Easy Theremin Uses ESP32
The Theremin is a classic electronic musical instrument known for its distinctive sound, often featured in mid-century science fiction movies. A modern version of the Theremin has been built using an ESP32 microcontroller with minimal supporting circuitry. This build uses the ESP32's capacitive touch circuitry to detect hand proximity and control the pitch and volume of a synthesized waveform.
- ▪The Theremin's pitch and volume are controlled by moving hands closer or farther away from two antennas.
- ▪The ESP32 microcontroller uses its capacitive touch circuitry to detect hand proximity to the antennas.
- ▪The synthesized waveform is played back on external speakers through the onboard digital-to-analog converter.
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| Original publisher | Hackaday |
| Canonical URL | https://hackaday.com/2026/08/02/easy-theremin-uses-esp32/ |
| Publication time | Mon, 03 Aug 2026 02:00:18 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-08-03T02:00:41.451Z |
| Last seen | 2026-08-03T02:00:41.451Z |
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| Commercial reuse | May the content be reused commercially? | Not permitted |
Basis: Derived from the published RSS/Atom feed. Contact: [email protected]. Reviewed: 2026-07-24.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Easy Theremin Uses ESP32 No comments by: Zoe Skyforest August 2, 2026 Title: Copy Short Link: Copy The Theremin is that classic electronic musical instrument that makes those weeee-ohhhhh noises which were so popular in mid-century science fiction movies. Mid-last-century, that is, because this century is just beginning. In any case, you could build one with old-school analog electronics, or you could go a more modern route, as [ericCycles] did. The build relies almost entirely on an ESP32 microcontroller with minimal supporting circuitry. Like any other Theremin, pitch and volume are controlled by moving hands closer or farther away from two antenna.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Hackaday.
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