Pretty impressed! I found I used the Linnstrument best when doing solo or duo stuff with slides and things, and for those purposes I think the Striso is a serious alternative and perhaps even better in some ways. For chord work it’s preferable for me to use a regular piano-type midi keyboard. I still one day may pick up the big Linnstrument to just keep in the studio. All recommended!
OK, so I took the plunge and ordered a linnstrument!
I was wondering what layout people prefer. As I said before I have no guitar etc. experience, just some piano. I think I am leaning towards the tritone layout as it would make inversions so simple, but I would love to hear what you all think.
There have been many long and polarizing conversations about this on the LinnStrument forum, but I always say the same thing… Whichever layout speaks to you, that is the one you should commit to.
The LinnStrument is a perfectly symmetrical playing surface that presents no real physical, ergonomic challenges. As such, whatever perceived advantages or disadvantages, from one layout to the next, are inconsequential in practical application.
So, all things being equal, whichever one makes sense to you, that’s your pony.
For instance, I’m convinced that a lot of people like the tritone layout, simply because the symmetry of the lights is pleasing to the eye, and that’s okay… Whatever makes you want to play.
Every so often I am reminded that the Linnstrument and Kyma are beautifully integrated, and I consider buying the former. I have an Osmose on pre-order but I wonder if this would suit me more…
I also have an osmose on order… I’m going to try out the linnstrument and if I can’t go back to a midi keyboard I might cancel the osmose (although I love the haken engine sounds though…).
I am afraid that I will find the Osmose’s keyboard a bit limiting. That might seem a funny thing to say, but I am quite used to the Continuum’s long-throw continuous pitch across the surface, something I think would be very difficult to manage with the Osmose’s limited side-to-side key movements. On the other hand, the Continuum’s uniform surface makes it it a bit difficult to play certain thing for which more discrete note-triggering mechanisms might be preferable, hence my interest in the Osmose. The Linnstrument looks to be very much a happy medium, offering discrete note surfaces with the ability to sweep continuously across a couple of octaves. And because I already have the Continuum (two, actually, a Half-size and a Mini), I already have the Eaganmatrix twice over and could easily use the Linnstrument to control one of those and/or Kyma.
I couldn’t say… I’ve never tried any other controllers with my Continuua. As for the polyphony, well, my Half Size is an older model before they expanded the memory, so it’s a bit limited too. However, I’ve never really had any trouble in that regard. A couple of times I had to reduce the polyphony of newer, more DSP-intensive patches, but that has been a very rare occurrence. The Mini only really suffers comparisons when considering the surface - it’s simply not at all in the same league as the proper Continuum models. Still, I like it. It has a great form factor. I bought it for a specific gig, but have been surprised by how often I use it in lieu of its larger sibling.
The mini is a good way to access the sound engibe, though you’ll need to figure a way of getting the linnstrument connected to it - I use a raspi with custom firmware. You’ll also have less DSP than the new continuums/osmose, though the same as the older conti’s had. I haven’t found it to be be much of an issue though may upgrade eventually due to not liking the playing surface of the mini too much…
Edit: i should add polyphony is allocated per patch due to DSP usage. I forget exactly what the max is - I think 8 but could be wrong. I’ve done patches where that’s reduced to 3 or 4 due to complexity, and I think I’m right in saying some of the more far out presets are limited to monophonic.
@Scot_Solida you have the same concerns about the osmose as I do, though my plan at some point would be to possibly upgrade my mini to an osmose once there’s a wider release/mild concerns about hardware are put to bed. I think you’ll like the linnstrument once you adjust to its surface and shorter throw in that y-axis - sounds like it’s the happy medium you want it to be.
8 voice polyphony depending on the preset. Processing power is at least 3x better on bigger Continuums. Mini is duotactic btw.
The issue with the Mini is that its USB mini connector is used for both power and data, hence the need for some kind of MIDI host or a laptop when you want to use it with some other MIDI device.
To connect LS to the mini without a laptop, I use:
for LS: CME WIDI Master, USB B to A cable, USB A wall-plug;
for mini: WIDI uhost, USB mini to USB A cable, USB A to USB C adapter, USB C wall-plug.
