Linnstrument - Thoughts after 2 Years

Not quite a review, but some unscripted thoughts on the Linnstrument after using it for two years, some pros and cons, both general and specific to how I use it.
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• Video
Time stamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:54 The Theremin & The Ondes Martenot
03:29 Bob Moog & Don Buchla
04:18 Expression or Timbre?
06:18 Synths vs Orchestral Music
08:40 Where is the Expression?
09:00 The Linndrum
09:34 MIDI controllers
11:14 Bringing Expression Back
12:39 The Linnstrument
16:46 From Strings to Linnstrument
17:30 Main Pros & Cons
20:45 Wishlist: Separate Pressure Control
21:42 Velocity Control Limitations
22:28 MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression)
26:28 Cons Summary/Price
27:28 User Interface
28:54 USB and DIN MIDI
29:32 The Keytar of the 2020's?
30:08 Single-Handed Playing
31:44 Chords Pros & Cons
32:55 Is it Right for You?
33:52 Synth Setup Limitations & Possibilities
35:05 My Personal Conclusion
37:35 Final Words
#Linnstrument #RogerLinn #Review

[@ChrrZ]

great video and wonderful idea with the dedicated pressure button!

[@hakonsoreide]

Thanks. Yes, I did figure out how to do a separate pressure button with a keyboard split and some MIDI translation.

[@SkySim]

Great video, glad I found it. Thanks.

[@hakonsoreide]

Thanks. I am glad to hear you found it useful.

[@Musicwithoutthought]

Nice and comprehensive video! Thank you for posting. Regarding velocity, note that velocity sensitivity is adjustable on LinnStrument (low, medium, and high). Also, many piano-based instruments where velocity sensitivity is important for expression have adjustable velocity curves to further fine tune responsiveness. Regarding MPE, many plugins are now MPE compatible including a very capable free synth plugin (Surge). Roli’s Equator 2 and FXpansion Cypher 2 have a large number of highly expressive MPE patches. Finally, with respect to the price, I think the build quality is exceptional and more than comparable to high quality MIDI controllers in the same price range.

[@hakonsoreide]

Thanks. I am glad to hear you enjoyed it. While velocity is adjustable (as is pressure), I think I'm just so used to controlling things like piano sounds with a regular keyboard, and it's harder for me to adjust to this way of doing it. I've also tried MIDI controllers with pressure-sensitive trigger pads in the past and never got along with them, so it might just be me. I know lots of people love using those. I suppose my fingers are better at gauging pressure than pure tapping force, and when hitting a key that has a larger distance it needs to be pushed, the tactile feedback you get and can respond to even before the key hits the bottom and triggers is a kind of pressure force. Also, it must be said I have used the Linnstrument mostly for sounds that are triggered by pressure and not by velocity, which means I've not really given myself a chance to get properly used to it. Using any instrument is a matter of practice and practice and more practice to get the best out of it, and the more expressive the instrument, the more practice you need. No matter how many plugins one can list as MPE capable, it will never really be "many" compared to the number of non-MPE ones, although - as you mention - there certainly are some absolutely excellent ones that are also specifically made for expressive controllers such as the Linnstrument and the Seaboards. I still frequently find myself using even MPE-enabled plugins, such as Madrona Aalto, in regular mode and multi-instance them for additional parameter control. As I mention in the video, it is rather easy to get around it, and I am not really bothered whether a plugin is MPE or not. It's definitely not bad value for money, or compared to other feature rich controllers, but still a considerable investment in music tech for many. And as you say build quality is amazing. I particularly like how the silicone pad feels just right (which I forgot to mention in my video). Roger Linn tried every conceivable silicone material he could get his hands on until he found the one that had just the right friction and feel. There is a lot of passion, love and dedication that went into creating this instrument, and it shows.

[@Musicwithoutthought]

@@hakonsoreide Thanks. I agree that it takes practice and is a different playing experience for velocity control. The two plugins I use most frequently are non-MPE from Audio Modeling.

[@ChrrZ]

25:40 fantastic description of how MPE works, i always wondered and finally understood, thank you!!!

