Feel free to use Ardour, Surge XT, and Firefox ESR together with your LinnStrument Light Guide to see if they can all work together. Since it is just a deployable web application, I doubt the operating system used actually matters in this context unless you also include proprietary software into the workflow.
You can use this thread for LinnStrument log entries to measure your musical progress, even though LinnStrument-related discussions have also been held here. I have been too busy elsewhere to give dedicated attention to another LinnStrument session, but I hope to do so before the upcoming September monthly Zoom meeting this Tuesday.
I made some time for a mini-session today. Many revelations happened, along with impactful decisions:
- After playing with the piano/keyboard for a short time, I realized I am already intimately familiar with how I think and approach improvisation. I no longer need the piano/keyboard, so I am resealing my vow to never use it again.
- After playing with the LinnStrument for a short while thereafter, I confirmed my prior statement is true: I already know what I want to achieve with my hands and how I want them to play; I know how to play in a spiritually similar manner to my piano/keyboard playing; and I also know how to combine it with my LinnStrument fluency.
My time with the piano/keyboard was still important as a reminder to my musical style. Now that it is truly over, I need to make time to delete the MIDI file I recorded with it using Ardour and relocate the music equipment elsewhere.
Also, I am choosing to commit to the LinnStrument for the foreseeable future, and in particular, flat MPE isomorphic keyless controllers: It is clear that there is tons of value sliding polyphonic chords across the playing surface with how I think and perform music. The only potential contender is the Madrona Labs Soundplane Model B, if and whenever it is eventually released in the future.
I put an hour or two towards making progress with my LinnStrument proficiency. Here is what I accomplished today:
- I experimented with different (octave) transpositions and light offsets, but came to the conclusion that it does not matter: my finger placement needs to be flexible.
- I improvised with both hands simultaneously and focused intensely on how my LinnStrument playing style compared to my piano/keyboard style:
- My right hand can play monophonic leads just fine, but multiple simultaneous notes are difficult, especially when the resulting shape is unergonomic. It lacks the ability to flow between both monophonic and polyphonic performances at whim.
- My left hand is slow, but can identify and play many chord shapes accurately. It lacks the ability to play shell chords, melodies, and smooth transitions.
My next step for future sessions is to get my left hand’s speed synchonized with my right hand’s monophonic performances. Once I can perform fluently without any pauses or interruptions, then I can take some time to consider what step I need to take next based on all available information then.
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