LinnStrument is a revolutionary 200-pad MIDI controller that captures three dimensions of each finger's movement for subtle and precise control of note volume, pitch and timbre, polyphonically.
Perform natural vibrato, bends, wind/bow expression and more, just like on acoustic instruments.
The grid of 200 note pads is arranged as 8 rows of 25 semitones each, like a guitar or any stringed instrument, permitting note-to-note pitch slides not possible in a piano-key layout.
200 six-color LEDs indicate scale notes in any of 6 colors.
Reviewed By sirrmt [all]
July 9th, 2022
Version reviewed: 1.0 on Any OS
Big thumbs up.
Out of the box the Linnstrument with its various modes/layouts is very satisfying to play, and you will start developing your own technique quickly. Some virtual instruments/presets work well without any quantization, others will definitely benefit from it. I am treating this as a versatile instrument, where nuance can be expressed in various ways.
The Linnstrument also works great under Linux and Pipewire/Jack, along with the Reaper in my case. Vital and Surge XT are two great free synths with which to get started.
I also think there is a _lot_ of untapped potential with this controller, especially when you consider the well documented User Firmware Mode, which makes (as far as I can tell) all of the expected sensor data and the firmware's smarter-calculations available via normal MIDI.
I can imagine (and might even write) a program to support custom layouts with multiple Virtual MIDI port outputs, allowing a single Linnstrument to more easily control several instruments at once with custom routing and layouts that could be quickly switched between.
As always with MPE, it is a little frustrating to find good synths and presets, and it's even harder to find any pre-configured for the Linnstrument (specifically it's short MPE Slide, aka CC 74, aka the vertical motion within a single square). As a result, most MPE presets will require a little bit of tweaking. I look forward to a growing collection of Linnstrument-specific presets in the future.
Hardware-wise, it looks and feels great. The FAQ covers the most common hardware issues and how to fix them painlessly yourself. After watching Roger's disassembly video, I'm confident that I could self-repair most issues I'm likely to encounter in the coming years.
-- Rob T.
Read ReviewReviewed By arcane [all]
May 16th, 2017
Version reviewed: V2.10 on Any OS
I've had my Linnstrument for about a week.
I've really enjoyed getting into it and learning to customize some settings, etc.
Here's my quick, initial response:
Great design, craftsmanship and overall layout. Roger's customer service is unprecedented.
I found it's been a great instrument to help push me into new directions, especially because I can't just rely on habits and chops.
The more challenging side is trying to learn and perform music I have already learned. Not so much because of the places my hands want to go by default, but primarily because the Linnstrument doesn't have physical references like a traditional music keyboard, and because the pads are quite small.
I've noticed that so far, I've never seen a video where the performer is just playing without looking at the instrument. On other instruments, I can quite easily play with my eyes closed. This controller requires more attention.
I'm not saying that as a negative, just an observation...
Will Chapman.
Read ReviewHi all, .
I purchased a LinnStrument 128 from RogerLinnOnlineStore. My goal was to make some cover versions of Indian Classical Music with SWAM Violin. Unfortunately, It's not working well for me.
So now I'm planning to sell the same at a cheaper price. Currently, I'm based in Dublin, Ireland so I can ship it all across Europe. The price is 900 Euro.
If interested let me know in comments or in my personal email.
Thanks and Regards, .
Austine.
austinejose1516@gmail.com.
Please log in to join the discussion
Submit: News, Plugins, Hosts & Apps | Advertise @ KVR | Developer Account | About KVR / Contact Us | Privacy Statement
© KVR Audio, Inc. 2000-2024