Roger Linn Design LinnStrument firmware

Feature In Per-Split Settings > MIDI Mode, holding ONE CHANNEL now resets all MIDI settings as they are after a Reset command. Similar to holding ChPerNote to quickly change all settings for MPE synths, this is useful for quickly changing all MIDI settings for use with common preset sounds of One Channel synth that are optimized for MIDI piano keyboards: Main channel: 1 Bend Range: +/- 2 Timbre/Y: CC74 Loudness/Z: Poly Pressure If MIDI Mode is set to ChPerNote and you change either the Bend Range setting or hold ChPerNote to force MPE settings, LinnStrument sends a MIDI RPN 0 “Pitch Bend range” message, which sets the external synth to the same bend range. Bug fixes When using the Arpeggiator to arpeggiate through a held chord and you lifted one finger of the chord, the arpeggio order would reset to the starting note. Fixed. When split was on with CC Faders on in one split and Low Row on in the other, sometimes the Low Row lights would turn on on the other split. Fixed. When receiving a Bend Range configuration message through MIDI, LinnStrument would echo it back to the MIDI out, which was unnecessary. Fixed. When LinnStrument would receive a MIDI Stop command to stop its Step Sequencer, it would unnecessarily echo it back out to the MIDI out. Fixed. When enabling Legato with the Arpeggiator in Channel Per Note mode, playing the same chord repetitively would add a new root note each time. Fixed. (This bug existed in interim version 2.3.2 and all earlier versions, and was fixed in version 2.3.3.)

New Feature Custom Light Patterns You can now create your own custom light patterns for LinnStrument’s note lights, independently setting each note pad to any of 10 colors or off. You can create 3 different custom light patterns, and they remain stored after turning power off. The Scale Select feature (in Global Settings, column 1) is now used to also select or create the custom light patterns. Until now, there were 12 Scale Select memories, named C through B. (These are merely identifiers, using the 12 printed labels printed below the buttons, with no relation to the musical keys C though B.) The first 9 memories (C through G#) work exactly as before and as described in the Panel Settings page. The upper 3 Scale Select memories (A, A# and B) are now changed to hold the 3 new custom light patterns. Note: when you update to version 2.3.0 software, any scales you had previously entered into Scale Select memories A, A# or B will be deleted. Here's how the custom light patterns feature works: To display one of the 3 custom light patterns, enter Global Settings then: 1) In column 1 (“View”), press Scale Select. 2) In columns 2 through 4, briefly press Scale Select button A, A# or B. By default, Scale Select “A” contains traditional guitar neck dots. Scale Select “A#” is a C major scale with a different color for each scale note. And Scale Select “B” is blank. 3) Press Global Settings to turn it off. Your selected light pattern will appear. To Edit one of the 3 custom light patterns, enter Global Settings then: 1) In column 1 (“View”), press Scale Select. 2) In columns 2 through 4, HOLD Scale Select memory A, A# or B. You have now entered the light editor screen and the existing contents of the selected memory will appear. 3) To set the color of a pad: repeatedly press the blinking Switch 1 button until it shows your desired color, rotating through the 10 available colors. Then press any note pad to change it to that color. 4) To erase any note pad: hold it. [...]

Improvements Touch sensitivity of LinnStrument 128 was slightly less than that of the large LinnStrument model. They are now the same. The range of the Touch Sensor Prescale parameter in Global Settings (which could adjust the output of the touch sensor) has been increased from the former 50-100%, to the new 50- 200%, permitting the option to increase sensitivity to very light touches even more than before. Warning: settings above 100 might cause notes within chords to trigger falsely, decrease velocity accuracy, or produce maximum velocity or pressure values with only medium playing force. When using the “MPE” shortcut to set all MIDI settings for MPE play (in Per-Split Settings > MIDI mode column, hold ChPerNt), Bend Range was formerly set to 24. It is now set to 48, the standard for MPE synths. Also, our downloadable file of LinnStrument sounds for Apple's Logic and MainStage has been updated for an MPE Bend Range of 48 instead of the former 24. There was a brief delay after a note pad was physically released before sending the Note Off message. It is now much shorter. Thanks to Connor Golden for implementing this fix. Bug fixes In the Step Sequencer, muting the sequence of the split that was not selected would mute its sequence but not turn on the Mute button’s light. Fixed. In the Step Sequencer, if a sequence was set to Drums mode, transposing the sequence would transpose the drum note numbers, which makes no musical sense. Fixed. In the Step Sequencer, if transposing a sequence down such that the transposed note numbers would go below 0, this would cause an “underflow” error, resulting in high note numbers of 127 and below. (For example, note number 6 transposed down 8 semitones would result in note number 126.) Fixed. [...]

