New LinnStrument owner here, questions

[puremusic]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I'm wondering what folks normally map the 'y' or vertical axis of each square to, what do you find works well with it?

[Roger_Linn]

I think the best use is for timbral variation, in which all all parts of the range are useful but slightly different. Examples are violin now position, wind instrument embouchure, pulse width modulation, waveform hard sync, or other waveform modifications. One of the mistakes people make at first is to use it as you would a mod wheel, controlling the amount of a modulation or effect. But this doesn’t work because it’s too difficult to always play at the bottom of the pad when you don’t want that modulation.

[Roger_Linn]

(Hi, Roger. Loving LS128 number two, hope you're loving the ContinuuMini )

Unfortunately, I used the Mini for an afternoon then in the process of trying to understand the Eagan Matrix, got swept into other work and haven’t yet gotten back to it. But once I have more time, I plan to try again to wrap my head around it.

[puremusic]

Yes that makes sense thanks, I was finding it difficult to control though I am just starting out, so using it for more forgiving parameters makes sense. If the 'y' axis had the same range as the 'x' axis it'd be different of course, I almost feel like for vibrato purposes the 'y' axis with slight finger changes might be more suitable at times, and the 'x' instead of pitch used for more modwheel like fine control.

I now envision the underlying Linnstrument more like a series of ribbon controllers, rather than a crosshatch of ribbon controllers.

Are there any videos available of taking apart and looking inside the Linnstrument? I was thinking of taking off the wooden ends and sanding and bleaching them, and looking at the LED lights, as long as when taking it apart giant springs don't jump out and putting it back together becomes.. frightening.

[mrspiral]

(Hi, Roger. Loving LS128 number two, hope you're loving the ContinuuMini )

Unfortunately, I used the Mini for an afternoon then in the process of trying to understand the Eagan Matrix, got swept into other work and haven’t yet gotten back to it. But once I have more time, I plan to try again to wrap my head around it.

Ah yes. Welcome to our world.

[mrspiral]

One of the mistakes people make at first is to use it as you would a mod wheel, controlling the amount of a modulation or effect. But this doesn’t work because it’s too difficult to always play at the bottom of the pad when you don’t want that modulation.

OK, my mind is... not exactly "blown", but that just cleared away a huge problem I was having with performance technique on the LS! Every once in a while, the appropriate answer is in fact "You're doing it wrong, I didn't intend for you to use it that way." I'll be wrapping my head around it for weeks.

Thanks, Roger. I sold my first LS to Otso Pakarinen (who's loving it to death, btw) because I had spent so much time trying to get it to work like a keytar that I was completely missing the point of playing it as a LinnStrument. I had thought I'd gotten past that by the time I got the second one, but apparently I have a ways to go.

That said, I do have some ideas for the Low Row that I'd love to bounce off you at some point. What's there is OK for a lot of uses, but the hardware would easily allow other applications that would be great for live performance, especially if you're standing up and wearing it.

[mrspiral]

Are there any videos available of taking apart and looking inside the Linnstrument? I was thinking of taking off the wooden ends and sanding and bleaching them, and looking at the LED lights, as long as when taking it apart giant springs don't jump out and putting it back together becomes.. frightening.

I'd never have the courage to open mine, but the wooden ends come right off without affecting the actual instrument at all. I use mine without them, as it makes the unit much more compact for my purposes.

[Rimwolf]

Not counting screws, there are 6 pieces to a LS: two wooden side pieces, metal face plate, silicon playing/button surface, steel box, and an assembly of all the electronics -- basically a single large circuit board, with resistive strips and holes for the lights to shine through on one side. It's easy to take apart, and the only at-all-tricky thing about putting it back together is getting the tightness of the face plate screws right, for which Roger has given clear instructions.

I don't recommend taking it apart out of idle curiosity, but the process is not particularly fraught with peril. This thing is elegantly designed.

[puremusic]

Thanks fellows!