Buying Guide 2021 and Beyond

"Yeah, "it's on our radar" is rather vague, though it sounded like "most likely yes just unsure when" to me, subjectively." - Gibarian

Yes, your reading of it seems the most likely.

"If I recall correctly, 2000 was quoted as the total number of units produced, but my memory is fuzzy."

I hadn't seen that (or any) number, thanks!  You should work for Moog! *

*Did I hear correctly that the Cvox lead designer doesn't work at Moog anymore?

SO - THE MOOG ETHERWAVE IS BACK ON THE LIST!

Got an email today and what do I see listed under "hot new gear"?
https://www.long-mcquade.com/278846/Keyboards/Synthesizers---Drum-Machines/Moog/Etherwave-Theremin.htm

From the Moog site:
https://www.moogmusic.com/products/etherwave-theremin
• 5-octave range
• "Balanced spacing between notes" (am assuming they don't mean it's quantized to just 12 pitches)
• Improved bass response
• CV outputs - Pitch, Volume and Gate
• Mute button (with footswitch jack) for previewing vis headphones
• Waveform and brightness controls

Their news page also lists "Online Workshops for registered owners" with Dorit Chrysler:
https://www.moogmusic.com/news/meet-new-etherwave-theremin

Hmmm... think it's time to decide on a model!

By all indications it's a slightly updated and somewhat repackaged Etherwave Plus.

• 5-octave range
• "Balanced spacing between notes" (am assuming they don't mean it's quantized to just 12 pitches)

They're talking about typical analog Theremin w/ series inductor linearity here.

• Improved bass response

They're probably telling us it has something like the ESPE01 oscillator decoupling built-in (a mistake IMO).

• Waveform and brightness controls

Same as on the Etherwave Plus. 

The old Etherwave was in serious need of an update.  The PWB was this huge honkering crappy phenolic thing, the plumbing antennas old school and fragile, the coils just hanging out in space, tuning access extremely problematic, etc.

Thanks. As you say, looks like the Plus with some additions - the Mute capability, for instance. Repositioning the Audio and CV Outs to the back makes sense.
Question though: why do you say that having the decoupling built-in would be a mistake? It seemed like adding the extended range via a modification was a good thing on this page:
http://www.thereminworld.com/Forums/T/23642/espe01-bass-module-for-etherwave-standard-and-plus-theremins?Page=4
Do you just mean the option of not having it on/off?

Decoupling changes the tone, mostly but not only in the bass register. Whether thats good or not is somewhat subjective;  people who like it say it makes the tone "smoother", people who don't like it say it makes the tone "less rich". 

Hobbs theremin has a control to adjust the coupling; personally I leave it off.

"Question though: why do you say that having the decoupling built-in would be a mistake? It seemed like adding the extended range via a modification was a good thing on this page"  - George Langley

In the ear of the beholder I suppose, but there are few static harmonic configurations that don't sound weird when glissed over several octaves, which was a surprise to me.  The removal of coupling helps to linearize the far-field, but it also removes one of the few timbre changing elements on analog Theremins.  There are folks who have regretted installing the ESPE01 (and I somewhat regret designing the functionally equivalent YAEWSBM module) so if Moog is making it non-defeatable in the updated EW (unknown at this point) then purchasers may or may not be happy with that decision.  I believe there are ways to have your cake and eat it too with frequency controlled coupling, but haven't experimented with it personally, and I guess I'd be a little shocked if that's what was in the updated Etherwave.

For what I've heard in YT videos so far the new Etherwave's timbres appear to more resemble the stock old Etherwave sound then one with an ESPE01 module installed. Perhaps they have merely put a small capacitor over the mixer/detector diode? We'll have to wait and see I guess. Something I'm also wondering about is the sound through the headphones output has been improved.