"The great effort at consultation with players that builders go through is an empty exercise in theremin fellowship and camaraderie - it's terrific fun but it is empty and has borne no fruit." - coalport
I really do look at Theremin videos with an eye toward how the player is playing, and avidly listen to their words regarding playing and technique, and read their comments here. Not consultation exactly, but I've learned a lot and will hopefully learn more through active interaction with players. I do feel that I sing and play guitar well enough to give myself a fair amount of general "musician" input to what I'm trying to do technically. Musical instrument designers that don't have at least one instrument more or less under their belt tend to have a blind side - I think that's the real issue here. Instrument design, particularly the electronic variety, requires an unusual blend of deep skills to do well - consultation / collaboration will only get you so far.
"I think all the talk about theremin building and the "new topology" and revolutionary "mostly digital" designs etc., is GREAT and a lot of people really love it, but it has been going on for years and has produced nothing of value that I am aware of other than pleasure for those who participate in it."
Entirely accurate and fair assessment, as no one has really put their money where their mouth is yet. Who knows if / when that might happen. Nonetheless, I feel the field has been moved forward a bit, something the Theremin desperately needs IMO.
I will say that I've learned tremendously from FredM, he's chock full of incredible ideas and the Theremin field is quite lucky to have him.
