Good point - I was actually thinking of getting a Skulpt at some point a year ago, without even thinking about Linnstrument then. It looks like the Micromonsta 2 is close enough in price that my personal “MPE hardware deal” award would go to that one once the next batch is available 
Just FYI for everyone (at least @Rimwolf was talking about this): Micromonsta 2 is now back in stock again.
I suppose there’s very slim chance that there’ll be any in stock anymore on my payday in 2-3 weeks, but let’s see. I just realized the MM2 is so tiny that it should fit nicely in the side pocket of the Linnstrument “gigbag”. One could get a very portable setup with minimal wiring using a USB power supply / power bank and a single MIDI cable (or a USB host box and additional complications, if everything else fails).
In case the current situation turns into better, and if there’ll still be people around me to play with, it might be pretty cool option to be able to carry everything needed for a jam in one compact bag - the laptop and audio interface I’d prefer to be somewhat stationary now that I’ve got everything set up just right on the desk.
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I’ve thought about Skulpt but then I remember the amazing synths I have on my iPad.
Then the MM2…
I think I’m going to go for a new MacBook (possibly an Air) and go deep into Aalto and Plasmonic. After all these years I think I owe these synths a bit of dedication. And what could be more minimal: a Mac, the Linnstrument, one cable?
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For the past couple of days I’ve used the Unfiltered Audio Lion with Linnstrument - I tried the demo out and got a license for ridiculously cheap in a sale right away. It supports MPE, and due to how the UI is laid out it’s very fast to make patches with “expressive” modulation routings from scratch. Carefully adjust the filter drive controls and add just a hint of built-in modular effects, and the end result sounds rather lovely.
I still play with the Plasmonic time limited demo every day too. I don’t think I have really heard anything more pleasing for “natural” / “physical” type synth sounds if that makes any sense (most of other physical modeling synths I’ve tried lack something in the basic timbre even if they’re more flexible), so I intend to get it on next payday as those two plugins complement each other very nicely.
When you put it that way, I suppose an older used Air would be a nice “travel machine” option for running a single poly patch plus doing SuperCollider + PD experiments, as long as I want to keep the cheap larger studio laptop hooked just for the purpose. Still more flexible and as fun as many of the smaller standalone hardware synths… Unlike a MM2 or an iPad, it won’t fit in the same gig bag as the Linnstrument itself though, but I never go anywhere without a backpack anyway, so it’s still something to consider.
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That’s an “hidden gem”, as to not so well know/used.
A great sound design tool 
I thought it would be a bit too much “weird sounds and sound design” type thing based on description, but it’s actually super logical semi-modular with a lot of nice osc algorithms and effects. Plus adding an additional Y/Z modulation target is just a matter of plugging in a virtual cable and setting the amount of attenuation - enough sound design complexity without making the interface too complex.
Yes. A Linnstrument and a MacBook Air should be enough. I’ve been wanting to go all in on the iPad but I always have this feeling of half-baked, fragile, superficial…
Plasmonic has almost the same straightforwardness as Aalto. I’m still getting used to it and could well use a course or tutorial series on it but I’m not in a hurry.
Well, that is an interesting proposal. I’ll keep an eye on it.
How is the license system? I’m kind of tired of giving away my mail address.
I’ve set things up so that I basically have a different e-mail for each service (all working ones), so Plugin Alliance gets one of their own. Eg. If their e-mail database is at some point leaked / stolen and I start getting spam from somewhere, I’ll know where the address came from and can block it without any interruption to other addresses.
Apparently this isn’t the first time the Lion has been in super sale - now that I’ve used it for a while I think it’d be worth the asking price. But as the Unfiltered Audio subscription bundle is like $8 a month (and you get vouchers at some point so you can buy some of the licenses as your own) and the sale price was well under $50, I’d probably advise just trying out the demo - and if it makes sense & sounds good to you, waiting for the next sale or doing the subscription for a while.
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I liked the iPad + Linnstrument combination well enough that I added Geert Bevin’s iPad holder. I tried a bunch of apps and found the Moog Model 15 the most expressive. Recent iPads put out enough amps over USB to power a Linnstrument.
I had a MicroMonsta, but the number of cables and adapters required was too much of a pain.
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I also want a “portable” “instant fun” synth for my Linny (I like the terms you used haha). I’m working on one now! I think the Linny is amazing and deserves a synth designed around it.
If this works out I think it will be the first MPE instrument with a built in editable synth engine? All the other MPE instruments rely mobile/computer apps. I’m not sure if the Expressive E Osmose will take that prize or not.
(By the way, I’m looking for help with the software, if anyone wants to help please reach out)
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looks cool… I think having an attached synth engine always is nice…
also something that is designed for a particular surface seems to usually yield really nice results.
Im guessing the Osmose will be similar to the continuum, and allow certain parameters of each ‘preset’ to be adjusted - kind of ‘performance controls’ … the EagenMatrix is too complex to be able to edit thru a small screen, so makes sense to limit what can be adjusted at a preset level.
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That’s a very cool idea I’d probably settle for just a separate small box instead of extension / backpack type enclosure, but the idea of having a beefy enough MCU platform, a simple control surface and (apparently?) rechargeable battery tailor-made simply for powering and playing the Linnstrument is great.
I guess that’s a Teensy 3.6 or something similar?
(EDIT: sent a private message, might be interested in joining the effort in some way…)
Fingers crossed that the Osmose works as MIDI host or at least has DIN-MIDI ports again. (The ContinuuMini doesn’t)
Looks like it doesn’t have a MIDI host, but it does have DIN-MIDI. Source: Osmose spec sheet and one of the pictures that shows the back of the unit
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Another “kid on the block”…
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Looks like I’m also getting an used Organelle M as someone I know was selling one - primarily as a self-contained portable instrument, sound lab and PD host for outdoors / sofa jamming and log cabin trips, but I’m tempted to try out building some MPE patches for use with Linnstrument as well. Let’s see how well that goes…
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There’s a new build of the Skulpt - Skulpt SE coming into production. It does support MPE and is quite portable. It is virtual analog synthesis though, not full wavetable, if that matters.
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I already mention this?? one post back; why again?
I just got the Skulpt SE from Modal. Very happy with it, though I’ve not had time for a lot of exploration. Sounds good, has an excellent editor, is cheap, and the form factor suits the Linny. 
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I just sold my original SKULPT and will probably get the SE very soon. I have no idea at all what is different under the hood, and frankly I don’t care; all that matters to me is that they stopped trying to be cute with the front panel graphics and you can actually READ what all the controls do.