Silly thoughts on a friday evening.

Official support for: rogerlinndesign.com
RELATED
PRODUCTS

Post

I wonder if it has occured to anybody else, what an awesome gaming console we could be holding? :D
The first thing that comes to mind is off course Tetris: Turn the linny 90 degrees with the control buttons toward you, and turn those blocks as they fall. :party:
Probably the most expensive game of Tetris ever.
Any programmers in need of distraction during the christmas holidays? :wink:

Post

Have you seen the Christmas animation, which is part of sleep mode in global settings?

Post

Oh yes, it is awesome. :-D

Post

Wouldn't be the first time. Very few people ever found the easter egg buried deep in the menu system of the original Kurzweil 2000... a game of Pong, using the data entry wheel. :D
Mike Metlay, PhD (nuclear physics -- no, seriously!) :D
listen to me: Mr. Spiral | join the fam: RadioSpiral | my gig: Atomic Words LLC (coming soon)

Post

LarsDaniel wrote: Fri Dec 13, 2019 9:07 pm I wonder if it has occured to anybody else, what an awesome gaming console we could be holding? :D
The first thing that comes to mind is off course Tetris: Turn the linny 90 degrees with the control buttons toward you, and turn those blocks as they fall. :party:
Probably the most expensive game of Tetris ever.
Any programmers in need of distraction during the christmas holidays? :wink:
But it should also play notes and create some whacky Music while you play. A Klonk if a figure arrives at the bottom, a swoosh or an explosion if a row is filled and some sequence and harmonies while its falling... All set up lets say for Bitwig 8-track...

Post

But it should also play notes and create some whacky Music while you play. A Klonk if a figure arrives at the bottom, a swoosh or an explosion if a row is filled and some sequence and harmonies while its falling... All set up lets say for Bitwig 8-track...
...instead of gimmicks i'd rather prefer actually usefull applications.
It's a bit of a pity valuable resources have been investet into things like Christmastree- or exploding note-animations. I mean, who has looked at these more than once?
With some thought and consideration the LS actually could serve usefull second duties like for example a visual metronome, a display of current chord-progressions and stuff like that. Could be handy in jamming situations and more.
Or, my personal favorite, as primary interface for drum-machines. A lot of excellent pads for that.

Post

Bah Humbug!

You wouldn't be pleased with what I have been spending time on then:

IMG_0006.JPG
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Bitwig, against the constitution.

Post

dr_loop wrote: Fri Dec 20, 2019 2:17 pm It's a bit of a pity valuable resources have been investet into things like Christmastree- or exploding note-animations. I mean, who has looked at these more than once?
With some thought and consideration the LS actually could serve usefull second duties like for example a visual metronome, a display of current chord-progressions and stuff like that. Could be handy in jamming situations and more.
Or, my personal favorite, as primary interface for drum-machines. A lot of excellent pads for that.
Actually, the Christmas animation was a very simple adaptation of the existing in-store display animation, a feature that dealers requested so that their customers could more easily know how LinnStrument is different than on/off switch controllers. The data for the Christmas animation data was created by an outside designer for free. So no valuable resources were wasted on it. Yes, Geert did spend some time on the Note Animations, but I think that on par, our software efforts have been well-focused on LinnStrument's core function as an expressive musical performance instrument.

Regarding your specific suggestions:

1) A visual metronome:
This already exists. The Global Settings button blinks on 1/4 notes during operation of the Arpeggiator, Step Sequencer, or when receiving external sync.

2) A display of current chord progressions and stuff like that:
This already exists. Simply record a sequence into your DAW and play it back into LinnStrument to see the lights animate what you played. I'm not sure what other stuff like that you're referring to, but if you're suggesting that users load chord progressions into LinnStrument, how do you propose doing that, given that it has no graphic UI? Note that LinnStrument is not a desktop production workstation but rather an expressive musical performance instrument, without a graphic display for the same reasons a guitar or violin doesn't contain a graphic display.

3) As a primary interface for drum machines: This already exists. You can use LinnStrument for finger drumming or for pressure-based Note Repeat, just like any MPC or other pad controller. And instead of common 1D drum pads, it's a 3D-expressive drum pad controller, as demo'd in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHWrSs8 ... ex=18&t=0s

If you have specific feature suggestions, I am happy to learn what they are. But please keep in mind that LinnStrument's purpose is to be an expressive musical instrument, as stated on the 6th FAQ in the "General" tab on the FAQ page:
http://www.rogerlinndesign.com/ls-faqs.html

Post

... thanks Roger for your detailed response, I appreciate that.
And no need to remind me on 'LinnStrument's purpose to be an expressive musical instrument' I'm ofcourse well aware of that.
My comment was just a sidenote. I don't actualy mind these 'gimmicks' Don't help much, but no harm either.

