LinnStrument Speedbumpy Surface
LinnStrument is our favorite polyphonic expressive controller. It allows for pitch, loudness, and timbre control per each finger, in a layout that is familiar to string players. However, we find that visual focus is needed to keep our fingers in the right spot, making it hard to play without looking or to play with two hands.
Our LinnStrument Speedbumpy Surface helps your fingers feel their position on each note, making it easier to play with closed eyes or play multiple notes at once:
Each row is shaped like a long speedbump. This helps fingers stay on track during pitch slides by riding along the crest of the bump.
Grooves are centered over the top of each note instead of on the boundary, that way each finger can feel the correct position to play in tune
Removed the root note dots for players using alternate tunings
We found a few surprising benefits after playing with the prototypes
The speedbumps provide confident tactile feedback when performing a double stop or shifting a finger between rows
The speedbumps also make Y expression easier, you can feel the front, back, or crest of the bump to express maximum, minimum, or middle Y values
The Speedbumpy LinnStrument Surface is made by the same vendor as the factory surface, with the same material, pigment, curing, and low friction urethane coating. We also added a black color for a darker look. The black paint is applied under the urethane coating for durability.
Only surfaces for LinnStrument 128 are available at this time, due to the higher cost of a mold and minimum order for LinnStrument 200 surfaces.
Overall we think that these surfaces more LinnStrument more delightful and help the player enter a flow state with their eyes closed.
