NAMM: Dave Smith and Roger Linn Create a Tempest

YouTube via DaveSmithInstruments | January 13, 2011

Boomchik arrives in a Tempest (click and scroll to see how it has evolved over time).

"Analog Drum Machine a First for Legendary Designers

January 13, 2011—Dave Smith Instruments today introduced Tempest, a new analog drum machine, at the 2011 NAMM Show. Tempest is a collaboration between Smith and longtime friend and fellow instrument designer Roger Linn. Though they've consulted with each other on past projects, Tempest marks the first time a product will carry both the Dave Smith Instruments and Roger Linn Design logos. 'If you're going to make a drum machine, who better to have in your corner than Roger Linn?' said Smith, referring to Linn's legacy as inventor of the digital drum machine.

Though Smith is also responsible for some fine drum machines—most notably Sequential's DrumTraks and Studio 440—Tempest is his first to utilize analog synthesis to generate the sounds. "We've designed a very flexible new synth voice for Tempest," said Smith. Linn added, "The design of Tempest reflects a rethinking of what a drum machine needs to be in the current era. It's not so much a drum machine as a new musical performance instrument for the creation, manipulation, and arrangement of beat-oriented music, with an intuitive and efficient use of human gestures."

Tempest's 16 velocity- and pressure-sensitive pads are arranged in an 8 x 2 array to facilitate both real-time and step entry of beats. Two pressure- and position-sensitive Note FX slide controllers provide a unique new method of performance and control.

"We're very excited about Tempest," said Smith. "It's an instrument with a lot of personality and it's great fun to play. It has been a long time since there has been anything new in the drum machine world."

Tempest is expected to be available by June 2011 with a projected MAP of $1,999.00.

Summary of Features

CLICK FOR MORE »

An Interview with Roger Linn by Mark Vail

Published on Jan 12, 2016 Redaktion Megasynth

An interview with Roger Linn by Mark Vail.

Playlist:
Roger Linn im Interview Teil 1 who is Roger Linn?
Roger Linn im Interview Teil 2 über David Cockerell
Roger Linn im Interview Teil 3 AdrenaLinn
Roger Linn im Interview Teil 4 DSI Tempest
Roger Linn im Interview Teil 5 LinnStrument

VProm V 2.0 - Linn LM-1 Based Soft Synth by AJLAB aka Aly James Lab

VProm plug-in vs Hardware LM-1 video upload by Aly James

"Direct comparison* between Linn LM-1 direct output and VProm plug-in.
LM-1 recorded straight, VProm direct, no FX, no EQ, no dynamics."

VProm Linn LM-1 VST drum machine overview & tutorial

video upload by Tech Raven

"VProm, by Aly James Lab, VST plugin of the famous Linn LM-1 drum machine. In my opinion, Vprom is the last word on Linn LM-1 plugins, nothing compares, not even close."

via AJLAB

A legend never dies!
The VProm was originally based on THE killer drum machine in town back in the early 80s, this expensive drum computer was also the first to include real drum samples back in the days!

Early sample based drum machines used samples of acoustic drum sounds recorded on the fly through some basic hardware. The way they were recorded without any kind of anti-aliasing makes them cut better in a mix than anything available at the time, they sounded so great that they became an alternative to the analog drum sounds of that era. To this day, the unique sound of this vintage machine is highly regarded because only using samples of the analog output is not enough to reproduce the wide range of sound and character of this beast. One DAC(converter)and clock per voice and yummy filters! Yes it is a historical piece of gear that take a huge place in the 80s sound picture. Only around 500 of these things are out there so don't count on finding a working one easily and forget for cheap. It has been used by major acts like Prince, Phil Collins, Thompson Twins, Stevie Wonder, Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, The Human League, Jean-Michel Jarre, Vangelis, John Carpenter, Todd Rundgren,The Art of Noise... The Machine was made by a musician for musicians and I tried to stick to that standard :) So as there were no accurate VST for that legend out there... I had to make the VProm!

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! IT MAKES THINGS HAPPEN, SUCH AS VProm ON WIN, MAC, x86 AND x64 Platforms!

VPROM accurately reproduces the internal circuitry and filtering of the first legendary Drum Machine but is also perfectly able to read and import original, custom or vintage EPROMs from other Drum Machines of that era, legendary 80s machines such as the Linndrum, DMX, DrumTraks etc.(.bin files that you can find on the net) An EPROM is an integrated circuit that was used to store short audio sample data in a compressed format. VPROM is the closest thing to the real deal - reading and decoding original EPROM data images in real time using the exact decode table from the AM6070 DAC at a variable sample rate. VPROM also allow experimenting with your own sample database. You can convert samples with external tools and load compatible ULaw companded images (see manual for more info).

