Abstract
Despite the fact that digital technology has become an inevitable tool in music production and distribution during the course of the past few decades, live performers of digital musical instruments (DMIs) remain enigmatic to a majority of music audiences. A combination of instrument design issues, limits to the human cognitive system, and cultural constraints may all be contributing factors to these circumstances. This thesis presents a theoretical overview of some challenges in the development of DMIs, weighed against an empirical study based on qualitative research interviews with six DMI performers. Additionally, instrument types are categorized according to the order of separation between action and sound when performing with the instrument (incorporated, direct, mechanical, analog electronic and digital), and a hypothesis regarding the influence of instrument types on the music cognition of performers is tested.