(NOTE to coders: The version 2.2.1 OS update is contained in these Updater apps. However, if a file ending in ".bin" is located in the same directory, the Updater app will assume it is a LinnStrument OS file and load it instead. So it's best to put the Updater app in a directory that contains no other .bin file, of in a separate directory if you're not sure.) Bug fixes After 2.2.0, the Global Settings LED would no longer blink 1/4 notes in sync to received MIDI Clock. Fixed. When playing the Step Sequencer from internal tempo by pressing the Play (Switch 2) button, the Global Settings LED's tempo blinking was not in correct sync to the playing tempo. Fixed. In version 2.2.0 a new feature was added, "Permit reading of any panel setting from MIDI NRPN messages", but when reading NRPN 243 (the 6 All Settings" memories), only the 4 memories of version 2.1.0 could be read. Fixed. Note: To install any of the previous versions (below) on Mac OS Mojave, you must use the version 2.2.1 Updater app (above) but place the ".bin" file from the Mac download (below) in the same folder as the new Updater app.

New Features Independent Row Tunings The tuning for each row can now be independently set. In Global Settings > Row Offset, hold GUITAR to view the Row Tuning screen. Select one of the 8 rows at left, then edit that’s row’s note number by swiping left or right. Common MPE messages sent over all channels In Channel Per Note mode, LinnStrument normally sends messages that are common to all touches (like Sustain Pedal or Program Change) over the Main channel. However, many synths implement MPE (Channel Per Note) without such a separate Main channel. For such synths, it is now possible to send these common messages redundantly over all Per Note channels. To do this, in Per-Split Settings set MIDI Mode to Channel Per Note. Then while View (column 2) is set to Main Channel, press the selected channel button in columns 3-6 to deselect it. Now all common messages will be send redundantly over all Per Note channels. New Foot/Panel Switch options: 1) “CLK”: Start/Stop sending MIDI Clock 2) “MUTE”: In the Step Sequencer, toggle the Mute status of the selected split’s sequence. To select either of these, in Global Settings > Assign Switch, hold TAP TEMPO then swipe to select the desired option. Permit reading of any panel setting from MIDI NRPN messages It is now possible to remotely read the status of any of LinnStrument’s settings from MIDI. To do so, send the number of the parameter that you want to read to NRPN 299, then the value will be sent back through the parameter's NRPN number. This is useful, for example, in creating a computer application for non-sighted users. MPE remote activation (MIDI RPN 6) is now supported This is the new official method of remotely setting a synth to MPE mode, or letting a synth remotely set LinnStrument to MPE mode. Now, when MPE mode is selected in LinnStrument by holding the Channel Per Note button, an RPN 6 message is sent. And if an RPN 6 message is received, LinnStrument enables Channel Per Note (MPE) mode. [...]

Changes New Feature: You can now turn on light animations that surround and emanate from the played note pads, responding to velocity and pressure. In Per-Split Settings > Color column, hold PLAYED. Swipe L/R to select one of the following options: Cell (only lights pressed cell) Same (lights notes of same pitch on other rows, as in previous software versions) Crosses Circles Squares Diamonds Stars Sparkles (Roger's favorite, because its shorter duration is less distracting from the note lights. Try it in white.) Curtains Blinds Targets Up Down Left Right Orbits New Feature: additional Panel/Foot Switch options have been added. In Global Settings > Assign Switch, hold Tap Tempo then swiping L/R to select one of the following options, independent for the 4 switches: TAP: Tap Tempo. LEG: Legato. While switch is on, notes or chords are sustained after release until the next note or chord is played. LAT: Arpeggiator latch. While switch is on, each pressed & released note will be added to the arpeggiated chord. PR+: Preset +. The Preset number shown in Preset screen is incremented. PR-: Preset -. The Preset number shown in Preset screen is decremented. PCH: Pitch slide on/off. Reverses the selected state of Per-Split Settings > Pitch/X column > On. This is useful, for example, to quickly switch between smooth pitch slides and semitone slides as on a guitar. Plus the following 3 only for the Foot switches: PLAY: Start or Stop the internal step sequencer. This can also be controlled by MIDI NRPN messages. PREV: Previous Sequence, of the 4 sequences in the Step Sequencer. This can also be controlled by MIDI NRPN messages. NEXT: Next Sequence, of the 4 sequences in the Step Sequencer. This can also be controlled by MIDI NRPN messages. New Feature: added support for negative row offsets and inverted guitar tuning. [...]