[@hakonsoreide]

Thanks. Nice to hear whenever someone learns something from one of my videos.

[@danjtomlinson]

Great Video Mr Wizard💙

[@hakonsoreide]

Thanks. I am glad to hear you enjoyed it enough to leave a nice comment. Also, I think trhat's the first time someone's called me that.

[@jammystraub488]

This was very useful, thank you!

[@hakonsoreide]

Thanks, Jammy, for watching and commenting. I am glad to hear you enjoyed it and even found it useful.

[@seanv1497]

Awesome video!!! Thanks so much for sharing this. To your point on the pressure control, if you haven't pinged Roger yet, I def would, I'm sure he would be happy to put that in an update if possible. Subscribed, love the content you have going.

[@hakonsoreide]

Thanks. I'll email Roger one of these days about it. Actually, just the option of having a single key be a master multi control, with the option of overriding the others would make it easier to choose between the Linnstrument and for instance the Expressive E Touché, which were the two options I were considering when I finally went for the Linnstrument.

[@hakonsoreide]

It just occurred to me today there is actually a workaround for using a separate expression control, though it does require some means of reinterpreting MIDI data either in a DAW or with some other device that can do it, like the Empress Zoia. The principle is to create a split keyboard, making the left or right side of the split one column wide, sending out the data on two different channels, and then collating it so that note value is from one side of the split and pressure, gate, and probably Y-axis too is from the other side, forwarding the combined data on another MIDI channel to whichever instrument is being played. On the Zoia it is also easy to add logic so that when the expression part of the split is not active, it will use the data from the other part of the keyboard.

[@timnewsome9710]

Nice video. I really enjoyed the history section. I have a Linnstrument 128 which I'm mostly learning to play as a piano. So I don't use the expressivity much. I completely agree that velocity sensitivity is really hard to get right, and it's my only real complaint about my Linnstrument. I can mostly consistently get soft-medium-hard but nothing finer than that. You mentioned that some chords are harder on Linnstrument than piano. That's true, but the converse is also true. There are things that I can easily do on a Linnstrument that would require impossible reach on a piano. Personally I love the size and layout, and those alone are enough reason for me to stick with it.

[@hakonsoreide]

Thanks. It’s nice to hear you enjoyed it. You are right, of course, some chords would also be easier than on a regular keyboard. Also, which I forgot to mention, many are indeed easier if you angle the Linnstrument a bit too as opposed to keeping it perfectly straight in front of you. And I think it can’t be overstated how space saving a Linnstrument can be compared to any normal keyboard controller. The only keyboard I have that takes up less space is a 28 key one without proper mod and pitch wheels, different key travel for white and black keys, and generally it’s a terrible controller compared to the Linnstrument, but just something I got to chuck in a small bag together with my iPad. The Linnstrument simply never gets in the way. A thing I forgot to mention is you can get visual feedback from it too. By sending note MIDI to it, the pads will light up. This can make learning to play a new track, or just practising chords or basic skills, a lot easier.

[@jasonnicholas4336]

Thanks for the comprehensive overview. Have you tried operating it with a Touché for those aspects that you are wanting a bit more nuanced control over (the Y axis, etc.)?

[@hakonsoreide]

Thanks for your comment. Well, you can add any number of other kinds of controllers, but a Touché and Linnstrument have so much overlap of functionality it seems a bit redundant to have both, but my points were specifically about using Linnstrument on its own. Also, I don't mind not having that much control of the Y-axis. For me the Z and X axes are really the stars of the show on the Linnstrument, and if I really needed another one, I'dd add a pedal or a breath controller, not another multidimensional controller that also would remove a whole hand from the Linnstrument.

