To get that pop (I can't describe it) sounding beat. The one in Pop Life, as well as the beat sounds in Let's Go Crazy, Computer Blue.

I wish I knew how to describe it.

The beats in those songs that you never heard in other artist's songs.

The LINN drum
[This message was edited Wed Nov 19 6:13:08 PST 2003 by xtraloveable]

the3rddoctor said:

Actuallaaayyy...

Don Henley's solo record was all up on the Linn (Boys of Summer, All She wants to do is Dance) but I think since Prince was using it since 1999 (am I right? back me up someone) that if anyone used it, they were immediately identified as a Prince wannabe - except maybe Don Henley since his use of the machine wasn't in pursuit of the funk. READY FOR THE WORLD, on the other hand, they used the Linn, and the same pancake makeup, and the same satin outfits, and the same Gheri Curl... it was safe to say they were Prince wannabees.

Edit - if you want to get some Linn sounds, do a search - you can download the WAV files in several places on the internet.
[This message was edited Wed Nov 19 7:17:16 PST 2003 by otan]

otan said:

These sounds can't be found on newer drum machines? What are the names for these sounds (the setting on the machine)?

xtraloveable said:

I wasnt to make a correction here. Prince did not use the Linn Drum. He used an earlier model drum machine made by Roger Linn called the Linn LM-1 Drum Computer. The Linn Drum is actually the second model Roger Linn made and it has different samples, and funtions differently. The Linn Drum can be heard on alot of Shelia E's stuff, actually.

JudasLChrist said:

And Prince's stuff. Yes the Lm-1 is the one he's most associated with. but at the first Celebration he had both on display. And when the Revolution played live they used the LINN DRUM. It had triggers, where the Lm-1 didn't.

Nero

neronava said:

Hmmm, very interesting. How do you know this?

P.S. I'd give my mother for clear shots of The Revolution's drum and synth gear circa Purple Rain tour.

JudasLChrist said:

JudasLChrist said:

At the first celebration:

They had a set up with all of Prince's famous gear. And they had the LM-1 on display, & Bobby Z's kit (with the LINN DRUM hooked up to it). I was programming on it, & Takumi came up to me and said "u know how to use that anchor...?"

Nero

otan said:

Whowouldntwannabe?

neronava said:

Whoa! So, what sorta flange effect was the Linn Drum hooked up to then? I've always suspected it was a regualr old boss pedal, but have never had that confirmed. You know the effect that always gets hooked up to the toms sounds during When Doves Cry? What was it?

Alright, so yr saying that the Revolution used the Linn Drumm live as a trigger source, right? But they have to have used sounds/eproms fom the original LM-1. The Linn Drum and the LM-1 don't have the same sounds. The kick, the snare turned down low (for the famous 'kuh' sound), the rimshot turned down low, and maybe the toms too, all very distinctive Prince/LM-1 sounds that I know were used on Purple Rain tour.

I've been obsessed with this for 15 years!!!

As others said, the "prince" sound is LM-1, not LinnDrumm (lm-2). ONly like 500 were made. I always wondered how many Prince had cuz he toured with them too.

LinnDrumm has different snare sounds, and LM-1 snare is the key sound you identify with Prince (it's basically used throught PUrple Rain), as well as the sidestick tuned down. I believe the first song to use it was before 1999... I can't remember now but I wanna say "Soft & wet" or something like that.

However, I recently found out you can put LM-1 chips in the LinnDrumm, so I finally bought a LinnDrum off ebay. I haven't yet gotten new chips yet.

So I'm guessing bobby used the LinnDrum and had LM-1 chips in it or triggered something else,,, cuz PR tour defintely used the LM-1 sounds.

What I want to know is how did they do all those stop-and-starts ("Good God...Unnnh!) playing off a drum machine. I know there is a start/stop pedal but still it would seem hard to do.

JudasLChrist said:

I don't know how they pulled if off on a technical sense. i know what I saw. Also the Lm-1 & Linn Drum are pretty damn simlar sound wise. I thought they just bumped up the hz's from 28 to 35 on the samples. So it was the same sounds. I own a Linn Drum, & have used a Lm-1, very small differences.

check out
www.vinatagesynth.org/linn/linn2.shtml

Nero

neronava said: