Hands in the air for the Stylophone Theremin, a cute and affordable version of the gesture-controlled classic

Dubreq, the brand behind the Stylophone, has announced the release of the Stylophone Theremin, its own version of the theremin, an early synthesizer controlled using the performer's hand movements in mid-air via electronic position sensors.

Dubreq says that the Stylophone Theremin "redefines the iconic instrument for the 21st century" through the addition of several useful features and capabilities.

The original theremin was equipped with two antennas which controlled pitch and volume, but the Stylophone's version only offers one antenna, which can be used to control the pitch of its oscillator via the hand's position in the air. This makes the Stylophone Theremin easier to play than the original, which was quite a tricky instrument to master.

Stylophone Theremin is equipped with two oscillators (we're not told whether these are analogue or digital) that can produce both sine and square waves. One oscillator is controlled via the antenna and the other via a pitch slider, which makes a handy alternative if you don't want to make use of the antenna.

Notes can be triggered via the button on the bottom-left of the unit and their length adjusted through the decay knob, or the Stylophone Theremin can be set to play a constant drone.

The instrument is equipped with a modulation control, vibrato and a delay effect, with controls for level, delay time and feedback. Stylophone Theremin is battery-powered and features a built-in speaker, in addition to headphone and line outputs.

Available for pre-order now, Stylophone Theremin is priced at $110/£90.

Find out more on Dubreq's website.