The Linn LM-1: The Drum Machine that changed everything
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- This is the story of the Linn LM-1, the world's first ever digital drum machine. Iconic and incredibly rare, you're unlikely to ever see one (only 500 ever made). One was on sale and the owner was generous enough to let me test it and film it briefly before it went.
Here's a link to the samples recorded from it: www.dropbox.co...
Some credits:
The music track in it that a lot of people ask about: alexball.bandc...
Many synth posters and images taken from this amazing archive: retrosynthads.b...
It transpires that the PAIA image I downloaded that appears for a few seconds was not (as I thought) manufacturers publicity material but actually scanned from a recent Joe Mansfield book "Beat Box". Apologies to Joe. The book is available on Amazon: www.amazon.co....
Rhythmicon audio sampled from here: • Rhythmicon demonstration
EKO ComputerRhythm audio sampled from here: • Video
Rhythm Ace audio sampled from here: • Ace Tone Rhythm Ace FR...
Chamberlin Rhythmate rhythms from this library: optigan.com/sh...
Roland CR-78 samples from this library: samplesfrommar...
LinnDrum and Linn 9000 samples from here: beatmachine.co.uk/
Some info and images from here: www.rogerlinnde...
All other music composed and recorded by Alex Ball
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The music track heard at the end: alexball.bandcamp.com/track/linn-lm-1-synths
How do you add effects to each...sound?
finally. too bad its so short. thx tho
Alex, could you perhaps make it into a full song sometime? It sounds really nice
That sounds just like the human league..
Sounds like the human league
Roger Linn is not only a genius, he's one of the nicest and most humble human beings on the planet. I just got off the phone with him an hour ago. I bought a LinnStrument about a week ago and it stopped being recognized by my PC yesterday. After a few emails back and forth, he gave me his home phone number to give him a call. We tried a few things and couldn't get it working, so he's overnighting me a new one tomorrow. Now that's customer service! Then he asked me about my music making and we chatted a bit about that. Who does that these days? What an amazing guy.
Lamfy What a great story! Those big US three (Dave Smith, Tom Oberheim, Roger Linn) all seem so humble and down to earth, considering what they invented and pioneered!!
Lamfy Awesome story. It was cool watching him in the movie Sound City talk about making the first one. He described it as just another tool, but not a replacement for a real drummer. Drum machines for all their technology will never recreate “ feel”.
He's honestly just amazed someone bought one
It’s a shame that Rogers work on DSI Tempest was brought to a halt with the final OS still being incomplete/buggy. That said even with its faults the Tempest is truly mind bending and flexible, equally strong as a drum machine and at the same time a 6 voice analog/digital hybrid synthesizer. It remains my favourite all time instrument.
@@AlexBallMusic I would say four with Dave Rossum ;)
Never knew the history behind these machines. What a guy, I can't believe people are arguing about this VS a real drummer. Music is so expressive that both are great options depending on the sound you have in mind! Great invention!
It's nothing new. A similar argument arose with the Fairlight and musicians fearing the Fairlight would put them out of business. Why pay session musicians when one could hire a Fairlight. Obviously, the fear was unfounded.
Great sounds and a great story. This is why Alex ball is one of my favorite music channels. fantastic upload thank you
Thanks Woody! Right back at you.
good to see you here Woody. Cheers!
Hi Tim :)
Yeah this was really cool. Historical and audiological.
I have always wanted a history of the drum machine.... and now i have it. PRICELESS.
Just listened to your album : loved it. It's really well worked out and the humor throughout is great :)
There's always a surprise in the harmony, instrumentation or the mix itself until the end that keeps me hooked !
Pablo Cortina Thank you! Glad you liked it. Was on the bucket list to do an album, so it's a bonus if anyone likes it.
The LM1 was the start of the beginning and is still a great machine!!
Thanks for this amazing video. I love how you take the time to have us hear the music for our selves. I love old music stuff!
Thanks for a very cool video, and the LM-1 is mentioned many times on a YT series about Paisley Park and Prince from the people which worked there...
Thanks for the samples. I also recommend the Aly James Lab VPROM vst plugin. It's 40 euros but it's worth the money.
Probably the best review of the Linn. Thanks.
In the 2015 song "Go Slow", the Linn LM-1 was heard.
A legend! the Linn LM-1 also was used by *Falco* on their first great debut "Der Kommisaar/ Junge Romer" , *ABC* on "The Look Of Love" , *Malcolm McLaren* on Hip-Hop tracks on their "Duck Rock Album".
Rose Royce also used it on Love Don't Live Here Anymore.