[@stinkypete9070]

Thanks for sharing! I've had my 128 for a bit, I'm torn on it. I found I used it less and less since I couldn't really feel around it - the little bumps on it kind of help but not that much. I was hoping it would become my only controller, but didn't work out that way. That being said, Pressure, slides, are great - but those, at least in my setup are used only once in a while. I keep thinking about selling it, but when you do need that level of pressure/slide expressiveness, it's a must have. So I constantly finding myself between being dead set on selling it, then a need for it pops up - and the cycle continues haha. Having a deluge as well, I hope the linn gets updated to have the same color scheme on the pads, if you have to look at it - it's much easier to see where you are with that color scheme the deluge grid layout has

[@hakonsoreide]

Yes, I go through cycles too. I have tried practising my regular keyboard mod and pitch wheel technique, and there are many things that are far easier to play on that, but then there are those things, particularly expressive wind instrument sounds, that feel so much more natural on the Linnstrument. And those pitch slides too. I mean, I don't really do it often, but it's so cool to control them like that. And I absolutely love how tiny it is for the number of "keys". I may sell it - and then regret it a few months or a year down the line and buy another one. The latest firmware update already allows you to edit individual pads with whatever colour you want. You should check it out so you can colour match it with your Deluge.

[@andropolonsky]

Thanks!..I enjoyed your explanation very much!…and i consider to get one..cos roli is not satisfying me…to narrow and small playing surface..but according to y axis controlling..do you try a breath controller?..with linnstrument?..I thought to use it or Touche?..or Roli block?..and ipad os…any possibilities to that?..from your perspective..?)

[@hakonsoreide]

Hello, Bhaskar, and thanks for your comment. It certainly is possible to use additional controllers together with the Linnstrument, like an expression pedal, a keyboard with a mod wheel, x/y pad, joystick, ribbon strip, Touché, MIDI theremin, etc, etc, and then use that as an additional expression controller, so any perceived lack of control within the Linnstrument itself is easy to overcome. It is also possible to use a keyboard split on the Linnstrument and control different CC's on the left and right, effectively like adding a multi-dimensional mod wheel on the side, or - if you have a means of remapping MIDI in hardware or software - you can control the same parameters on each split, but letting one side overrule the other for either continuous or per-note expression. I demonstrate this principle in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4W3kIWhfs-FaqM

[@andropolonsky]

But..what about that way?..kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJemgZp-pKlpkKs..how he did it?..( he didn’t aswetr me yet…but its a way..)

[@SimonORorke]

Very helpful thank you

[@ChrrZ]

is it possible to give each note a specific color? for example, all the E are yellow, all the A orange and all the C blue and the remaining notes in default green? since i´m coming from the guitar, my counting base for orientation is always the E. its good to have the C highlighted as well but the E are critical for me to orientate and playe intuitively

[@hakonsoreide]

The default is to have the C in a different colour, but you can redefine it to be any note. If you want two notes of a different colour, I think the latest firmware (2.3.0) allows you to redefine the colour of any pad individually. I don't think that is linked with note value, and so it might take a little longer to set up, but if you generally use the same layout all the time, you'd only have to do it once.

[@ChrrZ]

@@hakonsoreide thank you so much for your detailed reply!! that helps me alot!

[@andrew_nayes]

Regarding the pressure control - is it possible to disengage the individual pressure control of the Linnstrument, and that way be able to get trills? And use an expression pedal to control global pressure?

[@hakonsoreide]

It doesn't have global pressure control, but if you use an expression pedal, breath controller, or any other MIDI controller, you could of course accomplish it, even if that reduces the expressivity of the Linnstrument the rest of the time. After doing this video, I figured out I could use a keyboard split and combine the Linnstrument with the Zoia to do what I wanted, though. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4W3kIWhfs-FaqM

[@guysmiley7289]

So far the best synth I have used with the linnstrument is definitely the hydrasynth. They've really tuned it perfectly for its dynamics.

[@hakonsoreide]

Thanks for watching and commenting. Yes, indeed, I have heard good things about the Hydrasynth, and that one of its strengths is modulation assignments, which indeed is the key to expressive playing with a controller like the Linnstrument. Many synths have MIDI velocity hard-coded to control dynamics/volume, for instance, which isn't great, but those that let you easily adjust what modulator and MIDI command controls what and to what extent, and that treats velocity, aftertouch, pitch and mod wheels like any other modulation source, are the ones that are the most fun to set up.

