List of MPE Hardware Synthesizers

[WillieJenkins]

The pads look so similar I wonder if they licensed the tech from Roger...

I just bought a Linnstrument on Sunday, and just pre-ordered the Push 3, so I want to compare them a bit.

[BobDog]

Ableton Push 3 is out in both a standalone version and controller only version. MPE pads scarily similar to Linnstrument. My wallet just took a beating. I'm so excited for MPE Grid Instruments and just visibility for MPE control in general. With Ableton joining the MPE game I can truly see a future where MPE instruments/controllers are just as popular as guitars.

As a guitar player I would say there is absolutely no chance of that.

When generative AI has morphed into general AI and the buggers have killed 99.9999% of the human race there will still be two buggers in a cave with a drum and acoustic guitar.

Mark my words.

[Roger_Linn]

The pads look so similar I wonder if they licensed the tech from Roger...

No, they used sensing tech that they developed. The Ableton development team are a very talented bunch, so I'm sure it is well engineered.

Regarding the difference from LinnStrument, I think it comes down to how you plan to use it. Push appears to be targeted at Live users, many of whom of focused more on clip-launching, beats, sequences, and simple play, as demonstrated by the "finger-painting" way of playing demonstrated in its videos, and which works fine for its smaller number of larger pads. By comparison, I focus LinnStrument more on being a fine musical instrument for playing musical notes and chords, as demonstrated by my LinnStrument owner compilation videos, and with smaller and more dense pads that are optimized for playing of musical lines and chords.

I'm very pleased that Ableton is entering the market of expressive touch control instruments. I think it will raise awareness of expressive touch control, which benefits LinnStrument and all other expressive instruments. For example, if someone is considering the $999 controller version of Push for musical play, they may consider it an advantage to pay $100 more for twice the number of pads in LinnStrument 128.

[John the Savage]

Still a prototype but they hope to have it available by the end of the year. Likely to be MPE?

I spoke with Erica Synths about this recently, and they confirmed that it will be MPE-capable and have a USB host port.

I'm excited to hear more sounds from it. While I use my LinnStrument to control a number of different instruments onstage, I've been obsessed with the idea of giving it a "voice". I like the idea of treating the LinnStrument as a single, autonomous instrument, and have considered a number of unique, but limited synths for the job...

SteamPipe is now a contender.

I was also looking at the CHRT Synth. It's monophonic, and definitely a one-trick pony, but it has such a beautiful and expressive voice.

Cheers!

[John the Savage]

I focus LinnStrument more on being a fine musical instrument ...

And that it is, Roger.

In so far as musical virtuosity is concerned, I don't think PUSH is a contender at all.

Besides which, Ableton lost me to Bitwig years ago.

Cheers!

[FranklyFlawless]

Ableton Push 3 is out in both a standalone version and controller only version. MPE pads scarily similar to Linnstrument. My wallet just took a beating. I'm so excited for MPE Grid Instruments and just visibility for MPE control in general. With Ableton joining the MPE game I can truly see a future where MPE instruments/controllers are just as popular as guitars.

Thank you. I have added the Ableton Push 3 as an entry into the Desktop list, and marked its status as released, although currently it is out of stock.

Ableton does have weight in the music production space. It is only a matter of time.

Still a prototype but they hope to have it available by the end of the year. Likely to be MPE?

I spoke with Erica Synths about this recently, and they confirmed that it will be MPE-capable and have a USB host port.

I'm excited to hear more sounds from it. While I use my LinnStrument to control a number of different instruments onstage, I've been obsessed with the idea of giving it a "voice". I like the idea of treating the LinnStrument as a single, autonomous instrument, and have considered a number of unique, but limited synths for the job...

SteamPipe is now a contender.

I was also looking at the CHRT Synth. It's monophonic, and definitely a one-trick pony, but it has such a beautiful and expressive voice.

Cheers!

I appreciate the inquiry you made to Erica Synths. We will have to wait to see whether or not their MPE claim comes into fruition, but for now, I have added the Steampipe into the Desktop list, and marked its status as unreleased.

During the last Zoom call on May 2nd, Roger was interested in getting Surge XT cross-compiled onto the Raspberry Pi. I do not know the current status of this project, but I suspect at the minimum that it is moving forward, and that it may be another option to consider once it has matured into an implementation.

I want the "voice" of my LinnStrument to just be physically-modelled acoustic instruments for now, which is why I chose the Anyma Omega Deskop. Thanks to your work, I will be keeping track of the Steampipe as well for comparison.

[WillieJenkins]

Thats great insight Roger. I am looking forward to comparing and contrasting them.

