Behringer LMDrum (Linndrum)

An sp-1200 would then be just an old bit and a new bit should sound the same, so it’s placebo that draws people to it.

That’s always going to be one side of the coin, and now there is a different audience who enjoys the sound and can’t get their hands on devices which legitimately reproduce it.

I do see your point about the Linn product specifically, but a general statement which mostly just says nostalgia is bullshit is kind of relevant outside of this product because it’s (at it’s core) a stab at anyone who thinks differently.

Like I said I wouldn’t argue with him and ears don’t all hear the same. For example a guy who was developing it probably has a different perspective to the person growing up with it and romanticizing it.

So, in that regard, there are tons of things in this world which represent a person who desires that which delivers on what they’re looking for outside of a computer, and then the people who will argue that a computer can do it better or the same.

Is there more validity to one side than the other? It often seems that to the side proposing one or the other, there is, but outside of that if a person prefers a cheese sandwich to a synthetic cheese sandwich flavored drink, then that’s on the individual person.

I do think that by saying bits are bits, do you think rossum would interpret that as a stab, saying that he’s only reproducing the sp-1200 because it’s a lucrative way to rip off people who don’t know the difference? I’m sure it could be interpreted that way if you wanted to, I don’t necessarily think that.

I don’t think he had any of this in mind at all, he’s just talking about behringer, but in regard to sampling (and generally speaking, this behringer offering is a sampling drum machine) there are a lot of people looking for hardware which achieves a $5000 sound at a $400 price point so it comes down to whether a tech guy’s opinion of current trends in technology is more valid than a musician’s opinion of the fundamental sounds used when they are creating music.

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This is surely true of musicians, too. If you look at most of the early synth geeks—Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Herbie Hancock, John Carpenter, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Suzanne Cianni, etc etc—most of them were enthusiastic adopters of digital instruments and software. Not always to the benefit of their music!

At the same time, I can’t think of very many great musicians in 2025 who are using nostalgia gear to make great music that isn’t gearhead music for other gearheads.

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The price differential is so significant between the two. I also noticed Linn’s assessment that B won’t be making hardly any money, if any, on the LM.

Personally, I think B will never be able to out maneuver their poor reputation, no matter what they do. They had a bad rep 30 years ago, have a bad rep now, and I don’t see that changing.

My personal stance is that I don’t want to pay premium for a strict vintage clone device, like Linn I’m more interested in innovation. Hence my Norand purchase. But that was a huge let down in the end, despite the great sound and interface (poor support really and OS bugs).

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OT

I agree in terms of music which requires some degree of relevant technology but there are a lot of people making great music with vintage guitars and even violins from the 1700’s so we have to draw a line at whether we’re talking about musicians as people who create music or are also willing to include people who play instruments. Not saying that to be ironic, not completely at least.

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I’ve certainly noticed so much enthusiasm for the gear over the music in modern times. I’m 48. Back in my day, no one cared how it was made. We used what we could get.

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Yeah, J Dilla and Madlib weren’t using old (even at the time ) Sp 1200s and MPC 60s and Boss SP-303s for the texture as much as that’s what they could get their hands on.

People were dumping their old for the newer MPCs or computers and that’s what they got.

J Dilla probably wouldn’t even be using that stuff were he alive today. We know Madlib isn’t. Allegedly his whole Bandana Album was made on an iPad and you would never know otherwise.

Again: it’s about the musician not the gear. We often lose side of that fact in these internet spaces where consumerism is constantly pushed onto us.

Like my “it’s the athlete not the shoe” analogy earlier. Behringer makes their money telling people “you can sound like X if you buy this remake of a device.” When in reality you can sound like them in a DAW as well. You don’t need a 303 or a 909 or a LinnDrum to make music that sounds like you used them.

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This has pivoted too far from the LM drum, sorry to anyone not plussed by the discussion, I’m going to leave this alone for now. You guys are all smart and great to talk to, so thanks for that, and I always appreciate people’s opinions and perspectives so thanks for that as well :slight_smile:

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I actually have (had) GAS for this, but I realized that it was mentioned to load Sample from Mars into a DT… This got me thinking that I have a TR8S and MC101… and if I wanted a DT type of modulation, I could run the samples in one of those, and use midi via the Syntakt, and run the audio into its fx block? or just use the MC101.

With so many options available to me, and also realizing the linndrum was already sample based, maybe its smarter to cancel my TWO preorders, seeing which would come in first…

I will say, if you have yet to own anytype of drum machine, this would be the one to try…

Since Im moving in a couple months, its time to make some smart decisions, and maybe pick this up after a couple firmware updates…

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It doesn’t mean that it sounds better but the analogue circuitry will influence the sound of the device, just as it does on an SP or any hybrid machine.

Whether that’s enough for a person to justify purchase is up to them, but 2 preorders is probably not going to make you like the one that you receive any better.

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I’ve been burned by the Norand Mono, what was your negative experience with Erica?

Sweetwater is expected in June for my place in line, and Alto said February. So I was hedging!

For that “Analog Warmth” I have my trusty Analohg Heat mk2. Plus the Samples from Mars stuff is wonderful. So I got their tonal variations to rock.
Good thread everyone. I learned a lot!

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Whoa.

So glad I canceled my preorders.

Not just because of Roger’s ethical concerns but just for his thoughts in general.

“ One last comment. What’s the big deal about nostalgia? I can understand that some people value analog synthesis, though I find the many types of innovative software synthesis created in recent decades to be far more capable, versatile and interesting. But even if people value vintage analog synths, why vintage digital drum machines? I ask this because an old bit is no different than a new bit

                       -Mr Linndrum
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Really? That’s strange. Most musicians I know use some vintage gear, especially the more successful ones who can afford it.

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Chromeo and Mike Dean come to mind. Jake One still uses his Ensonique.

This thread is going in circles and there’s some weird flagging going on. What gives?

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How do I feel about another user posting the same link you just posted yesterday? My feelings are mixed. On the one hand, it’s not unusual for users to borrow links from older posts in order to inspire a new and innovative comment, which I’ve done in past. Plus, my old posts all over the web, controlling copying is difficult, and I don’t enjoy legal stuff so I’ve generally ignored the issue so far.

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Marketing thread is being hijacked by open discourse

And I am saving GAS

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That’s a bizarre response to my post. How does flagging posts relate to promoting open discourse?

Note in case it’s not clear: I’m not suggesting you’re the one adding flags. But someone above has flagged posts from @shigginpit and @OldmanChompski that seem totally consistent with open discussion.

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I think the Linn statement is more about the original samples on the LinnDrum (old bit / new bit) vs the sound the machine imparts on those. I read that as him questioning the need to recreate a box that can process samples accurately to the old linndrum but then use it with the same samples. Nostalgia for a sound he likely settled on due to the tech limitations of the time probably wouldnt make sense to him. Makes me laugh to think he may have wished it could have sounded better if he had better tech, and 35-40 years later he sees it cloned with all the limitations of the time.

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Ive used the Sample from Mars Linndrum samples on the S2400 with great results.

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