[@guysmiley7289]

@@hakonsoreide I just upgraded my OB-6 and they fixed MPE. (It wasn't great) Their implementation is responsive now too. Hydrasynth is slightly better but it is splitting hairs.

[@guysmiley7289]

@@hakonsoreide Thanks for that MPE work around tip. Really great content.

[@funkygarzon]

Thanks a lot for the details video sir. What is your choice among these for getting realistic dynamic s and cost wise 1. LinnStrument or 2. Haken continumm or 3. Seaboard rise 2 . Thanks for your advice 😊

[@hakonsoreide]

You're welcome, and thanks for your comment. Price-wise, all your options are quite expensive, so it really comes down to which control paradigm appeals to you the most. I would say that the easiest and most intuitive to use is the Linnstrument, whereas the others will require a lot more practice playing to get to a decent skill level. I'm a little unsure of the Seaboard keyboards as the way you use your fingers is so different to other keyboards, and so it will require both instrument practice and an entirely new way of using your hands. I'd probably recommend the Linnstrument unless you had any particular reason for wanting to choose the two others where you felt you'd both need the expressive possibilities in how they differ from the others as well as wishing to put in the time to learn it properly.

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

The Continuum is way more expensive than the rest for less features. The Seaboard is a MPE controller for keyboard players. It also has less controls in the sense you're still tied to a piano keyboard layout.

[@wiegraf9009]

In terms of the pressure problem, another option might be to use an analog joystick or gyroscope from a video game controller. Modern ones are extremely precise and of course have two axes of control. Using the gyroscope would be similar to the expressive "bow" you mentioned.

[@wiegraf9009]

The haptic feedback could also be used to help with fine tuning control. The Playstation 5 controller has sophisticated haptics that are activated by a sound model

[@hakonsoreide]

After I made this video, I figured out I could control pressure separately by using a keyboard split.

[@Hvranq]

Got my Linnstrument (200) a few days ago and still playing around with it. First I had to learn was that it cannot be a substitute for a conventional keyboard due to its unprecise (or maybe its me) velocity sensitivity. I am not yet certain if I will keep it. Btw I have just noticed that certain colors appear uneven. Especially light blue and white where columns have a slightly different color than the others. And light yellow is flickering in low power mode. Is that normal?

[@hakonsoreide]

Thanks for watching and commenting. While you can get used to it, velocity is a LOT easier to control on a regular keyboard controller since you get the tactile feedback from the key before you actually strike the note. That said, it is something you can get reasonably used to with practice. I certainly feel I have a smaller velocity range I can control precisely on it, but then that's not what I got it for at all. For any sound where, playing on a regular keyboard, you would be using the mod wheel or aftertouch as a more significant part of its expression than velocity, that is where the Linnstrument is going to be a far superior controller. Also, potentially for pieces where speed is more important than expression, since you can move your fingers a lot faster across a Linnstrument finger board than you can a piano keyboard. When modifying sounds in virtual instruments for the Linnstrument, I usually just remove the velocity component in those synths that allow that, changing the dynamics to the Linnstrument's pressure axis. To me, that is the sound and expression I am after, as a kind of breath-controller substitute. When playing wind instrument sounds on the Linnstrument, I mean ones made for eletronic wind controllers, the velocity is still important as it becomes the breath attack parameter, but it affects the initial sound, sometimes timbre, but not the continuous dynamics. I don't think the Linnstrument is a substitute for a keyboard controller, but depending on what you play, either a keyboard or a Linnstrument can be the controller you use most of the time, with the other available for whenever its strengths are better suited. I've not had any issues with uneven LED's. In low power mode, I also don't perceive the LED's as flickering so much, though perhaps it may seem bit more so than in full brightness. I have noticed, however, when doing video recording that my LED desk lamp when dimmed definitely flickers at different rates - highly visible as banding on video from a rolling-shutter camera - which I presume is some side effect of how LED's atually work and how an LED circuit usually is made. I know they convert energy into light so fast you can switch an LED on and off without the eye registering it, and I wonder if that also means there is so little inertia in the energy conversion that any rhythmic variation caused by the circuitry or power at less than 1/60s can lead to perceptible flickering. In synth terms, LED's usually don't have slew limiters that would have made the light more even. Anyway, as I also say in the video, I don't think the Linnstrument is right for everyone, but I think it's a nice controller for everyone to try as you may otherwise miss the opportunity to find the controller that opens up new possibilities for you. It really depends on how you play, what sounds you use, how you use expression, and, sometimes, how much effort you are willing to put into learning to play it as an instrument, and into adjusting sounds to suit its strengths and your playing style. While you can control note-on velocity, continuous pressure, y-axis, x axis and note-off velocity with the Linnstrument, certainly as a beginner it's nice to focus on fewer than all of those at the same time. For instance playing velocity and Y axis together, or pressure and x axis together without velocity, gradually getting used to the already rich expression that is more easily available when you restrict yourself. A piano is, after all, just velocity, and people seem to express a lot with just that one thing. Anyway, good luck trying it out some more, and I also hope you don't feel too disappointed if you decide it's not quite right for you. It might be that the perfect controller for you is simply finding the best normal keyoard, possibly with other expressive augmentations like Enhancia Neova, a separate breath controller or expression pedal.

