Speedbump surface

[2pulse]

I'm a few hours into feeling out the 200 surface and it's an absolute banger. Slides are exactly as smooth as I want them to be now, despite some claims here that the original surface didn't suffer from audible stepping in a musical context. I really appreciate that the indent gives tactile feedback at the center of the note rather than the edges, though it's going to take some practice to orient to the new sensation. In any case, I'm all but positive it's going to result in a much more precise playing in the long run. Y-axis control is about 10x more useful now.

One small quibble when playing with quantize is that there is a small horizontal region between semitones that triggers both notes. This was never an issue with the original grid surface, I suppose because the indent between notes discouraged pressure on that part of the sensor. Thankfully it doesn't double-trigger adjacent notes when quantize is off. Would a re-calibration improve the quantize behavior, or is this something that's optimized in the code??

[Csric]

I'm a few hours into feeling out the 200 surface and it's an absolute banger. Slides are exactly as smooth as I want them to be now, despite some claims here that the original surface didn't suffer from audible stepping in a musical context. I really appreciate that the indent gives tactile feedback at the center of the note rather than the edges, though it's going to take some practice to orient to the new sensation. In any case, I'm all but positive it's going to result in a much more precise playing in the long run. Y-axis control is about 10x more useful now.

One small quibble when playing with quantize is that there is a small horizontal region between semitones that triggers both notes. This was never an issue with the original grid surface, I suppose because the indent between notes discouraged pressure on that part of the sensor. Thankfully it doesn't double-trigger adjacent notes when quantize is off. Would a re-calibration improve the quantize behavior, or is this something that's optimized in the code??

I had the same issue when I play in one channel mode: if I put 2 fingers on the same row, then the second finger is likely to trigger 2 nearby notes if put in between. However, this rearly happens when I play in channel-per-note mode. I believe it is on the software side, for an unknown reason.

[2pulse]

I got it wrong in my original assessment. The adjacent note double-trigger only happens when Pitch/X is OFF, and goes away when turned ON, regardless of quantize or channel settings.

I'm now assuming it's an intentional feature to allow for triggering both semitones with one depress at the border when X control is off, given that the original grid surface made it much easier to feel the indent between squares and adjust towards the intended one. I'll take that as a cue to practice more accurate landings on the speedbumps.

[2pulse]

Another strange behavior with the speedbumpy surface is that when QUANT-HOLD-SLOW is selected, the pitch instantly snaps between pitches about half of the time when sliding along the X-axis, and the other half of the time they slide smoothly like they should. It only seems to happen on the SLOW setting and not the fast or normal. Does anyone else observe this?

[TigerBalm]

Black and White 128 surfaces are back in stock! There might be a big rush of orders so please be patient and expect 1 to 2 weeks to ship after you order. Thank you

[GuyaGuy]

I've had my speedbump for a month and a half now. I really like it! When I first saw it, it didn't quite make sense to me and I thought the bumps would slow down gestures--much like real speed bumps! But it's a very natural feel and sort of keeps your fingers in the right place. I use the xyz axes a lot Linnstrument a lot, and this makes the y-axis much easier to use and more expressive. It might be just a psychological thing but the bump helps me better control the aftertouch. And, coming from the fretted instrument world, the divets correspond so neatly to frets to make the navigation so natural.

[TigerBalm]

Thanks for sharing your feedback GuyaGuy. Sounds like it’s working well for you I love to hear it.

The rush from restocking small black surfaces has died down and now I’ve shipped over 500 surfaces! I think we’re approaching 10% LinnStrument conversion.

I’m ordering more black 200 surfaces. They will be available in 2-4 months. Add your email to the waitlist on the black 200 purchase page to be automatically notified when they’re ready.

[Phin Head]

I ordered one of the last white Linnstrument 200 surfaces on Wed 20th from the UK. It arrived just over a week later (super quick), was incredibly easy to fit...and it's a dream. I'm so glad I went for white too as it keeps Roger's original colour aesthetic which I like (cool though the black is!). I'd initially wanted the hotdogs (128 only) but the soybeans are brilliant, smoother for slides anyway, and the learning curve is not nearly as steep as I'd feared even as a Linnstrument beginner (albeit competent pianist).

The engineering is second to none, the surface is a joy to feel and play, and your fingers adjust to the new layout incredibly intuitively. I was able to take off X-quantize almost immediately and it really does make in-tune 'unfretted' multi-finger play (i.e. chord voicing) not just viable but eminently *achievable* after only a little practice.

You have significantly enhanced what was already a masterpiece of design from Roger, and what you've done feels in every respect like a factory original rather than a third party after-market addition, a fact born out by Roger's own ringing endorsements.

Thank you again, Chris (and Roger!), brilliant brilliant work, both.

[TigerBalm]

Thanks for sharing your nice feedback Phin! Amongst people who own both the hot dogs and soy beans, the verdict is almost an even split (I personally lean toward the hot dogs).

All the credit for the material and low friction coating of the surface goes to Roger, who graciously shared his recipe and vendor contact. I did put a lot of effort into the shape of the curves though!