I hope you enjoy making funky grooves with VPROM as much as I do!

Disclaimer: The original name of this VST, "VLinn", has been changed at the request of the Linn Electronics copyright holder, Roger Linn. It is now named "VPROM". Aly James Lab has no affiliation with Roger Linn and has not received any consent from Roger Linn. We do not claim to reproduce the sounds of Roger Linn s product but rather this product creates sounds inspired by Roger Linn s past products.

Roger Linn: The King of Drum Machines

video upload by Jack Pearson

"This is the story of Roger Linn, a guitarist from Los Angeles whose innovative sample based drum machines changed the sound of music forever.

Special thanks to Roger himself for featuring my video in the September Linnstrument newsletter (https://myemail.constantcontact.com/L...) and on his website (https://www.rogerlinndesign.com).

I first learned about Roger a few years ago while making a film called “The History of Sampling in Music” [below]. While I didn’t know anything about Roger at the time, I was astounded to learn that he had created both the LinnDrum and the MPC, which shaped the punchy robotic drums of 80s pop music and the grungy experimental grooves of 90s hip-hop respectively. I did a quick bit of research about him for my video, but didn’t really dig much deeper than that… However, a few months ago I decided to rewatch my old project, which reignited my interest in Roger’s story and gave me the idea for this video.

Like my previous project, I’d initially planned to write a script and do a voice-over, but after discovering the assortment of recorded interviews that Roger has already appeared in, I realised that I could just chop them up and have Roger tell his own story. I thought 'hey that sounds pretty cool, how hard could it be?'

Well, let’s just say I’m probably never going to do something like this again. I did enjoy making this and I am proud of it, but if I had just done a voice-over not only would it have been easier to make, but I also could’ve included a lot information without it feeling incredibly clunky. The initial cut was about 26 minutes, but I cut out loads of stuff for the sake of pacing and trying to stick to narrative beats. Roger is a fascinating guy with a lot of great anecdotes though, so if you enjoyed this video then I highly recommend you seek out some of the podcasts/interviews he’s done over the years.

I planned on making all the music for this film myself, but decided it would be better to use music that relates to Roger in some way (for example, he co-wrote 'Promises' by Eric Clapton and 'Quittin’ Time' by Mary Chapin Carpenter, and first used the LM-1 Drum Computer on the Leon Russell album 'Life & Love' which featured the track 'One More Love Song'.) I salvaged one of these demo tracks for the credits, but you can listen it and a few more scrapped tracks here:

Jack Pearson · RL:TKODM (Credits Music + Demos)

Since you’ve read this far, here’s a few bonus Roger facts that got cut out of the video:

The LM-1 was featured on the best selling album of all time - 'Thriller' by Micheal Jackson, as well as other early 80s hits like 'Maneater' by Hall & Oates, 'Valerie' by Steve Winwood, and for some reason - the original 1983 Thomas the Tank Engine theme song.

Roger hired his friend, a professional session drummer called Art Wood, to record most of the sounds on the LM-1. They set up the kit in Roger’s closet, recording each of the drums one at a time… then called it a day. Given the popularity of the songs featuring these recordings - Art Wood is technically one of most prominently featured drummers of all time.

And here's two bonus facts about this video:

The title 'The King of Drum Machines' is a quote from the father of MIDI - Dave Smith, when he spoke about Roger and the Tempest drum machine (which they built together) on a Sweetwater panel in 2015. [below]

This video was released on Roger’s 70th birthday.

I hope you enjoy it!" The History of Sampling in Music (2022)

video upload by Jack Pearson

The Inventors of Synth (Roger Linn, Dave Smith & Tom Oberheim) - Sweetwater Gearfest 2015

video upload by Sweetwater

"Join Mitch Gallagher as he moderates 'The Inventors of Synth' panel discussion at Gearfest '15. Featuring industry icons Dave Smith, Tom Oberheim, and Roger Linn discussing their thoughts on the past, present, and future of analog synthesizers and controllers.

Legendary synth designer and Grammy-winner Dave Smith was the founder of Sequential Circuits in the mid-'70s. His Prophet-5, the world's first fully programmable polyphonic synth, was the first musical instrument with an embedded microprocessor. Dave is also known as the driving force behind the development of the MIDI specification. He has continued to innovate, and recently unveiled his latest synth creation, the Sequential Prophet-6.