[@mekosmowski]

Roger talked about this (lights) today in the monthly owners' zoom meeting. The light LEDs are engineered for high efficiency and colors are made by flickering them very rapidly in a way that our eyes perceive as a mixed color. Yellow, for example, is a blend of red and green. Feel free to post at the forum at KVR, I'm sure Roger would be happy to explain better than I have.

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

​@@mekosmowski The whole "flickering" is how every single LED is powered in electronics. If you used full power on the lights all the time, they would burn quicker. In order to give them a longer life, you send pulses of power at fixed intervals which are fast enough to give human eyes the impression the light is always on.

[@mekosmowski]

I took mine out of the closet this week to try and figure it out. Right now I'm just triggering synth presets and noodling, but I've already recorded midi for a couple 3-4 note motifs without thinking about it.

[@hakonsoreide]

Well done. It's quite intuitive to use, which is one of the great things about it, so once you get into it, not much thinking is required.

[@thoughtFormMax]

You CAN do trills on LinnStrument. That's pretty much all I do :) It comes down to sound design and mono/channel-per-row helps a lot. Good video!

[@hakonsoreide]

Thanks. Well, yes, you can do trills, but what I was getting at it's certainly not straightforward to get _natural-sounding_ wind instrument trills. When playing wind instrument sounds on the Linnstrument, the only natural control for breath pressure is continuous pressure, but unless it is programmed into the instrument you're playing, the pressure is not maintained from one note to the next and back again, potentially making it sound like the breath pressure zeroes out for each note of a trill, unlike on an acoustic one where the breath pressure remains constant. After making this video, I figured out my own roundabout way of doing this with a keyboard split and my Zoia, which I always use in my setup anyway. What I did was simply to use one side of the split just for the breath pressure information, so I set this to be just one column wide, and whenever I pressed a pad on that side of the split, the instrument would use the pressure information from that instead of from the played pads on the other side. I could have taken that control paradigm one step further and used the different notes on the single-column split also to control further paramaters depending on which was played, for instance, so I think that has a lot of potential. Anyway, feel free to check it out if you're interested in yet another way of doing something on the Linnstrument that you may or may not have thought about yourself already: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4W3kIWhfs-FaqM

[@thoughtFormMax]

@@hakonsoreide Cool. I'm glad you found a solution. I have a variety of methods, but most of the time I'm not zeroing out the volume on Z-axis. Sometimes, when I want more dynamics out of Z, i will use a velocity-controlled envelope to provide a bit of a pluck to a new note. Interesting, my experience of Y and Z is opposite yours. I find Y very easy but Z is like tightening a screw with a hammer. I often wish that the footswitch jack, which I never use, was an expression pedal, which I would use all the time.