I love the crazy ass prerecorded drums on the Chamberlain rhythmate
Another trick the LM-1 had up its sleeve. Roger Linn really eked everything from the tiny memory chips: ruclips.net/video/cyFCy0DffZc/видео.html
daym man thanks for this link! this variation in each sample means EVERYTHING to the ear...makes it more "alive". Explains a LOTTTT
Yep! Very clever. Should be possible to copy the envelope technique in a DAW. Here's the same thing demonstrated on the SCI Drum Traks: www.nattvard.com/cmi/how-the-hihat-in-sci-drumtraks-works/
the LM-1 sounds are FAT, I don't know how, but they are very substantial sounding compared to the others
As well as the raw recordings and the crunch from the low sample rate and bit rates, the companding also contributes to that.
If you want to get very nerdy: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companding
Thanks that was new to me. I thought that lower bit rates were higher noise, I'm doing more searching on this. I have an old sp505 that makes my samples sound better than recording them in a DAW, they seem compressed or processed and shiny, fat. I don't know what's going on in the process. It's like I'd rather do all my recoding in the 505 rather than any DAW since it makes it sound finished, or mastered. I seems counter intuitive to say that lower bit rate makes a sound more full when higher bit rates are supposed to be superior, unless it's the compression or companding in which the sound is being processed, and processed better than any of my own compressor units can achieve.
My all time favorite drum machine. I've used it in some way or another in every one of my pieces with percussion.
Mattzart Still very usuable sounds. Love them.
The Linn LM-1 and Oberheim DMX are/were heard in the 1986 IVE (now Artisan Entertainment) theme.
Great machine, great video. Thanks for the samples Alex!
wizzie65 Thanks. Enjoy the samples.
This was a great short lesson for me. Good mini docu. Danke! 👍
Man, you're such an inspiring artist and content creator. Every single vid is genius. U should get 10000000 views but I don't know why you don't get them. You definitely have my support my friend!!! and thank you so much for the videos and the samples, you're the best!
Thanks Yotam! Kind if you. Enjoy the samples.
These are quality samples!! Thank you!!
Enjoy!
you're doing gods work by posting those sample wav files
Thanks, Alex. I liked your chords so much in the demo at the end and made a small study of the arrangement on my synths :)
Thanks, glad you like them. Just the usual 80s sound, sus2 and sus4 all day.
I used to have an oberheim prommer and program my own eprom drum samples for a Drumtraks -- but you can put the same eproms in this machine. One thing the documentary misses out is that all the sounds are changeable by replacing the eprom chips with ones that contain different samples. Sorry, the rest was great!
He said that the chips are removeabke
Amazing content, amazing informations, amazing track and amazing value overall! Many thanks
Thank you so much for the samples! 🙏😀
The Roland TR-808 cowbells, Roland TR-808 claps and Linn LM-1 are/were heard in the song How Will I Know (1985) and I Wanna Dance with Somebody (1987).
Thank you so much for the pretty samples.
these documentaries are absolutely wonderful!!! e MUITO obrigada pelos samples!
Honestly the linnstrument needs more attention. It's a wonderful instrument with wonderful capabilities.
How weird that I hear about the Linn 9000 only now! I must lived under a stone...
Thanks for the video. Well done and very informative.
The Linn 9000 is probably the best sounding one! "You spin me round" by Dead or Alive is Linn 9000. Stock Aitkin and Waterman used it to death.
Alex Ball Sometimes best sounding is not what you'll be after 😉
Very true. The LM-1 tuned low sounds awesome. But the fidelity is laughable. Have you downloaded the samples? Listen to the lowest clap!
Alex Ball Downloaded the samples, nice set, put them in Live right away. Err, yeah, that lowest clap. Is this a challenge in finding ways to use it musically...? 😉
No bro..
hip hop producers of the 80’s & 90’s use to make reference to the linn drum in their songs.
That Linn was used by Prince on almost every hit he made from 1982 to 1987.
Let me get more cowbell! (Great video!)
Great history of drum machines. Thanks for this excellent work. Liked/subbed/sharing ;) Thanks very much for the killer links and samples as well. Cheers!
Great, many thanks. Love the Bertie Wooster-like segment at the beginning.
Big thanks for the LM1 samples...directly from the unit. Theres a big mess online of what appears to be packs of "LM1" samples that are really Linndrum or badly distorted or truncated LM1 samples its a dogs breakfast. Nice to have a new set of samples to work with cheers!
Absolutely, there's a lot of confusing sample packs out there! The best collection is here: www.beatmachine.co.uk/sample-packs.html
The LM-1 samples, Linn Drum Samples and Linn 9000 samples are all in there. The LM-1 samples match the ones I recorded, so it's definitely an LM-1 and it's more comprehensive than mine and only £3.99!