A pioneer of the synth and MIDI world, Tom Oberheim co-designed the Synthesizer Expansion Module (SEM), a device that allowed musicians to simultaneously combine live playing and sequenced playback - a concept that pre-dated the MIDI revolution. In 1981, he, along with Roland's Ikutaro Kakehashi and Sequential's Dave Smith, developed the MIDI spec, which changed the course of modern music. Tom recently re-released his famed Two Voice synth.

Technical Grammy award-winner Roger Linn invented the LM-1 Drum Computer (the first sample-based drum machine) in 1979. He later designed the Akai MPC60, which combined a sampling drum machine with a real-time MIDI sequencer. His guitar effects unit, AdrenaLinn, has been used on hit recordings by John Mayer and Red Hot Chili Peppers. In 2014 he released the LinnStrument, an expressive MIDI performance controller."

SWEETWATER - GEARFEST 2015 - The Inventors of Synth (Roger Linn, Dave Smith & Tom Oberheim)

Published on Jun 16, 2015 THE MUSICIAN NETWORK (TMNtv)

"At Sweetwater's GearFest 2015, we were extremely lucky to have attended & filmed a one-of-a-kind seminar & panel discussion with three (3) HUGE contributors (i.e. 'The Inventors') of = The Synthesizer: Mr. Roger Linn, Mr. Dave Smith and Mr. Tom Oberheim. If you are an Electronic Musician and a synth-lover, then you NEED to watch this video, in its' entirety. Great Thanks to Sweetwater for putting this seminar & panel on during GearFest! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)"

Update:

Tom Oberheim Interviewed by Sweetwater Sound

Published on Jun 29, 2015 SweetwaterSound

"Mitch Gallagher sits down with synthesizer legend Tom Oberheim for a special interview at Sweetwater's GearFest 2015. A pioneer of the synth and MIDI world, Tom Oberheim co-designed the Synthesizer Expansion Module (SEM), a device that allowed musicians to simultaneously combine live playing and sequenced playback - a concept that pre-dated the MIDI revolution. In 1981, he, along with Roland's Ikutaro Kakehashi and Sequential's Dave Smith, developed the MIDI spec, which changed the course of modern music. Tom recently re-released his famed Two Voice synth."

Dave Smith Interviewed by Sweetwater

Published on Jun 22, 2015 SweetwaterSound

"Mitch Gallagher sits down with synth pioneer Dave Smith here at Sweetwater Sound. Dave was visiting Sweetwater for GearFest '15, featuring a special panel discussion between Dave Smith, Roger Linn, and Tom Oberheim.

Legendary synth designer and Grammy-winner Dave Smith was the founder of Sequential Circuits in the mid-'70s. His Prophet-5, the world's first fully programmable polyphonic synth, was the first musical instrument with an embedded microprocessor. Dave is also known as the driving force behind the development of the MIDI specification. He has continued to innovate, and recently unveiled his latest synth creation, the Sequential Prophet-6."

The first soft synth ever, Seer Systems Reality, gets a mention.

Roger Linn Interviewed by Sweetwater

Published on Jul 10, 2015 SweetwaterSound

"At GearFest '15, synthesizer pioneer Roger Linn sat down with Mitch Gallagher to talk music and electronic instruments. Technical Grammy award-winner Roger Linn invented the LM-1 Drum Computer (the first sample-based drum machine) in 1979. He later designed the Akai MPC60, which combined a sampling drum machine with a real-time MIDI sequencer. His guitar effects unit, AdrenaLinn, has been used on hit recordings by John Mayer and Red Hot Chili Peppers. In 2014 he released the LinnStrument, an expressive MIDI performance controller.

The Sweetwater Minute, Vol. 298"

Meet the Luma-1 - Joe Britt's Enhanced LM-1 Drum Machine In Collaboration with Roger Linn

Joe Britt LM1+ demo video upload by Roger Linn

This one is in via Soviet Space Child.

Above is a prototype Luma-1 in an LM-1 case. Below you'll see some pics of the upcoming Luma1 branded case along with some details.

According to @luma1_drum_machine:

"Welcome! We are two US based engineers who are building and selling a few Luma1 Drum Machines with Roger Linn and Joe Britt’s consent."

