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Roger Linn
Roger Curtis Linn is an American designer of electronic musical instruments and equipment. He is the designer of the LM-1 (the first drum machine to use samples), and its successor, the LinnDrum, which were both used extensively in 1980s pop music. Later in the decade, he designed the MPC sampler, which had a major influence on the development of hip hop. Linn is a member of the Dead Presidents Society, a group of innovators in the field of electronic music.
In 1979, Roger Linn and Alex Moffett founded Linn Moffett Electronics, soon renamed Linn Electronics, to develop Linn's design for a drum machine that used samples. It would be called LM-1 for Linn/Moffett/1. Moffett left the company in 1982. Linn used his new drum machine and performed with Leon Russell on his album Life and Love in 1979.
In 1980, Roger Linn released the LM-1 Drum Computer. It was one of the first programmable drum machines and the first to use samples of acoustic drums. Linn wanted a machine that would produce more realistic sounds and offer more than preset patterns. The LM-1 became a staple of 1980s pop music and helped establish drum machines as credible tools. It appeared on records by artists including the Human League, Gary Numan, Mecano, Icehouse, Michael Jackson, Queen, Tears For Fears and particularly Prince.
In 1982, Linn released the cheaper and more stable LinnDrum, which was a commercial success. It was cheaper and more widely produced than his first drum machine, the Linn LM-1,. It was used by artists and producers including Trevor Horn, Mark Knopfler, Naked Eyes, Stock Aitken Waterman, Sandy Vee and Justin Hayward.
In 1984 Linn released the Linn 9000 as the successor to the LinnDrum. It was the first integrated digital drum machine and MIDI sequencer. The 9000 had innovative features, like dynamic sensitive rubber pads, and would influence many future drum machine designs. But chronic software bugs led to a reputation for unreliability and contributed to the eventual demise of the company. The 9000 can be heard on Michael Jackson's 1987 album, Bad, on the cuts such as "Bad" and "Liberian Girl".
In 1985, Linn released the LinnSequencer, a rack mount 32 track hardware MIDI sequencer. It used the same flawed operating system used in the Linn 9000. As a result, the machine earned a reputation for unreliability.
In January 1986, Linn debuted the LinnDrum Midistudio at the NAMM Winter Music & Sound Market as the successor to the Linn 9000. The Midistudio is essentially a rack mount version of the Linn 9000 with some improvements. It used the same flawed operating system used in the Linn 9000. It never went into production because Linn Electronics went out of business the following month.
Similarities between the LinnDrum Midistudio and the Akai MPC series lead some to perceive a family resemblance. Most notably, the Midistudio has sixteen dynamic sensitive rubber pads in the distinctive four by four pattern that would become the hallmark of the MPCs, starting with the MPC60.
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Roger Linn
Roger Curtis Linn is an American designer of electronic musical instruments and equipment. He is the designer of the LM-1 (the first drum machine to use samples), and its successor, the LinnDrum, which were both used extensively in 1980s pop music. Later in the decade, he designed the MPC sampler, which had a major influence on the development of hip hop. Linn is a member of the Dead Presidents Society, a group of innovators in the field of electronic music.
In 1979, Roger Linn and Alex Moffett founded Linn Moffett Electronics, soon renamed Linn Electronics, to develop Linn's design for a drum machine that used samples. It would be called LM-1 for Linn/Moffett/1. Moffett left the company in 1982. Linn used his new drum machine and performed with Leon Russell on his album Life and Love in 1979.
In 1980, Roger Linn released the LM-1 Drum Computer. It was one of the first programmable drum machines and the first to use samples of acoustic drums. Linn wanted a machine that would produce more realistic sounds and offer more than preset patterns. The LM-1 became a staple of 1980s pop music and helped establish drum machines as credible tools. It appeared on records by artists including the Human League, Gary Numan, Mecano, Icehouse, Michael Jackson, Queen, Tears For Fears and particularly Prince.
In 1982, Linn released the cheaper and more stable LinnDrum, which was a commercial success. It was cheaper and more widely produced than his first drum machine, the Linn LM-1,. It was used by artists and producers including Trevor Horn, Mark Knopfler, Naked Eyes, Stock Aitken Waterman, Sandy Vee and Justin Hayward.
In 1984 Linn released the Linn 9000 as the successor to the LinnDrum. It was the first integrated digital drum machine and MIDI sequencer. The 9000 had innovative features, like dynamic sensitive rubber pads, and would influence many future drum machine designs. But chronic software bugs led to a reputation for unreliability and contributed to the eventual demise of the company. The 9000 can be heard on Michael Jackson's 1987 album, Bad, on the cuts such as "Bad" and "Liberian Girl".
In 1985, Linn released the LinnSequencer, a rack mount 32 track hardware MIDI sequencer. It used the same flawed operating system used in the Linn 9000. As a result, the machine earned a reputation for unreliability.
In January 1986, Linn debuted the LinnDrum Midistudio at the NAMM Winter Music & Sound Market as the successor to the Linn 9000. The Midistudio is essentially a rack mount version of the Linn 9000 with some improvements. It used the same flawed operating system used in the Linn 9000. It never went into production because Linn Electronics went out of business the following month.
Similarities between the LinnDrum Midistudio and the Akai MPC series lead some to perceive a family resemblance. Most notably, the Midistudio has sixteen dynamic sensitive rubber pads in the distinctive four by four pattern that would become the hallmark of the MPCs, starting with the MPC60.