Hi from Roger Linn--
Here's my August 1st, 2026 LinnStrument Newsletter, featuring some items of possible interest to LinnStrument owners or enthusiasts. If there's anything you'd like to see in future newsletters, please let me know.
- Roger
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| LinnStrument price reduced to $1599 | | In January, after 12 years of no price increases after multiple manufacturing cost increases, I raised the price of the large LinnStrument model from $1499 to $1649. Unfortunately this coincided with a slowdown in the economy, so my sales of LinnStrument have slowed. So I've decided to lower the price a little, from $1649 to $1599, effective now. | | VariFlute Synth from Audio Modeling | | |
Many LinnStrument players use the SWAM software instruments from Audio Modeling, which are physical models of most acoustic wind and bowed-string instruments. Unlike sample libraries, these instruments respond in a very natural and organic way to LinnStrument's three dimensions of touch control.
Last fall, Audio Modeling released an interesting new instrument called VariFlute, which uses their modeling technology to modify the physical characteristics of a tube-based instrument such as flute, recorder, bansuri or similar tube-based instruments. I've been using it and like how it permits the traditional sounds to be stretched, using intuitive and musically useful controls like Pipe Length, Pipe Diameter, Aperture, Resonance and Breath Noise.
Like everything from Audio Modeling, I find VariFlute to have excellent sound quality and useful controls. If you haven't tried it out, I recommend watching their introduction video above, downloading their free demo, or buying it for only $39.
| | In Beta: PolySWAM from Audio Modeling | | |
Here's another news item from Audio Modeling. Like me, you probably like their SWAM software instruments because of the excellent sound quality, as well as natural expressive malleability under LinnStrument's expressive touch control. But given that they are all monophonic instruments, you may have also wished to be able to occasionally play chords.
If so, then you'll be pleased to learn that Audio Modeling has released a public beta of PolySWAM, a forthcoming instrument that permits polyphonic play of SWAM instrument sounds, as well as many useful features for orchestration. Here's how they describe it:
"From the very beginning, SWAM has deliberately remained monophonic. Not because polyphony wasn't desirable, but because realism and expressive control have always come first.
Rather than changing SWAM, we created an entirely new instrument designed to find the right balance between the expressiveness and performance realism of SWAM instruments and the possibilities offered by polyphony."
To learn more or sign up for the beta, click here.
| | Preview: New Synth by Max Bajzek | | There's an exciting new expressive synth being developed by Max Bajzek AKA ThoughtForm, who is a skilled LinnStrument player, the creator of great sounds for Surge XT's "LinnStrument MPE" library, and a talented coder. The working title of his synth is "Pandora's Box" and I'm very excited about an early version that he let me try out. It is capable of a highly versatile array of sounds, using a system of connecting graphic modules and wires (screenshot below) to build patches, and just about anything can modulate anything else. For example, a subtractive synth may consist of oscillator, filter and amplitude modules. A physical modeled synth would consist of various exciter and resonator modules. And an FM synth would consist of an oscillator module modulating the pitch of another oscillator module. It's not yet ready for a beta release, but Max has created the above preview video to give you a better sense of it. If you'd like to be notified when Max has a beta availaable, visit Max's site. Given Max's high skill in expression touch control on LinnStrument, I'm confident that this synth will be a good fit for LinnStrument. | | LinnStrument is made in California | | |
Earlier this year, my manufacturer of 12 years, Leemah Electronics of my local northern California, informed me that they will cease operations at the end of this year. This required me to find a new manufacturer, which was difficult but I found another good one here in northern California. Some friends recommended Asian manufacturing for lower cost, but I like the ability to drive over to my manufacturer to personally inspect each new manufacturing batch before shipping to insure quality from a musician's point of view, and to immediately solve any problems. Plus I prefer to support the US economy, and with the current 31% tariff on Chinese imports, the cost is about the same anyway. And I don't have to worry about Trump waking up angry and suddenly raising the import tariff, so I feel safer manufacturing locally.
The picture above is of me and my old friend Tom Oberheim, taken in 2017 at Leemah Electronics, when Tom and I were both testing our products that were made there. Leemah is full of good and honest people who took special care to make each LinnStrument perfect, for which I will always be grateful.
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The next "All things LinnStrument" Zoom call is this Tuesday August 4th at 10 am California time. All are welcome-- LinnStrument owners and those interested in LinnStrument. I'm happy to answer questions from potential buyers or newbies, and interesting discussions often ensue between owners about tips, techniques, specific synths, or editing the source code.
To get the Zoom meeting link, click here or click "Monthly Zoom call with Roger" from the LinnStrument Support page. I hope you can join the meeting, if not this one then on any future first Tuesday of the month at 10 am California time.
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