[@hakonsoreide]

Thanks for your insight and additional user tips, and also nice to hear your experience of using the Y and Z axes is different to mine. In a way it just confirms that practice is the main thing that improves the controller's potential, just like for any musical instrument, really, and for me the Z axis just was the initially more intuitive one, but for others, it could be something else. It has occurred to me a few times that the footswitch being a continuous controller input would have made the Linnstrument even more versatile, and it would have made it a lot easier to set things up if that too was part of the extremely user friendly Linnstrument setup rather than having to be set up and configured in different ways if you want to use one. For my use, just a single-dimension breath controller connected via a continuous expression input on the Linnstrument would have been absolutely epic.

[@thoughtFormMax]

@@hakonsoreide for anyone else following along, you can of course use an expression pedal with the linnstrument, you just need to plug it in to your sound source or some other controller so it's not as convenient as it could be. I've never worked with a breath controller but that does sound like it would be cool.

[@victorblancoarcas]

Hello, I doubt whether to buy this 128 or buy the large model. What do you recommend? thanks

[@hakonsoreide]

There is rather a big price difference between the 128 or the larger model, but if money is not an issue, the way I see it, the main concern would be how long note-to-note pitch slides you think you might want to do, or if you can see yourself using keyboard splits a lot. If I had been able to afford the larger one when I bought it, I'd probably have gone for that just to have the options for those things available to me, but even so I think there was still no point for me playing the 128 that I regretted buying the smaller version. I don't do long pitch slides, and I don't usually use keyboard splits, and then the 128 does all I could ever want it to.

[@FinnBjerke]

Very informative I like the pros and cons approach, being a guitar and bass palyer myself IM pretty darn close to buy this. I want chords + melody and nice sounds, I find the piano keyboard a bit of a hassle, so there is "guitar logic" here. I wonder if the chords + right hand melodic stuff is difficult to do simultanously? thx for good info mate.... 1000 takk

[@hakonsoreide]

Thanks. And you're welcome. I am glad to hear you found it useful. The Linnstrument might just be right for you. I don't usually play polyphonically myself on it, but if you look up videos of other people playing, including Roger Linn himself, there are many who seem to manage both guitar chord plus melody line, piano style pieces and everything else on it. I think it's more down to practice than anything else, just like with any instrument, really, and if you have a background in playing guitar, you would already have very good transferable skills for playing the Linnstrument. It doesn't include sounds on its own, of course, but it plays well with many virtual instruments and hardware synthesizers. Roger Linn keeps a list on his website of many that work well: www.rogerlinndesign.com/support/support-linnstrument-recommended-sounds If you're considering it, I would actually recommend just to go for it and buy one, making sure you have a nice return window allowing you to try it out long enough to decide whether it's right for you or not. After ordering, and while waiting for it, I'd also recommend just looking through some of Roger Linn's KZbin tutorials on the user interface. It is very intuitive, but seeing someone show how it works makes it even easier to pick up once you get it. A thing that many people say about it when they get one, after considering it for months or even years, is they wish they had got one sooner. It may not be perfect for everyone, but I think it's a really well-designed controller that suits a lot of different people and workflows, potentially adding another dimension or two of both expression and playability to their music.

[@FinnBjerke]

@@hakonsoreide veldig bra - eg har betalt den hos THomann. Linnstrument will arrive here in Denmark in 2 days .... Now I just need some good VSTs

[@hakonsoreide]

@@FinnBjerke Tillykke. I hope you get along with it well, and that you find some sounds for it that inspire you to make great music on it.

[@FinnBjerke]

@@hakonsoreide Well you are inspiring mate ... thx forthis video...

[@mac0285]

I use an expression pedal to control mod wheel (CC 1). Doing something like that might allow you to have a continuous control over all the notes, like a breath controller

[@hakonsoreide]

Indeed. I figured it's also possible to use a keyboard split and some Midi magic to use the expression from one side and the note from the other. I know I could have used an expression pedal, but the whole point of the complaint, if you can call it that, is I wanted to use the expression of the Linnstrument, not the completely different control feel of a pedal.