"While the Luma1 hardware design is in the final stage for preparation before manufacturing, there is much work happening on the software side. Luma1 is running the original LM1 code on the Z80 CPU while the secondary ARM processor delivers new features. Those include custom sound loading, MIDI, synchronization and now added OLED support. More work needs to be done to expand it and bring brand the new functionality, but we’re really happy with the progress."

Click the pics for larger shots. You can find a full write-up on Roger Linn's website here, and additional demos and pics on Instagram here.

Roger Linn: "I've recently met a new friend named Joe Britt, founder and CEO of a tech company here in Silicon Valley called Afero, and designer of some significant tech products over the years.

Lucky for me, Joe also has a personal interest in my old drum machines. A few years ago, a friend of his gave him (!) one of my old LM1 drum machines. He enjoyed playing with it, but he wished it had a few extra features like loading alternate sounds from files, and pitch and pan knobs on the front panel.

So he decided to make his own enhanced LM1. He searched the web and found some incomplete old schematics, filled in the gaps by reverse-engineering the boards, then redesigned and replaced all of the circuit boards to include his enhancements. Note in the photo above that his redesigned boards are about half the size of the original boards, and are purple! Prince would have loved that."

LinnDrum II on Roger Linn Design

The LinnDrum II is now up on Roger Linn Design. via MG.

"In January 2007, Dave Smith and I (Roger Linn) pre-annouced BoomChik, a new drum machine product that we are creating together. Since that time, we received many enthusiastic comments and suggestions from musicians around the world that caused us to rethink and enhance the product's design. The bad news is that this design change (along with Dave's release of Prophet '08 and my release of AdrenaLinn III) has delayed our development. The good news is that the product has grown into a far more capable instrument. Also, we've decided to change the name to LinnDrum II, recalling an innovative drum machine from a bygone era. Please read on for more details.

There will be two models: the all-digital “LinnDrum II”, available from Roger Linn Design and the “LinnDrum II Analog”, which adds four voice analog synth voices and 27 dual-function voicing knobs, available from Dave Smith Instruments. We're currently estimating street prices of around $1000 for LinnDrum II and around $1500 for LinnDrum II Analog. Here's a brief summary of the product features:

Features common to both products:
* Operating system is optimized for realtime live performance, with the ability to switch between beats, drop in and out of record on different beats, switch in and out of song mode and much more, all without stopping play.
* Digital voices have nearly the same signal and modulation path--including modulated filters and resonators--as shown on the LinnDrum 2 Analog panel. Total number of voices is not yet determined.
* 16 standard 1.1 inch square velocity and pressure-sensitive drum pads, assignable to sounds, tunings, beats, track mutes, pad mutes or sequence steps.
* Both MPC-style real time and 808-style step recording are provided, and the 16 pads are backlit for visual animation.
* Real-time stereo digital effects on output mix--modulated multi-mode filtering, guitar amp model and bit/sample rate reduction distortion, modulated resonator, compressor, deley, reverb and EQ--with 6 dedicated on/off keys to switch them individually in or out in real time.
* Compact flash slot for data save/load/backup, or for expansion of internal sound storage.
* Internal RAM and flash size is yet to be decided; at least 16 mbytes for each.
* 128 x 64 dot graphic LCD.
* USB port for transferring samples and other files, MIDI messages and audio I/O to and from computer.
* 4 pushbutton soft knobs below the LCD, acting either as soft knobs or soft keys.
* 52 lit buttons for extensive real-time performance control.
* 2 sliders assignable to a large variety of real-time functions.
* HELP key gives descriptive text for any screen, data field, function key or knob.
* Pressing DETAILS key followed by any panel key presents a screen of settings related to the key pressed.
* 2 pairs of stereo outputs, with phones output fed from either pair.
* Stereo inputs for sampling, audio processing or triggering sounds.
* MIDI in and out.
* 2 inputs for either foot switches or expression pedals, assignable to a wide variety of functions.

Additional features on Dave's LinnDrum II Analog:
* Four complex analog voices based on the same Curtis-chip synth voices used in the highly-aclaimed Prophet '08 and Evolver keyboards.
* Four direct ouputs for the four analog voices.
* 27 dedicated dual-function rotary encoders for voicing the analog and digital voices.

There's still a lot of work to do so late 2008 is our best estimate of when the products will be ready. If you'd like to be updated on the progress and informed when we're ready to ship, or if you have any comments or suggestions, please send us an email. And to all those whose comments and suggestions helped refine our design (special thanks to Noaka for help on the visual design), please accept our sincere thanks.

