Behringer has unveiled the LmDrum, a clone of the iconic LinnDrum drum machine designed by Roger Linn in 1982. The LmDrum has been in production since August, and now Patrick, known as Patch Dog, who regularly appears on the Behringer channel, has uploaded the first unboxing video of the LmDrum on his personal channel.
In the video, viewers get a glimpse of the new Behringer packaging, which is made from recycled cardboard and features Uli Behringer’s signature on the inside of the lid, suggesting that the official release of the LmDrum is imminent.
The LmDrum was first announced by Behringer in June 2021 as a replica of the renowned LinnDrum drum machine. New images from the factory, shared on social media, show the LmDrum in production. However, it remains unclear if these are final units or part of a beta test. Behringer only teased, “We’re almost there…”
Details about the LmDrum’s specific features are still under wraps, though its appearance and functionality bear similarities to Behringer’s RD-8 and RD-9 drum machines. The original LinnDrum, which revolutionized music production in the 1980s, featured 8-bit digitally sampled sounds of various percussion instruments such as bass drums, snares, hi-hats, toms, and hand-claps, all controlled by a built-in sequencer.
The original LinnDrum allowed for new sounds to be loaded using EPROM chips, a process that was tedious by today’s standards. Behringer’s LmDrum will likely introduce a more user-friendly method for importing samples, as hinted by the phrase “sampling drum machine” in the teaser. One question remains: how Behringer will handle the use of the original LinnDrum sounds, which are copy-protected and cannot be replicated or sold without proper authorization.
In 2019, Behringer teased the possibility of a LinnDrum clone when Patrick uploaded a jam session using the original LinnDrum. At the time, Behringer dismissed the speculation. Now, two years later, Uli Behringer and his team have presented the first prototype of the LmDrum, bringing the iconic sound of the LinnDrum back to the forefront of music production.
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