3:34 love it
The LM-1 used in Gary Numan " Night Talk " from his " Dance " sounded awesome !!!!
I love that Linnstrument 128 he created Its an amazing electronic emulation of string and wind instruments.
Man, make another vid like this but an hour long. It was incredible, thanks dude.
Got a 2 hour long documentary on ARP Instruments coming up...
Just if anyone was wondering the Linn Drum was also used in Michael Jackson’s “Wanna be startin something”
Oh yes it's on Wanna be starting Something and the title track Thriller.
oh man i was wondering how they created that slick beat ! i love it !
It was also use on new edition Album
roger church the best beat is Jeff Porcaro on a drumkit in that song.
@@bobbycowper2915 He was acquitted , so that means nothing to you? It is well documented
Now, we got Linneapolis!
1:54 Last Living Souls?
Enola Gay - OMD too
Fantastic doc. Well done.
Thanks
It was used to make the drums of the Thriller Album in 1982 by The King Of Pop Michael Jackson
Love this track
How is the music genre of the song at 3:34 min called? I love the sound but I‘m not able to find simmelar music
Mix of 80s Electro and 80s synth pop.
Mid 80s electro synth pop
Mr Linn thank you for your contribution to making music accelerate to another level! I was able to play around on a Linn drum amd OB drum machine as a Teenager hanging in Bay Area studios where Legends recorded at! It was fun times
I saw these Linn machines from time to time in pawn shops in the early 90’s. The 80’s sound was pretty tired by then, so these were thought of as junk.
There's even a video somewhere of some dingus shooting up a LinnDrum. I had an LM-2 and loved it to bits, but it was a casualty of my divorce :-(
@@chriswareham hope it didnt work before he shot it up.... Not many of these left around, its like smashing dinosaur fossils
That last song is magic.
Honestly amazed Behringer hasn’t remade this into a $200 portable yet.
It sounds sooo good.
And yeah Prince was a beast on it
I had the Roland TR707!! Thank YOU Roger Linn #HumanSuperHero 🙌🏻💥🙏🏻🎶💪🏻💯
awesome. great video man!
3:07 I can never hear the CompuRhythm without thinking of Gary Numan. Evenings spent trying to do my homework while listening to everything from the Tubeway Army "face album" to Telekon... those were the days!
Excellent Content mate !
This is great one....
Whats the track starting from 7 min?
Holding my breath til Behringer produces the LM 1 clone..
The appeal is the look of the original and the lofi digital tech of the day. Wonder if a clone would be anything like it.
Good alternatives are the Oberheim DMX/DX, Drumtraks etc which can still be found at not too hideous prices. That will probably change.
Shack up the Linn Lm1 with a Roland TB 303 and you have awesomeness!
thank you so much!
I remember hearing Bruce Hornsby complain about people asking what happened to the Range? His band from his first couple of albums. He said "on that first record it was just me and a damn Linn drum!"
Haha. Nice quote.
I know Stock Aitken and Waterman credited "Mr Linn" or something similar as the drummer on some albums.
Still got my Roland r8
Amazing video. Thanks!
Thanks
cool sounds.
Thanks for the samples!!! Great Video!
Thank you for the great video
I might not but right but I think the Roland tr-808 was the game changer with its first 808 sound called Boom.
In a different way. The TR-808 came out the following year and used the older analogue techniques with a digital sequencer (an evolution from the CR-78 that came before). It had some initial success but was out of fashion 18 months later and discontinued.
It was picked up half a decade or more later when young producers got them in bargain bins and pawn shops. It then became intrinsic to new and emerging styles and became a desirable sound, which was odd as it had been discontinued years earlier.
The Linn LM-1 was an entirely different story. It was the first digital drum machine with actual samples on it. This totally changed music permanently from that point on in a very different way to the 808.
Btw, the whole Roland story is here if you're interested: ruclips.net/video/JcbpRMZIQ8g/видео.html
@@AlexBallMusic Thanks for the information! I think you got what I tried to say. its a different kind of change and I have to agree the Linn LM-1 had a bigger impact on the music industry than the Tr-808
Prince programmed the shit outta this box. And now something different: your channel is pure gold.
what is the name of the outro track???? i gotta have it
Awesome song.
I've just discovered this video on a recommendation from RUclips - I'm really glad I followed the link! Great video on my favourite drum machine ever. And is that your music in the background, Alex? I LIKE it! You've got a sub from me...now - must check out your other videos......;-)
Oh and that's really cool of you to provide samples as well. Full Brownie points! ;-)
Thanks for stopping by. The background music is mine, yes. Enjoy the samples.