Thanks,

Roger Linn"

Roger Linn on Bob Moog - Electronic Voyager TESTIMONIAL #1

Roger Linn on Bob Moog - Electronic Voyager TESTIMONIAL #1 from Electronic Voyager on Vimeo.

"We are down to the FINAL 6 days of our Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for our Bob Moog history. Roger Linn appreciates the importance of telling Bob Moog's crucial chapter in electronic music history, and offered to share his feelings about Bob for the Electronic Voyager cause.

Electronic Voyager: Retracing Bob Moog’s Sonic Journey…

Support us on Kickstarter April 25 to May 25, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/ElectronicVoyagerKickstarter

Roger Linn is a legendary electronic music instrument designer, best known for his groundbreaking LinnDrum and Akai MPC sampling drum machines, both of which revolutionized the music industry. Bob Moog directly inspired Roger’s career path into electronic instrument design, and the two became colleagues and friends.

Roger not only enthusiastically agreed to be interviewed about Bob for Electronic Voyager, he also offered to film this testimonial about his professional and personal admiration for Bob Moog. Thank you Roger!"

Linn LM-1 LinnDrum Computer SN 00035 Built In Roger Linn's Home

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this Reverb listing

"RARE piece of Linn Drum LM-1 history. This machine has been updated by the one and only Bruce Forat from Forat Electronics. Bruce is THE repairman for these machines and he has this one cleaned up oh so nice.

Debuting in 1980, these first LM-1 were $5,000 then! During my research, I found that Roger Linn created the first 35 of the machines in a room in his house.This gem is #00035 meaning this was the last one built by Roger before mass production!

This comes with a custom made dust cover and I'm guessing an original manual in a cool shade of Chevy Chase pool blue 80s folder! It will be shipped in a SKB 24x24 case built like a tank.

I've held onto this machine for 25 years and had Bruce tweak it along the way. Now it's time for me to purchase a vehicle so I hope someone else can love it as much as I have. I had Bruce to add the exact signature Prince clap sound as heard on the Purple Rain album. I can also give the winner Bruce's contact information as he is a tremendous resource."

Additional resources: Linn LM-1 page on Culture Wikia

Roger Linn on Sessiondays

CLICK FOR MORE »

Roger Linn + Carl Craig - Dubspot Workshop Recap

Roger Linn + Carl Craig - Dubspot Workshop Recap @ Decibel: 'Evolution of Drum Machines'

Published on Nov 16, 2012 by DubSpot

"More info: http://bit.ly/TIfQZj
During Dubspot's recent trip to Seattle's Decibel Festival, our video team caught up with Roger Linn, the godfather of the modern drum machine, Carl Craig, one of Detroit's most talented producers, for a lecture/discussion about the history and evolution of the rhythm machines that have shaped our musical world.

One of the most inspiring elements of Seattle's annual Decibel Festival is the conversations that transpire between some of the world's most talented musical thinkers. Decibel acts as a catalyst for these moments, with lectures and demonstrations taking place throughout the festival. We were especially excited to catch a workshop where drum machine creator and pioneer Roger Linn joined Detroit techno innovator Carl Craig for a talk on the evolution of drum machines and the future of electronic rhythm.

In this video, Linn explains that our assumption of drum machines appearing in the early 80s is incorrect, and he takes us on a tour of early electronic rhythm devices such as Leon Thermin's Rhythmicon (1930), the Chamberlin Rhythmate (1957), Raymond Scott's Bandito the Bongo Artist (1963), Seeburg's Select-A-Rhythm (1964), the PAiA Programmable Drum Set (1975) and the CompuRhythm CR-78 (1978). Craig probes with questions regarding interface design for musicians vs. engineers, discusses the development of drum interfaces, and talks about how the Akai MPC changed his production and composition techniques."

Roger Linn Events Featuring Eigenharp, Haken & SLABS

This in via Eigenharp:

"I'm writing to let you know about four events We will be attending in the San Francisco area from May 5th through 9th, Hosted by Roger Linn of Linn drum fame. We will be presenting the Eigenharps along with other revolutionary electronic instruments:

1) The Eigenharp, demonstrated by Geert Bevin, Senior Software Developer from UK-based Eigenlabs.


2) The Continuum from Haken Audio, demonstrated by bay area pianist Ed Goldfarb.


3) SLABS, a new instrument designed by David Wessel, director of Cal Berkeley's CNMAT computer music department.


