The LinnDrum, also referred to as the LM-2,[1] is a drum machine manufactured by Linn Electronics between 1982 and 1985. About 5,000 units were sold.[2][3] It was used on many recordings in the 1980s.
LinnDrum | |
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Manufacturer | Linn Electronics |
Dates | 1982–1985 |
Price | US $2,995 |
Technical specifications | |
Polyphony | polyphonic 12 voices |
Timbrality | multitimbral 15 parts |
Synthesis type | 8-bit digital samples, 28–35 kHz |
Storage memory | 56 user patterns, 42 preset drum patterns, 49 songs |
Effects | Individual level and pan for all sounds, tuning for snare, tom and conga only |
Input/output | |
Keyboard | 15 hard plastic "pads" |
External control | DIN sync (pre-MIDI), third-party MIDI Retrofit Kit, trigger inputs x5 |
The LinnDrum was designed by the American engineer Roger Linn.[4] His first drum machine, the Linn LM-1, was released in 1980; it retailed for $5,500,[5] making it affordable only to wealthy musicians and studios.[6] The LinnDrum was cheaper and more widely produced than the LM-1.[4]
The LinnDrum was popular for its high-quality samples, flexibility and affordability. It sold far more units than its predecessor (the LM-1) and its successor (the Linn 9000) combined.[3] It was used by artists and producers including Trevor Horn,[7] Stock Aitken Waterman,[8] Haim,[9] Sandy Vee,[10] Justin Hayward,[11] and Michael Jackson.[12] When Linn Electronics closed in 1986, Forat Electronics purchased its assets[13] and offered service, sounds and modifications for the LinnDrum.[14]
The models also had some teething issues, but those were addressed with two revisions of the LM-1, before a cheaper successor, the LinnDrum – not the LM-2, as it is commonly mis-titled – was introduced in 1982.