I'm guessing I'll probably keep both. To your point, what I really want is a creative instrument that allows me to play synths in new ways (I have both a P6 and a Hydrasynth). When Ableton MPE enabled all their synths that when I ended up pulling the trigger as I'll have so many destination sources at that point.

[FranklyFlawless]

I have changed the Invidious instances used for the Behringer UB-Xa and Soulsby Atmultitron to Artemis Lena.

[pmags]

I've had Push 3 in hand for 48 hours now, so consider the below to be "early adopter" feedback:

* Push 3 pad sensitivity and expressiveness is outstanding -- I think they totally nailed the pads in terms of size, sensitivity, and response curves. I'm amazed at how light a touch I can play with and I'm finding it much more reliable in detecting light touches than my 2015 era Linnstrument. For now, I anticipate continuing to use my Linnstrument with my other synths but if Ableton sold a larger stand alone controller with the same pad implementation I'd buy it in a minute.

* You can customize the zones both vertically and horizontally for how the pads respond to pitch bend (X-movement) and slide (Y-movement). This is very useful and something that would be great to integrate into a Mk2 Linnstrument if that ever happens.

* The huge touch sensitive mod strip right next to the pads is super useful as well. It's sensitivity is also outstanding and can be accurately triggered with light pinky touches while I hold chords w/my left hand on the pads

[John the Savage]

I think they totally nailed the pads in terms of size, sensitivity, and response curves.

Are you playing Bach or Hancock on it though?

I got my hands on one recently; and I can tell you, for certain, there's no way I'd be able to play PUSH 3, especially in a chromatic configuration, to the same capacity that I can play the LinnStrument. Playability, after all, is the primary focus of the LinnStrument's design, and the reason why piano keys aren't twice as wide.

Anyway, different horses for different courses, as they say.

I still think Ableton has done the world a service with PUSH 3.

Cheers!

[pmags]

I think they totally nailed the pads in terms of size, sensitivity, and response curves.

Are you playing Bach or Hancock on it though?

Cheers!

I'm not and nor am I doing so on my Linnstrument. I unfortunately don't have a formal classical training background on piano (though I've taken lessons in recent years as an adult).

I also really enjoy the scale mode on the Push 3, which is something that Roger has avoided adding to the Linnstrument. I understand the arguments for not adding it, I just personally find it super helpful.

So, as you say, "horses for courses", but I bet many Linnstrument players who try a Push 3 will be quite impressed by what Ableton has achieved by the Push 3. Especially those who were drawn to the Linnstrument through non-conventional musical training.

[Roger_Linn]

Hey, I’m impressed by what Ableton has done with the new Push. I think it’s wonderful how they’ve democratized music-making and allowed a much larger group of people to have the pleasure of making music.

[FranklyFlawless]

I have added the Behringer UB-Xa D to the Desktop list, and marked its status as unreleased. This is the desktop equivalent of the Behringer UB-Xa.

[John the Savage]

I also really enjoy the scale mode on the Push 3, which is something that Roger has avoided adding to the Linnstrument. I understand the arguments for not adding it, I just personally find it super helpful.

The important thing to acknowledge and understand about "scale modes" though, is that having the playing surface express only the 7 diatonic notes of a single scale is a HUGE impediment. Common musical cadences, borrowed chords, chromaticism, and key changes all become impossible, if a kludge.

Never mind that you cannot learn the composition of a scale, and therefore why it works, if you're not able to visualize the intervals that comprise it, and how those intervals relate to other scales. You need to see all 12 notes for that.

To that end (and Lord knows I've said this a thousand times before), while scale modes can provide instant gratification to a point; make no mistake, they are a crutch, and will ultimately slow your progress as a player, and facilitate the development of muscle-memory that will hold you back in the long run. Bad habits abound...

"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and..."

To paint in perfectly broad strokes, the primary focus of PUSH (as it aligns with the DAW it serves) is to act as an interface for programming notes into clips, and manipulating that data in a meaningful, more immediate, and tactile way. Being able to perform music proficiently, as an instrumentalist, is a distant second for PUSH. Whereas the LinnStrument was designed almost exclusively for that very purpose.

Cheers!

[Roger_Linn]

Hi pmags,

If you haven't seen it, I explain why LinnStrument doesn't remove sharps or flats on my FAQ page, General tab, first FAQ:

https://www.rogerlinndesign.com/support ... ument-faqs

Here's a quote from that page:

"If it's important to you that you never play any sharps or flats, then simply press pads that are lit and don't press any pads that aren't lit, just as you can play only white keys and not black keys on a piano."