4) The LinnStrument prototype by Roger Linn [see this video presentation of Roger Linn and this post announcing the Linnstrument back on May 15 of 2010.]

One thing that makes these instruments so uniquely expressive is their ability to sense the precise movements of each finger in 3-dimensional space (for example, pressure for note expression, left/right for pitch, and forward/backward for timbre), and to do that for all fingers simultaneously. But each instrument also presents many other innovative ideas and improvements over the limitations of traditional mechanical-age instruments.

Here are the events:
Thursday, May 5 from 7 to 9 p.m.
Stanford University's Center for Computer Research in Music and Audio (CCRMA)
660 Lomita Dr. Stanford, CA 94305
Directions: https://ccrma.stanford.edu/about/directions
At this event, the Eigenharp, Continuum and LinnStrument will be demonstrated and discussed.

Friday, May 6 from 7 to 9 p.m.
University of California Berkeley's Center For New Music and Audio Technologies (CNMAT)
1750 Arch Street, Berkeley, CA 94709
http://cnmat.berkeley.edu/
At this event, the Eigenharp. SLABS and LinnStrument will be demonstrated and discussed.

Saturday, May 7 from 2 to 4 p.m.
Guitar Center San Francisco, Pro Audio Department
1645 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94109
At this event, the Eigenharp and LinnStrument will be demonstrated and discussed.

Monday, May 9 from 4:45 to 5:45 p.m.
SF Music Tech Conference
Hotel Kabuki, 1625 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
At this event, the Eigenharp, Continuum and LinnStrument will be demonstrated and discussed.
Note: Conference entry fee is required--see www.sfmusictech.com

Please join us to see, learn about--and even try out for yourself--these radical new instruments that are changing the way music is made. Please note that these instruments are not otherwise available in the bay area to see or try out."

"Over the Rainbow" on LinnStrument with Theremin sound

video upload by Roger Linn

"'Over the Rainbow', performed by Roger Linn on LinnStrument, using the 'Theremin' sound from the 'LinnStrument MPE' library in Surge XT."

Update:

The LinnStrumentalists Volume 3

video upload by Roger Linn

A third compilation of videos submitted by the more than 4000 LinnStrument players around the world.

Here's more information about each of the segments:

0:00
Name: Ernesto Domingo
From: Inglewood, CA, USA
“Sleep Walk”
Source video:

• Sleep Walk - Ern...
Sound: Jazz Guitar from Kontakt Factory Library

00:36
Player: Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater
From: New York, USA
Title: Over the Rainbow
Source video:

CLICK FOR MORE »

Roger Linn Interviewed by Sweetwater

Published on Jul 10, 2015 SweetwaterSound

"At GearFest '15, synthesizer pioneer Roger Linn sat down with Mitch Gallagher to talk music and electronic instruments. Technical Grammy award-winner Roger Linn invented the LM-1 Drum Computer (the first sample-based drum machine) in 1979. He later designed the Akai MPC60, which combined a sampling drum machine with a real-time MIDI sequencer. His guitar effects unit, AdrenaLinn, has been used on hit recordings by John Mayer and Red Hot Chili Peppers. In 2014 he released the LinnStrument, an expressive MIDI performance controller.

The Sweetwater Minute, Vol. 298"

See SWEETWATER - GEARFEST 2015 - The Inventors of Synth (Roger Linn, Dave Smith & Tom Oberheim) for the panel and follow-up interviews.

LinnStrument Theremin, played by Roger Linn

video upload by Roger Linn

"LinnStrument, theremin, Roger Linn, Roger Linn Design, MPE, MPE controller, expressive controller"

LinnStrument - Air on a G String

YouTube Uploaded by rogerlinndesign on Jun 13, 2011
Not that kind of G string.
"Roger Linn performs 'Air on a G String' by J.S. Bach on his prototype of the LinnStrument, a new musical instrument with 3D Note Expression, coming from Roger Linn Design."

LinnStrument - Gloomy Sunday

Uploaded by rogerlinndesign on Jun 13, 2011

"'Gloomy Sunday' by Rezső Seress, performed by Roger Linn on his "LinnStrument" prototype, a new musical instrument with 3D Note Expression, coming from Roger Linn Design."

