If you’re like me, you’ve been salivating over the LinnDrum II/BoomChick or whatever it’s called, since the announcement from Dave Smith and Roger Linn.
Well, it looks like a bit of the economy set in and they realized that both of their customers wanted something totally different, which would create a super expensive monster machine if there were to please both sides.
Roger put an update on his site in December 2009:
LinnDrum II, a Beat-Centric Music Production Station, is a product being developed in collaboration with Dave Smith Instruments. Following on my (Roger’s) early drum machine products like the LM1-1 Drum Computer, LinnDrum and Linn9000, as well as the MPC product line I originally designed for Akai, the goal of LinnDrum II is be a new musical instrument for the real-time creation and improvisation of beat-oriented music, both in live performance and in the studio. As we’re able to release more information, we’ll be posting it here and broadcasting significant updates to our email list.
Update – December 17, 2009:
Not too much to say but I wanted to post an update. As I mentioned below, Dave and I learned along the way that his customers want a different product than mine, and it’s too expensive in today’s economy to make one product that pleases both. So I’m working on one or more products that, while different from the early LinnDrum II designs shown below, will be powerful, creative and not too expensive. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. I can’t give any product details or release date estimates, but I (and also Dave, by the way) won’t be showing any such product at NAMM. (Roger Linn Design no longer exhibits at trade shows anyway because I don’t think they make much sense in the internet era.) Regarding Dave’s product plans, I can’t speak for him but it wouldn’t hurt to visit his site periodically, if for no other reason than he makes some very fine products. When I have any interesting updates, I promise to post them here.
Nice to have the update, also nice to see Roger is going to continue his work on a new product that will come in at a lower price point than everyone was expecting had he and Dave been able to come out with a dual purpose product.
I don’t know what to think just yet, I’m sure whatever he comes out with will be awesome, but I think many of use were very excited about having a sampling sequencer that also had a real analog synth inside.
Like all of you, I will continue to watch the development of this product and I’m looking forward to whatever it is.
We can continue to wonder what could have been, but I’m more interested in speculating on what will be!