An alternative would involve using a MIDI USB host and, if necessary, a USB A data-power splitter cable (and yet another wall-plug) to reliably provide 5V to the mini. However, that would be 3 power slots (LS, mini, midi usb hub) instead of 2.
Then there are people who will prefer a full-fledged MIDI interface or a laptop.
There is also a EaganMatrix Module, but that might end up more expensive unless you are already invested in Eurorack.
I have an Linnstrument for years and never experimented with the layout, but I think I will have a look at Tritone, since I am not really an accomplished player anyway.
The mini is a good complement for LS because of the smooth X axis (no pad elevations) and the deeper Z axis, in particular in the middle of the mini. The Y experience is slightly better on LS because there is no metal in the way. Mini is at best duotactic for X and practically monotactic for Z and Y.
The module is an alternative, though the way I understand it, it is less portable and fits best with eurorack. You get more possibilities to connect via MIDI with the module
I have a Linnstrument (128) which I use regularly with the Hydrasynth and Iridium. I also plan to get an Osmose (waiting for hardware and firmware kinks to get worked out based on comments here and at Gearspace). What I really love about the Linnstrument is that you can put your fingers on several “keys” (pads) and adjust the slant, tilt and pressure of each of your fingers in sync or independently to control x, y and z parameters all at once without actually moving your fingers at all. The Osmose won’t be able to do this. The single biggest reason I want the Osmose is the much, much better control you have with poly-pressure. Getting this right on the Linnstrument is very difficult, as others have pointed out, due to the almost complete absence of depth in the pad (which I think was intentional on Roger Linn’s design) because it allows pitch glides between pads much easier (but I am not a fan of pitch glides in my playing).
Conversely, I use pitch glides a lot, so your comment kinda confirms what I’m already thinking. Expressive-E are going to get weary of me pre-ordering and then changing my mind…
Without rounding / pitch quantisation, pitch-gliding on the Continuum and Linnstrument can be quite challenging.
As a matter of fact, pitch-gliding on the Osmose (or polyphonic pressure portamento) is highly relevant compared to Linnstrument and Continuum. The latter can do chord pitch gliding, while the former works only and very well on single notes within pre-defined intervals. I love this feature on the Osmose, even if I’m forced to plan ahead.
The question is what use case will be relevant for your musically relevant needs. Having both a continuous and discrete interface is of course a luxury but it gives you the choice.
Certainly. And I’m not intending to ditch the Continuum, so I’m really just looking to add that “discrete key” interface and had been planning to get (and have paid the deposit for) an Osmose. However, I’d forgotten about the Linnstrument’s integration with Kyma, and stumbling upon an old video reminded me to consider it. I’ve no doubt Osmose will also integrate nicely with Kyma as well. Just gotta make a decision. I definitely don’t have the space for both the Linnstrument and Osmose.
The raspi was the best solution I could come up with, in that it had enough juice to power the mini and also allows multiple inputs - I’ve a sensel morph and the linnstrument both running midi into it, which are also powered off the pi.
One plug solution - I just needed someone clever like @neilbaldwin to figure out the code… Forever grateful one that one.
Osmose has Pressure Glide which lets you define a pitch interval within which two keypresses are interpreted as a legato line instead of polyphonic playing.
I was reminded about it as I was stumbling through presets and being confused as to why chords were behaving funny on the Osmose, for some presets. It was the presets configured with Pressure Glide.
It does feel different than, say, playing slide guitar with slow glissando. It’ll take some practice to get used to.
I also messed with the Continuum at Discovery World in Milwaukee so I have some idea what you’re talking about too.
Don’t get me wrong, part of the reason Osmose appeals to me is because it is indeed a keyboard with discrete keys and by nature will be less suited to the sorts of things at which the Continuum succeeds, and vice-versa. I may be a really poor keyboard player, but the keyboard is nevertheless “home” to me. At this point, I am still on the pre-order list for June, but am considering the Linnstrument as a “middle ground”. I need to research the Linnstrument a bit more.