Akai CUT Roger Linn?! The Wild MPC60 Story + Prodigy Sampling Breakdown

video upload by Nostalgic Explorer

"The Akai MPC60 by Roger Linn is the machine that reshaped hip-hop, electronic, trip-hop, and rave culture. Today, I'm diving into why this legendary sampler still inspires producers, and then I jump into a hands-on sampling session inspired by The Prodigy — 'Smack My B%tch Up' from The Fat of the Land era.

I’ll explore its story — from design breakthroughs and 12-bit grit, to the Akai drama that cut Roger Linn out of his own creation — and then I’ll show you how to sample, trim, assign pads, sequence, and jam directly on the MPC60.

What you’ll learn:
• Why the MPC60 became a classic
• How early electronic pioneers used it
• Sampling on the MPC60 step-by-step (The Basics)
• Assigning pads, bars & sequencing
• Playing & jamming the samples on the MPC

I’ll show you a simple way to start sampling and building beats on the MPC60 using The Prodigy’s iconic track as inspiration, no plugins, no DAW, just the machine."

00:00 — Intro: Why the Akai MPC60 changed music forever
00:35 — MPC60 history: specs, limitations & the Roger Linn drama
02:33 — Why producers still love the MPC60 (Dilla, Shadow, Prodigy & more)
03:28 — Sampling The Prodigy “Smack My B%tch Up” on the MPC60
05:56 — How to sample a song on the MPC60 (step-by-step)
06:15 — How to assign a sequence on the MPC60
06:41 — How to set the number of bars on the MPC60
07:00 — How to record a new sample on the MPC60
07:20 — How to set sample length (seconds) on the MPC60
07:56 — How to check recording levels (REC METER) on MPC60
08:44 — How to name and save a sample on the MPC60
09:26 — How to edit and trim a sample on the MPC60
10:19 — How to assign a sample to pads on the MPC60
10:47 — Poly vs Mono: stop samples from overlapping on the MPC60
12:28 — Playing and testing samples on the MPC60
13:10 — MPC60 live jam: “Smack My B%tch Up” Prodigy-style
15:03 — Outro & final thoughts of the MPC60

Roger Linn Previews New LinnStrument Prototype

Roger Linn Previews New LinnStrument Prototype from Turnstyle Video on Vimeo.

"Unless you're a musician AND a tech head, the name Roger Linn won't ring a bell. But you have heard of prolific artist Prince and J Dilla. Well Linn is the man behind the machines (LinnDrum,& Akai MPC) that made these legends popular and changed the way music is created.

Mr. Linn has a new toy -- the LinnStrument. It looks like an iPad with a grid of pressure sensitive note buttons to capture expression, pitch and timbre of each note individually and all at once. The product is not yet ready for mass consumption but take a sneak peek at the LinnStument prototype in action."

Don't miss Dave Smith in the background.

Akai Roger Linn MPC3000 Drum Machine - Excellent condition

The Best MPC3000 video ever? Don't miss the ending.
YouTube via levelfour | May 11, 2010 | 1:56 -

"A little rock and roll story: Once upon a time, we all worked for Leon Russell in a faraway magic place called Leon Land.... Ok, so everybody didn't work for Leon, but a lot of people I know did. Leon's personal engineer right before me was a young guitar player from California named Roger Linn. Roger liked Leon's idea of a user-programable drum machine so much, he left Leon to design his first product called the LINN DRUM. I took Roger's place as Leon's engineer when he left. The 1st recordings we made were with a "machine" put together from several pieces Roger brought over in a cardboard box. It wasn't long though before the LINN DRUM was ready, and as they say... the rest is history. Roger evolved the product until the MPC3000 - arguably the best of the bunch - marketed by Akai.

I made a little demo so you can hear the factory sounds.

Here's the link for the ebay auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?..."
Sold For: US $730.00

Voices For Bob: Drum machine & synth pioneer Roger Linn recalls meeting Bob Moog

video upload by moogfoundation

"Roger Linn is an innovative engineer, designer, and musician best known for creating the LinnDrum, one of the first drum machines to use digital samples of real drums. His groundbreaking instruments helped define the sound of 1980s pop, hip-hop, and R&B, and he later co-developed the Akai MPC series, a cornerstone of modern beat-making. Linn continues to push boundaries with expressive instruments like the LinnStrument.

In this video, Roger shares a story about meeting Bob Moog at NAMM.

Roger Linn Design: https://www.rogerlinndesign.com

Synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog passed away on August 21, 2005. Throughout the month of August, we will share an informal remembrance video series, Voices for Bob, featuring musicians, technologists, innovators, and colleagues as they remember and reflect on Bob's indelible legacy.