But yes, I should have been a little bit more specific with my comments:

With 'Visual Metronome' I meant a bit more than a blinking LED.
Like a real display of current Bar/Beat.

Also, with 'display of current chord progressions' I don't mean just displaying the notes, which yes, is cool in itself. More like a 'Chordsheet', displaying the current chord.
And I don't mean that this should be done within the LS firmware, that may well be out of reach. But the LS could provide the 'basic' support-routines so that 'programmers in need of distraction' could do that.
I mean allmost everything is already there. The LS can display numbers and letters, can even scroll text.
The missing link is only a way to send these numbers and letters in *realtime* to the LS. The 'official' way would probably be via SYSEX-messages, but I would be ok with a quick hack like using MIDI-CCs, first CC sets X-position, second sets the actual number/letter.

'As a primary interface for drum machines'
Well, thats a little bit hard to explain. What I mean is rather different than what we are used to.
Not the usual 'Constructing-beats' approach, but -hey it's the LinnStrument- for actually 'playing' them in expressive new ways.

(Actually I'm working on this, and it's going surprisingly well. I should make a small video of it, then it would be imediately clear)

Best

Post

Thanks for the suggestions, but regarding displaying bar.beat or chord names in large letters on LinnStrument's surface, I don't see how that would be helpful because it would use the entire playing surface, leaving no space for playing. Assuming the bar.beat or chord names must be sent from a computer application, it seems more practical to display that information in the computer application, leaving LinnStrument to do what the application cannot, which is to play music.

Geert and I have tried to carefully consider both features and external interfacing in the design of LinnStrument's software for musical performance. The built-in MIDI commands are extensive, there's a User Firmware mode that makes it easier to create external computer applications, and the software is open-source. We didn't build in specialized ability for an external computer to send it scrolling LED messages because we didn't think that made sense for a musical instrument. But if someone wants to change LinnStrument into something else, I commend their initiative and they are welcome to edit the source code toward that end.

Post

...I don't see how that would be helpful because it would use the entire playing surface, leaving no space for playing.
...did I mention this would be a 'BONUS' application?
You don't play the LS just non-stop all along, don't you?
...it seems more practical to display that information in the computer application, leaving LinnStrument to do what the application cannot, which is to play music.
....yes, in the time of multi-million-pixel displays who cares about a mere 200 pixels.
But 200 pixels still are usefull to display information, after all you said in the previous post that *ONE* pixel is enough for a visual metronome.
And these pixels have a very unique properety, they are
*VERY BIG*,
that is, they can be seen across a room, even a venue ("Hello New York"), leaving the computer monitor to what it do can best, displaying *high density* information.
...The built-in MIDI commands are extensive, there's a User Firmware mode that makes it easier to create external computer applications
Yes 100% agreed, and my applause for that. Indeed I would'nt have bought the LS without that.
...We didn't build in specialized ability for an external computer to send it scrolling LED messages because we didn't think that made sense for a musical instrument.
.. but Christmastree or "Hello New York" does??
And I said nothing about *scrolling* messages.
...But if someone wants to change LinnStrument into something else, I commend their initiative and they are welcome to edit the source code toward that end.
..yes, I know. And I did. And while I have to say that everything is well laid out, the code well documented and understandable, the actual 'workflow' is a real PITA (..and therefor my highest esteem for Gert for beeing able to do that)
It's like building a house and running down to the DIY-store for every single brick or nail.

that said, Merry Christmas :tu:

Post

To abuse a LinnStrument as display, what a whacky idea...;-)
We should keep this thread silly.
Being silly and creating useless stuff is as important as being serious.
Get out and program graphics on the LinnStrument with your DAW. Its all in place already... You will have fun being silly as soon as you start to do it yourself...
Tip: Use channel per row mode to avoid multiple lights being switched on...
And of course, share it in this silly thread...
Lets waist some time...

Post

..ok, here's a different kind of LinnStrument Christmas decorations:

Image
Image
Image

Merry Christmas :D

Post Reply

Return to “Roger Linn Design”