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| Linn LM-1 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Linn LM-1 |
| Manufacturer | Roger Linn / LM-1 Drum Computer |
| Introduced | 1980 |
| Discontinued | 1983 |
| Synthesis | digital samples |
| Polyphony | 10 voices |
| Timbrality | multi-timbral |
| Memory | 24 patterns |
| Control | MIDI (retrofits), CV/Gate (mods) |
Linn LM-1 The Linn LM-1 was the first drum machine to use digital samples of acoustic drums, developed by designer Roger Linn and produced by Linn Electronics in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It influenced production techniques used by artists such as Prince, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and producers including Trevor Horn, Quincy Jones, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The LM-1's sounds appeared on landmark albums across pop, rock, R&B, and electronic music, helping bridge studio practice between analog consoles from Neve Electronics and emerging digital workstations like the Fairlight CMI.
Roger Linn conceived the LM-1 after collaborating with Gunnar Olsen and consulting with engineers from companies such as Apple Computer and E-mu Systems. Development occurred amid contemporaneous innovations by Tom Oberheim and Dave Smith and in the context of studios employing consoles by API and SSL (Solid State Logic). The LM-1's 1980 release followed pioneering sampler work by the Fairlight CMI and preceded the commercial spread of MIDI by several years. Early adopters included Stevie Wonder and Gary Numan, and its uptake was catalyzed when Prince used LM-1 sounds on the album 1999 and subsequent releases, prompting orders from studios such as Paisley Park Studios.
The LM-1 featured dedicated sample playback for individual instruments recorded at 28 kHz and stored in selective digital memory, enabling ten-voice polyphony and multi-timbral arrangements. Housed in a metal chassis with wooden side panels, the front panel employed tactile buttons inspired by designs from Oberheim Electronics and Roland Corporation products; its voltage‑controlled trigger outputs and retrofit options later interfaced with gear from Moog Music and ARP Instruments. Internal circuitry used microprocessors contemporaneous with those in products by Intel and MOS Technology; sampling memory constraints led to short, gated samples for kick, snare, toms, hi-hat, and cymbals. Controls included level, tuning, and decay for select voices, and external clocking allowed synchronization with drum machines such as the Roland TR-808 and sequencers by Sequential Circuits.
The LM-1 incorporated a step and real-time pattern sequencer with quantize-like functions that paralleled sequencing in devices by Emulator and Fairlight. Users could program patterns into 24 pattern slots and chain patterns into songs, a workflow adopted by producers at A&M Records, Warner Bros. Records, and Arista Records. The sound architecture relied on sampled transients; creators compensated for limited sample fidelity using mixing consoles by Neve Electronics and processing from outboard units by Lexicon and AMS (Advanced Music Systems). Groove and swing were achieved through timing offsets rather than velocity sensitivity, influencing later sequencers such as those by Akai Professional and Yamaha Corporation.
LM-1 sounds are prominent on Prince albums including 1999 and Purple Rain, and on Peter Gabriel's solo records including Security. The LM-1 appears on tracks produced by Trevor Horn and on studio sessions at AIR Studios and Electric Lady Studios, heard alongside performances by David Bowie, Duran Duran, and Madonna. Its timbres contributed to the sonic identity of 1980s pop and R&B hits, shaping programming choices at labels such as Motown and Island Records. The LM-1 also affected electronic music scenes tied to venues like The Haçienda and influenced sampling practices later formalized by artists on Def Jam Recordings and 4AD.
Contemporary reviewers compared the LM-1 to drum machines from Roland and Oberheim, praising its realistic timbres but noting high cost and limited memory. The LM-1 established a precedent for sample-based rhythm production that informed successors including the LinnDrum, the Akai MPC series, and software samplers by Steinberg and Ableton. Museums and exhibitions at institutions such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Smithsonian Institution have featured the LM-1 in narratives about electronic music history. Collectors, restoration technicians, and boutique builders continue to maintain LM-1 units, while its sonic fingerprint persists in contemporary productions by artists like Kanye West and The Weeknd who reference 1980s textures.
Linn Electronics followed the LM-1 with the more affordable LinnDrum and then the Linn 9000, incorporating lessons from contemporaries like Sequential Circuits and competitors including Yamaha and Roland Corporation. Related products included sampling and sequencing systems such as the Fairlight CMI and drum machines like the Roland TR-808 and Oberheim DMX, which coexisted in studios and influenced hybrid setups used by producers for labels like Island Records and Sire Records.
Category:Drum machines