A digital twin for the Theremin's Polyphonic Electronic Harmonium from 1967

In this paper, we present a work-in-progress project focused on creating a functional 3D replica of a unique historical electronic music instrument in virtual reality. The “vacuum tube-based polyphonic electronic harmonium” was constructed in the Laboratory of Acoustics and Sound Recording at the Moscow State Conservatory, presumably in 1967 by the group led by Leon Theremin. Designed for research in melodic and harmonic intonation, the instrument was produced as a single prototype. It was reported to be nonfunctional in the 2000s but was restored in 2024 by a team of researchers from Moscow  Tchaikovsky Conservatory Center for Electroacoustic Music (CEAM). This paper outlines the process of creating a life-size virtual replica of the instrument as part of a broader research initiative aimed at preserving multimodal data from unique historical electronic music instruments. Such data primarily includes measurements, sound engines, electronic schematics, visual textures, and interactive kinematic concepts.

VIDEO DEMO: https://youtu.be/esSGbNwOxYQ