Sampled drums, 1980s style
Roger Linn’s LM-1 Drum Computer was one of the first drum machines to play digital recordings of acoustic drums instead of synthesised tones. Its successor, the LinnDrum (also called the LM-2), added cymbals and lowered the price, and became one of the defining sounds of 1980s pop. The samples were short and low-resolution by today’s standards, which gives them their tight, slightly gritty character.
Working with Linn samples
These kits are clean and punchy and sit well in synth-pop, funk, new wave and modern retro productions. Their claps and congas are as recognisable as the kick and snare. The machines let users tune each drum, so different sample sets can sound quite different. Pitch a snare down for weight, or up for snap.
Most of these samples come from community drum machine banks, where licences are often not stated. Because the LinnDrum’s sounds were stored on its memory chips, a bank copied from them carries the maker’s recordings rather than the uploader’s own. Use the verdict on each card: green ones are cleared for a release, amber ones need a closer look first.