Help us carry Bob's legacy forward to inspire future generations through the intersection of science, music, history, and innovation. Support our work by doing one (or all) of the following:

🌐 Visit the Bob Moog Foundation: https://www.moogfoundation.org"

Roger Linn, Creator of the Original Namesake LinnDrum on Behringer's New LmDrum

The following is Roger Linn's statement on Behringer's LmDrum, written Jan 4, 2025, saved here for the MATRIXSYNTH archives:

In December 2024, Behringer released their "LmDrum", which is described on their site as:

"If you are looking for a drum machine that can recreate the classic sound of the 80’s, look no further than the Behringer LM DRUM. This amazing drum machine features an authentic 8/12-bit sampling sound engine that captures the essence of a hundred legendary 80’s drum sounds including those designed by Roger Linn such as the LM1*, LM2*, LM9000* and more. You can even record and store your own samples using the integrated line input."

Uli Behringer kindly sent me an LmDrum in August of 2024, giving me a chance to try it out. What do I think? I think it's a bit of a head-scratcher. It is clearly intended to evoke my 1982 "LinnDrum" drum machine, borrowing its visual style, control layout, colors and logo style, as well as copying its sounds and those of my LM-1 and Linn9000 drum machines. I took it apart and it even copies much of my LinnDrum sound generation circuit, even my bad ideas like the inability to tune any drums except the snare, toms and congas.

However, it uses an entirely different operating system and user interface, one that is based on earlier Behinger drum machines. Personally, I found it somewhat confusing and difficult to use, though I was given an unfinished manual. I'd imagine they will improve both the software and manual over time. I suspect the designers found it difficult to find a balance between 1) the impression of a LinnDrum clone, and 2) the addition of modern features, given that the 1982 LinnDrum's feature set is woefully inadequate by today's standards.

It's worth noting that Uli never asked my permission to either copy my visual design or my drum sounds. Though in 2020, he did kindly invite me to collaborate on a future drum machine, and I respectfully declined because of concern about Behringer's past business ethics and legal practices.

How do I feel about the LmDrum? My feelings are mixed. On the one hand, it's not unusual for companies to borrow ideas from older products in order to inspire a new and innovative design, which I've done in past. Plus, my old drum sounds are all over the web, controlling copying is difficult, and I don't enjoy legal stuff so I've generally ignored the issue so far. Also, the value in those old sounds is probably due more to Art Wood (the drummer who played the sounds, and my friend of many years), and to artists like Prince, Michael Jackson, and others, who made those sounds famous on their hits. Finally, I must admit that I've never cared much about the past, because I find the future far more exciting.

On the other hand, even if we discount the copying of the visual design, logo style and sound circuit of LinnDrum, the LmDrum copies my sounds. So I'd have preferred for Uli to ask my permission. Even if he thinks it is legal, I question whether it is ethical.

I find it interesting that the LmDrum is being sold in the U.S. for only $399. Having taken it apart and seeing how complex the copied old circuitry was to reproduce, I doubt Behringer is making any money from it. I suspect that they originally intended to sell it for much more, then discovered that while many people may say they want a LinnDrum clone, few are willing to pay more than a low price for it.

On a related topic, GForce Software has recently released their "IconDrum" software drum sound generator. Like the LmDrum, it copies the LinnDrum's visual design, logo style, and drum sounds, but has no sequencing. Unlike Behringer, GForce did say they wouldn't release the product if I objected, but they seemed like good people so I turned a blind eye. They also offered to pay me an insignificant royalty for my association with the product and perhaps to use "LinnDrum" name, but I declined because of the low compensation and because I thought it was misleading to call a product "LinnDrum" that wasn't a drum machine but rather only played my copied drum sounds.

One last comment. What's the big deal about nostalgia? I can understand that some people value analog synthesis, though I find the many types of innovative software synthesis created in recent decades to be far more capable, versatile and interesting. But even if people value vintage analog synths, why vintage digital drum machines? I ask this because an old bit is no different than a new bit. Our collective love of nostalgia brings to mind an old Douglas Adams quote from Salmon of Doubt:

"I've come up with a set of rules that describe our reactions to technologies:
1. Anything that is in the world when you’re born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works.
2. Anything that's invented between when you’re fifteen and thirty-five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it.
3. Anything invented after you're thirty-five is against the natural order of things."

As a guitarist, I recall having endless discussions in my youth about "good distortion". :)

- Roger Linn