[@fabiosoave6622]

Thank you very much for the insightful video. It’s always incredibly valuable to hear from someone who has extensively used a musical instrument. Your firsthand experience offers perspectives that often go unmentioned in forums and other reviews. I am seriously considering purchasing the LinnStrument. My interest in it is somewhat unique and was not covered in your video, nor have I found comprehensive discussions on forums. Specifically, I am drawn to its isomorphic design as a tool for delving into music theory and composition in depth. Although I have a couple of years of adult piano lessons under my belt, my understanding of music theory, especially harmony, is somewhat patchy. Seeing the LinnStrument by Roger Linn, despite its cost, strikes me as a potentially revolutionary way to pursue my passion for music. From your experience, do you think it could serve as an intuitive platform for someone relatively new to music composition and theory, like myself, to explore these areas in a fresh and perhaps more intuitive way? I value your opinion highly and would appreciate your thoughts on whether the LinnStrument can make learning music theory and composition more accessible to a novice musician. Thank you for your time and for sharing your experiences!

[@hakonsoreide]

Hello, thanks for your very kind comment. When it comes to your question, while the Linnstrument is an amazing, compact and very expressive alternative music playing controller, I don't think it's that great at helping you visualise music theory or better understand harmonies and chord progressions. I would consider a piano keyboard better at that. Sure, you can change which notes light up to help you visualise a key, but then again it's not that hard to visualise on a regular keyboard with black and white keys either. There are certainly controllers out there that are better suited to helping you delve into theory as a hands-on experience, the TheoryBoard perhaps being the most obvious one, and also a piano keyboard that use colours, such as the ROLI Lumi Keys. Before jumping on any of those things, though, one thing I would recommend, and which is what made me understand a lot more about music theory, chord progressions, how melodies, chords and rhythms interact: Hookpad at www.hooktheory.com. While it allows you to analyse existing melodies, I only used it to compose my own, feeling that is the best way to learn. That's the software I used to compose pieces like kzbin.info/www/bejne/mavFZ3l4lsuDh8k kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZ-tlpunn9WHesU and hakon1.bandcamp.com/track/before-the-morning-sun and many, many others - most of which I've not yet published as finished pieces as I've been focusing more on experimental electronic improvisational music the last several years. If you want an expressive controller for playing, of course, and not just for music theory explorations, there are more and more alternatives available these days, but I'd still rate the Linnstrument as one of the very best.

[@fabiosoave6622]

@@hakonsoreide Thank you for your prompt and insightful response. Your perspective on the LinnStrument and its comparison with traditional and alternative music controllers has given me much to consider. I am particularly grateful for your suggestion regarding Hooktheory. I’ve taken the liberty of exploring some videos and resources about it, and while I agree that the theoretical foundations it offers seem robust and straightforward, my initial impression is that the Hookpad tool feels a bit dated in its interface and functionality. Nonetheless, I am still evaluating its potential for my learning journey, considering the success you’ve had in composing with it. Your advice has also led me to reassess the TheoryBoard. Despite its firmware limitations and the rigidity of not being able to “break out of scales,” it might still offer some value for my specific needs in theory and composition exploration. I appreciate your candid advice on these matters. Your experiences with these tools, especially your venture into experimental electronic improvisational music, are incredibly inspiring. It reinforces the idea that the right tool can significantly shape one’s musical journey and creative output. Thank you once again for sharing your valuable insights. I will continue to explore these options, keeping in mind the balance between expressive playability and theoretical learning that I aim to achieve.

[@fabiosoave6622]

@@hakonsoreide sorry for the previous answer, but in my haste I misjudged the tools that hooktheory offers! I will definitely buy them! thanks for the advice and congratulations on your music 👏🏻

[@heltengundersen]

Stupid question, but isn't lack of bluetooth an issue? Having a cable tied to this brick when using it as a guitar...??

[@hakonsoreide]

No that's not an issue. Hardly any MIDI controllers have Bluetooth, and most guitarists seem to manage fine being wired up too. Since you can get wireless MIDI with cheap third party products, there's not much incentive for controller manufacturers to add it as a built-in feature either. You can make the Linnstrument wireless yourself if you want to.