Changes: New setting "Touch Sensor Prescale" permits adjusting the touch sensitivity over a wide range to better fit your personal playing style, so that the 3 fixed settings (low, medium, high) will be more useful to you. In Global Settings, hold Calibration while pressing Pressure Sens > Medium. Swipe left or right to adjust from 50 (most force required to produce velocity/pressure value of 127) to 100 (least force required to produce velocity/pressure value of 127). This does not affect very light touches, which always respond to the lowest possible force. The default value for LinnStrument (large model) is 60 and for LinnStrument 128 is 75 (to produce the same touch sensitivity). Strum mode (Per-Split Settings > Special column > Strum) improved to be more guitar-like: Only highest note on row (string) is recognized Hammer-ons and pull-offs can now be performed Fingered notes do not sound until strummed. Strumming area is much more sensitive to touch New Sleep animation: Snow Falling on Christmas trees. In Global Settings, hold Sleep (column 15, row 3) and swipe right to show “XMS”. Then swipe down to set delay before sleep animation starts. Split on/off status is now remembered after power off/on. After changing Split status, press Per-Split Settings or Global Settings once to save it. Default USB MIDI data rate (hold Global Settings > USB) is slightly slower (235) to avoid overloading slower computers or synths. Bug fix: Sometimes when syncing the Sequencer or Arpeggiator to external MIDI clock, the internal tempo would jump to very fast setting. Fixed.

Changes: Bug fix: Sometimes, pressing the bottom or top of a cell would not always send a Y-axis value at the start. This is fixed. Bug fix: If the pressure was very soft, Quantize Hold would sometimes not correct the pitch as it should. This is fixed. Bug fix: The lights of the control switches would sometimes be lit incorrectly when a sequencer is active. This is fixed. Bug fix: The new colors white, orange, lime and pink could not be set using over MIDI messages CC20-22. This is fixed.

Changes: Feature: Added polyphonic step sequencer for each split. See new Sequencer tab in the Panel Settings page: http://www.rogerlinndesign.com/ls-sequencer.html (See top of page for information on panel labels with Sequencer parameters.) Improvement: Significantly better velocity response, range and consistency, tuned for piano play with PianoTeq. Feature: Release velocity now supported in Note Off messages. LinnStrument is now “5D” in ROLI-speak. :) Feature: Four new LED colors: white, orange, lime and pink. Note that for these four new colors, if you move your eyes quickly across the playing surface, you will briefly see the individual RGB colors that comprise the combined color. Feature: Support for 14-bit Loudness CC values. In Per-Split Settings > Loudness/Z column: 1) Hold “On” for large character display. Swipe down three times then swipe right to select “14 Bit”. 2) Hold “CC11” for large charger display. Select any CC from 0 to 31. LSB data will be sent on the CC number that is 32 higher than the selected CC. For example, select CC11 to send MSB on CC11 and LSB on CC43. Feature: Added support for using the DIN MIDI OUT jack as a MIDI THRU jack. In Global Settngs > MIDI/POWER column ("MIDI I/O" on older units), hold “MIDI JACKS”. Swipe right to select “THRU”. Now the DIN MIDI OUT jack will both send MIDI OUT data and also echo received MIDI IN data. Feature: Tap tempo has been added as a new option in the Assign Switch options, located above Octave Up. Improvement: Before when a note was played with Quantize on, the tuning would slide to the quantized pitch on initial touch. It now immediately jumps to the quantized pitch. Improvement: Removed occasional flicker when switching between LED displays. Improvement: The timing of send USB MIDI messages has been optimized so that slower hardware synthesizers are less likely to misinterpret some of LinnStrument’s sent MIDI messages. [...]