Linnstrument and hardware synths

[48cube]

Thanks a lot for your answer! I'm looking for some small, easily portable, multi-timbral synth (for MPE). Circuit caught my attention thanks to it's size and price though I knew it's just two synths/timbres playable at the same time.

Other contenders are Virus TI Snow or Waldorf Blofeld but I have to investigate more about their multi-setup. Blofeld seems to be limited with a number of concurrent timbres and polyphony. Virus TI has only 16 unique multi-setup slots. It's more in fact but multi's above 16 are using patches from the libraries, not storing their own patch versions.

Right now I'm getting best results with Kurzweil PC3K6. Everything is fully configurable. I create a MPE optimized patch and just duplicate it over several channels in Setup, assigning another patch to other split channels in the same way. Switching such Setups is then a matter of hitting a button. Fast and convenient way of creating MPE Setups. Yet the whole keyboard is still so big to carry around. I wish Kurzweil would come up with rack boxes again.

Do you guys have any other MPE friendly boxes to recommend? By MPE friendly I mean easy to configure a multi-channel setup.

[spunkytoofers]

Do you guys have any other MPE friendly boxes to recommend? By MPE friendly I mean easy to configure a multi-channel setup.

Not sure what your flavor is for sound and what you would tolerate to deal with setup. I'd think a motif rack xs, korg m3 module with radius board, radias module, poly evolver, tetra, cheap used alesis s4 plus or higher qs models, Roland sonic cell would all be nice.

If korg kronos had a module version, it almost seems like it would be a touch screen laptop .

Parva seems nice and it can host usb. I think mpe support is on the way for parva.

I think software editors help with most of these kinds of hardware synths but then at that point I'd rather mess with software synthesizers with fast mpe gui. Hardware gets hard for me to manage at times.That's just me though.

[Roger_Linn]

Do you guys have any other MPE friendly boxes to recommend? By MPE friendly I mean easy to configure a multi-channel setup.

All the MPE-compatible synths I'm aware of--both software and hardware--are on the "MPE/Expressive Sound Generators" page on my site, accessed from the LinnStrument Support page. I also include some synths that permit setting up a separate sound for each channel, but it depends on how difficult it is to do so. For example, Omnisphere lets each of 8 channels have a unique sound, but includes a command to copy the 1st one to all of the others at once.

48cube-- I wasn't aware of the Kurzweil PC3K6. If you'd care to share a summary of how to set it up for channel-per-note, I will add this to the MPE page.

[48cube]

48cube-- I wasn't aware of the Kurzweil PC3K6. If you'd care to share a summary of how to set it up for channel-per-note, I will add this to the MPE page.

Setting up MPE Setup on Kurzweil V.A.S.T. machines:
1. Choose the sound
* Select the sound of your choice in Program mode on Kurzweil.
* Play it in Linnstrument's One Channel MIDI mode first (no MPE yet).
2. Edit the mapping
* Edit the selected sound. Assign various V.A.S.T. parameters to ModWheel and Pressure as desired. V.A.S.T. can assign any parameter to any modulation source so the choice is yours. You can use CC11 (Expression) instead of Pressure but you need to stick to it later when setting up a Setup.You can also set the amount of modulation for each assignment, use functions to combine different modulation sources etc. Don't forget to set the Pitch Bend Range Up to 2400ct and Down to -2400ct in COMMON page.
* Set the Linnstrument's setting as follows:
> Bend Range +/- 24 (this corresponds to 2400ct setting on Kurzweil)
> Pitch/X - On, quantize or not, as you wish.
> Timbre/Y - On, CC1 (or else if you didn't assign parameters to ModWheel)
> Loudness/Z - Chan Press or CC11, this depends on your Program's assignment
3. Save your edited Program and switch to Setup mode of Kurzweil
4. Select Setup #127 (Clear Setup) and edit it.
5. Edit the Zone.
* You should have just one Zone now. To make life easier, do the basic settings on this single Zone first and duplicate it several times later. In Setups you have to set some controllers again.
* First, assign the previously edited single Program to current Zone on CH/PRG page.
* Go to BEND page, set the BendRangeUp to 24ST and BendRangeDown to 24ST.
* On KEYVEL page you can change the Velocity response curve. VelCurve parameter gives you interesting options (Linear/Compress/Expand/Crossfade/Bump and reversed versions of all).
* Activate the Pitchbend and ModWheel on WHEEL page.
> Set the PWUp to PitchUp and PWDn to PitchDwn, leave Scale on 100%.
> Set MWhl to MWheel, also with Scale on 100%
* Activate the Pressure
> Set Press to Pressure destination with Scale on 100%. You can set the Pressure response curve here too.
6. Duplicate the Zone
You can set much more stuff but once you are happy, you need to duplicate the Zone several times, depending on how many MIDI channels you want to use for MPE. Let's say you want to use 5 MIDI channels for one Split on Linnstrument. Assign the MIDI channels to 2 - 6 on Left Split and 7 - 11 on Right Split at Linnstrument. On Kurzweil assign the corresponding MIDI channels to individual Zones on CH/PRG page. You can have different Program on Zones 1-5 (MIDI channels 2 - 6) and Zones 6 - 10 (MIDI channels 7 - 11). Flexibility is the keyword of Kurzweil's V.A.S.T.
7. Save the Setup with different name into a new position.

