The display shows "
C6, the far note is C5 – one octave descending . Remember a moment ago it was ascending?
Whenever you set the Altura to cover one octave, that one octave will ascend if the previous
range was ascending, and descend if the previous range was descending.
".
C 1
". Now you will hear C5 near the sensor and
5 5
". Now you hear C6 near the sensor and C4
5 4
" again, but lo! The near note is
5 5
21
". You will hear the
5 6
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