The same story with all electrical devices .. they start off being very expensive because it was either created in the US ..then the Japanese /come along and make it cheaper for the masses
Great work and makes all the difference that you arrange music for your documentaries. Can we have one on Fairlight perhaps?
A Fairlight one might be on the cards in the next year or so. Depending upon several factors.
Fully recognise huge resources must go into making these. Your Friend? Roland doc is outstanding.
There's a couple lurking, but in various states of functionality and they require specialist knowledge of both vintage electronics and computing to bring them back to life (if they can be brought back).
If that happens then I might be able to feature one in a video and tell the story.
I did a breakdown of the Terminator 2 music and there's a real Fairlight CMI III in that, but being played by a friend on another channel in Australia.
"100 Things I Do" is his channel if you want to see some (working) Fairlight videos.
Fantastic Alex!!!!
Thanks!
Great video..Thanks..
1:23 leaving a pair of sneakers in the dryer 👟
Please do more videos like this ... 😎
Great video man
Wonderful!
What would be great, in addition to these individual samples, would be full rhythm loops. That way it could be put to use without having to construct a rhythm from scratch. Any chances?
Roger Linn is The Godfather of drum machines
I was under the impression that the samples were recorded by the great Jeff Porcaro of Toto
Where can I find that tune that starts at 4:00? Love it!!
Yes, it’s lovely
It's something I wrote for the film with my synths and the samples of the LM-1. Glad you like it. :)
@@AlexBallMusic so it's not on your albums, right?
@@AJ-on-youtube Not on my albums. It's just a short track. It's heard in full at the end of this video.
Here you go: alexball.bandcamp.com/track/linn-lm-1-synths
Alex Ball,
I have Linn LM-1 number 302. It’s in fantastic condition overall. It’s currently getting serviced to bring it back up to 100%.
Is there anything I can do for you?
You mentioned you got the one you encountered all sampled up, right?
Gawd… in a freakin’ BIN??!! Dear lord…
Lemme know, mate. 👍
That was my first best machine my mother got mr from a used store on 75th and cottage grove then i became beat maker 😏
7:34
and, of course...
*Oberheim DX*
thank you
Great video. You have yourself a new subscriber.
THANKS!!!!!!
What is the music that starts at 4.00? Its sublime!! Gorgeous lol
That's something I composed myself for the film. Bit of JX-3P and DX7 mainly, with the LM-1 samples.
@@AlexBallMusic its great! Any chance of uploading that as a complete track?
I only made it the length it is in the video, will have to make an extended version at some point. Glad you like it.
@@AlexBallMusic thankyou for taking the time to reply to me. Just got yourself a new subscriber. All the best mate
Thanks Luke
Behringer version coming out in the next year
Nice
Great nice...
Fantastic history, thank you. 👍👍
5:22 Captions say it is a TR-808, not a TR-707 😁
So they do. How weird.
Don’t forget Stock, Aitken and Waterman in UK. Just listen to any Rick Astley song, Kylie...
Yes indeed, probably the most famous Linn 9000 users. At some point I might be able to borrow the rare 9000 to do a specific video on it.
Prince got more out of the Linn Drum Machine than anyone else in music history. It was the perfect musical marriage.
Absolutely. Linn LM-1 is to Prince as Stratocaster is to Jimi
oo oo oooh ai hahooo ooh yea ai doobeedoo doo when doves cry
What’s that one that features so prominently in _1999_ ? I think he used it in severral other places as well.
Stock Aitken Waterman had their fair of share Linn drums to compete with Prince
That's because He is the Righteously Masterious Hero.
I still can picture Prince late at night working with the Linn Drum to the wee hours of the next day.
Dark VadeR and afterwards they would share a cigarette! ; )
with a chard of glass with some coke on it and a bad bitch with red lipstick begging him to come to bed.
He wore a raspberry beret
I used to think it was ironic that Phil Collins had a drum machine, and that it was on his biggest hit.
Im the air tonight is a roland cr-78, not a linn
Mamma by genesis is a linn drum
He used Rolands. What's strange is on the song "Take Me Home" he had another drummer, Chester Thompson, program the drum machines as well play regular drums.
Phil was a fan of the 808
It’s not the tool, it’s how you use it.
@@eelcovvliet Sussudio is most definitely a LinnDrum..
Back in 1986, I found a LinnDrum at a local music store. I talked the salesman into selling it to me for $200. Yep, $200! It was in excellent condition too. I loved that thing. I used the triggers in the back with Simmons pads also. Fun 80's stuff ensued. It was stolen from me, unfortunately. :-(
Ouch, what a thing to get stolen! Did you have it for a long time?
did you ever find out who stole it?
@@therealtony2009probably was stolen by the very people who knew he had it and knew what it was