You can also create a MPE template Setup with all controllers assigned with one Zone only. Once you find a nice Program and prepare it for MPE with X/Y/Z CC assignments you can set it in you template's Zone which can be then quickly duplicated and MIDI channels has to be assigned accordingly. V.A.S.T. can be overwhelming with all the options but it's minimalist UI makes it quick to navigate and assign things easily once you get familiar with it.

Edit:
Here is an excellent tutorial series on general PC3 V.A.S.T. editing
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 183226AE46

And these three cover the Setups specifically.

[spunkytoofers]

1. linnstrument plays nice with axoloti. i needed my linnstrument to run in low power mode using axoloti as a host and thin out the USB data on linnstrument to about 300. not sure if running the axoloti off an adapter would make a difference but just in case anyone else has this problem. it seems to work well as an expressive controller; i only started to have problems when i started to play around with the arpeggiator. Notes being dropped mostly.

Had some more time to spend with new linnstrument os. There is a new beta for axoloti that i tried out as well.

some differences since i updated axolti as well- it will now run on full power, it's ever so slightly jittery but it gets smooth if you thin out usb data to about 300. if you run linnstrument in low power mode, its smooth at full speed (usb data at 0 delay) still can't arpegiate without lost notes, but i'm just glad i can use the axoloti with linnstrument now.

for setting up the linnstrument use latest os for both axoloti and linnstrument.

use the normal mpe mode:
1. channel per note
2. #74 cc y axis
3. channel pressure z axis
4. x axis to taste (per technobear's comment about nrpn support)

and:
1. at this moment run linnstrument in low power mode with usb delay setting of 0 or high power mode with usb delay setting of 300 on linnstrument (results may vary)
2. arpeggiator is unstable for use with axoloti at time of this posting. it works but notes are dropped.

the included library has an object from mark harris (technobear) that makes it easy to setup patches for linnstrument in the above mentioned way. there is an option on the object that allows you to select number of voices and this will maximize cpu overhead on the axoloti.

i have a few instances where some objects glitch some of the settings; the pitch bend range will get knocked into different ranges. if this happens, save your work often while patching and revert to a state where the pitch bend range is at the normal setting with the technobear mpe object.

linnstrument with axoloti recorded direct:

https://soundcloud.com/spunkytoofers/vosimish

[Roger_Linn]

* Set the Linnstrument's setting as follows:
> Timbre/Y - On, CC1 (or else if you didn't assign parameters to ModWheel)

Thanks, 48cube. Just checking-- it does permit using CC74 for Y-axis control, correct? Also, I'd like to credit you on the MPE synths page for the information. Is it OK if I use your real name, which I have on file from your registration?

[48cube]

You are welcome, Roger.
Yes, Kurzweil's V.A.S.T. allows the user to assign everything to anything. It's possible to use CC74 for any parameter. ModWheel/CC1 is just the most obvious modulation source but any CC can be used. Everything is users choice.
Yes, feel free to use my real name.

[thetechnobear]

1. x axis at linnstrument setting of 48.

I support the NRPN for pitchbend range, so if the linnstrument is sending it, Axoloti should 'automatically' adapt.
note: Id assume the linnstrument will only send when initially switched to MPE and when you change the PBR range

anyway glad you enjoying it... axoloti is a lot of fun with these kinds of controllers

[Roger_Linn]

Hi 48cube,

Thanks very much! I've just posted your description to the "MPE Sound Generators" page:

http://www.rogerlinndesign.com/ls-mpe-synths.html

If anyone else is aware of a hardware (or software) synth that permits polyphonic 3d expression via channel-per-note capability and would like to write a clear description of how to set it up for LinnStrument play, please let me know.

[SolarWind]

I've had the Linnstrument for a week now. For playing out I have a Korg X5D keyboard that I run the midi out to, for playing at home I switch between the Korg and a PC with Sonar/Reason. I don't have a laptop or IPad, the sound quality is so much better and more flexible through my PC with Sonar and Reason. On the Korg I cannot do split, or at least I haven't figured out how to yet. I'm looking at hardware synths as that would be easier than lugging a keyboard around when I don't need the keys on it.

[zazz63]

Coming in late .....right now I have my linnstrument proudly hooked up to a cirklon that is controlling an ob6 ..tempest ...prophet08 and moog phatty...

I know I'm only using the linn as a glorified midi keyboard but as a guitar player that is more than enough to be getting along with right now.

I have many basses and guitars ...possibly a stick as my next purchase....and I really don't feel drawn to using the linnstrument to emulate acoustic at this point.

Using the linnstrument in this basic manner I feel it's already paid for itself .....before that I was dabbling with the Roland dr5 which for me was the linnstrument precursor that I purchased back in the mid 90s ....so when I saw rogers latest offering I just new I would get one.

[kimmolainen]

Have anyone tested the Futuresonus PArva with the Linnstrument? It seems to be MPE ready and sounds quite good in some of the demos.

[Roger_Linn]

If you haven't seen it, Geert made this video with the Parva:

[PHY6]

If you haven't seen it, Geert made this video with the Parva:

Interesting little synth, love the design.
Not much sound demos yet though.

[kimmolainen]

Yeah, I saw that video. Does anybody know what kind of modulations you could use the XYZ from the Linnstrument with on the Parva? I think it sounds very promising.