[@cresshead]

looks similar to akai force or the push 3 one downside i see for the is is only room for 1 finger tip on a note... so fast notes/rolls are going to be quite hard 1 fingered. the akai force pads are oblong so has room for 2 fingers on 1 note

[@hakonsoreide]

It's very different to Akai Force or Push 3, and as far as I know, your comment might be the first one ever where anyone thought to compare them. Akai Force and Push 3 simply aren't designed to be multi-expressive alternatives to keyboard controllers. I'm not sure how you figure fast notes or rolls would be harder on the Linnstrument than the Akai Force because the Force has wider pads. If anything I'd have thought it would be faster with smaller pads as you move your finger less to get rolls or fast notes, and you get more notes in a row on the Linnstrument, even on the smaller 128 🤷‍♂️.

[@cresshead]

try a 2 finger roll on a pad that only has space for 1 finger tip..////// the force and push 3 are also pressure sensitive and the push 3 has the x and y features just like the linnstrument plus it has sounds and a sequencer and sampler..@@hakonsoreide

[@hakonsoreide]

I didn't know they had multiple dimensions of expression. I'm still not sure what you mean by a "2-finger roll", though? Does the Push 3 also have z-axis expression (not just velocity but continuous pressure), or just X and Y? The Z-axis is what I consider the main and most expressive one on the Linnstrument.

[@GardensoftheAncientsHerbal]

Use the y option as a shape controller for the wave. That way it doesn’t change the pitch just the tone.

[@hakonsoreide]

I' wouldn't use the Y controller for pitch. Regardless what you map it to, it wouldn't make it any easier to control, though, which is the point I am making.

[@catoninetails789]

How difficult is it to play Linnstrument, with a guitar strap over your shoulder, without looking at it? Like, can you play it and sing, like a guitar?

[@hakonsoreide]

I am guessing with a little bit of practice, it won't be particularly hard at all. I have seen several people on KZbin using it on a strap and seeming quite comfortable with that way of laying it, so it's a matter of habit, really. I tried it briefly, but since I tend to play sitting down, I definitely prefer having it on a flat surface in front of me.

[@johnaweiss]

Wendy Carlos might have given electronic music "respectability" because she played Bach using familiar classical sounds. All her sounds are harpsichords. "Switched On Bach" didn't explore the variety of colors and textures that are possible with electronic instruments. Isao Tomita's underappreciated "Snowflakes are Dancing" was a much more varied and expressive electronic performance.

[@hakonsoreide]

There was a major mindset, I think, in a certain phase of synthesizer development, that was somewhat marred by the fanciful notion of synthesizers replicating and replacing the traditional instruments of an orchestra, which is possibly _because_ of Wendy Carlos as well. I think it's the kind of textures and textural change that you can only create on an electronic instrument that is the instrument group's greatest superpower. It still seems electronic music needed Wendy Carlos as a catalyst for further development and popularisation, also increasing interest in more sonically interesting works. I've yet to explore Isao Tomita's music, but from what I've heard people say about it, it sounds like I might enjoy it.

[@johnemerson2876]

Can it be triggered by a midi guitar and does it have any sounds on board ? thanks good video

[@hakonsoreide]

Thanks. The Linnstrument is a MIDI/MPE controller, and thus one could argue that it's not actually an instrument in the strict sense, making its name somewhat misleading; it has no sounds on board. You can send MIDI to it, for instance with a MIDI guitar, but if you do, you are triggering the fingerpad LED lights, not sounds, so you would obviously have to send the MIDI somewhere else too for audio generation.

[@Behnan]

Thoughts after 2 years, 2 years ago

[@hakonsoreide]

For me, it's still only two years, really. I sold it not that long after making the video. Not because I don't like it, but simply because I felt I used it too little, my limited time spent making music mostly focusing on modular generative patching.

[@Lovesinthebuilding]

I want one BAD

[@GardensoftheAncientsHerbal]

Plug in a wind controller

[@hakonsoreide]

Buy one, you mean? Also, that is missing the point, since it would so easy to accommodate on the Linnstrument itself. Indeed it can be done with a keyboard split together with a means of programming how the MIDI is interpreted, which I demonstrate in a later video.