This QWERTY Theremin Is a Handful

It seems that there are no bounds to what the Commodore 64 is capable of. After an initial production run of nearly 12 years, followed by 31 more years since the model’s discontinuation, you might think this little machine would have run out of tricks long ago. But that is not the case. The Commodore 64 is still quite comfortable in the modern world running predictive models with TensorFlow and even getting in on the generative AI boom with an image generator.

And it is not just traditional computational tasks that the machine continues to impress us with. For years now, Swedish retro computing enthusiast and musician Linus Åkesson has been showing off the computer’s musical potential. Sure, we all know the SID chip that produces the Commodore 64’s legendary sound effects and chiptunes is epic, but Åkesson has taken it to an entirely new level with his 8-bit instrument creations.

Previously, Åkesson made a theremin from a Commodore, some 555 chips, a few resistors, and a spoon. While this unusual instrument sounded fantastic, it was very difficult to play. It can take months of practice before one can even play a simple tune. Where’s the fun in that? This is the age of instant streaming, swipe-right romance, and same-day delivery — we need instant gratification!

So to make things easier, Åkesson built what he calls the Qweremin. The name may not exactly roll off the tongue, but it does make sense — it is short for QWERTY theremin, which signifies that the keyboard is involved in playing this instrument. The keyboard allows the musician to easily play quick melodies with one hand, while the other can be used to give the ultimate control over volume and expression that theremins are famous for.

The Qweremin keyboard is played by the right hand, and it controls pitch in an accordion-like manner. This is then modulated by the actions of the left hand. As it moves vertically relative to the antennas, the volume level changes. When moved horizontally, the left hand introduces changes in the amount of vibrato that is present.

There was one major problem with this design, however. As amazing as the SID chip is, it is only capable of producing 16 distinct volume levels. That would be way too choppy for a proper theremin. The chip’s built-in envelope generator might solve this problem, but that would force the introduction of an Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release curve. So the volume control had to be entirely bypassed with an external volume control built with DAC chips.

You won’t want to miss Åkesson playing "Ave Maria" on the Qweremin, so be sure to check out the video above. And if you want to hear more 8-bit instrument tunes, take a look at Åkesson’s NES-powered creation as well.