A Beat In Time: A History of Linn Electronics Paperback – February 12, 2026

'A Beat In Time: A History Of Linn Electronics' is a long-overdue title covering the innovations of Roger Linn, the designer of the first programmable drum computer to use recorded drum samples stored in EPROM - the LM-1. Commercially released in early 1980, it was only a matter of a few months before studio recordings featuring the sounds and programmed rhythms of the $4995 LM-1 unit became massive chart hits in the USA and elsewhere. Drummers worldwide soon found themselves competing against not only the LM-1 but several other programmable drum machines that would be released in the early 1980s.With the relative success of the LM-1 (sales of over 500 units) Roger Linn revised the design and released the more compact and lower-priced ($2995) LinnDrum in mid-1982 - increasing sales tenfold on the first model over a three year period - and establishing Linn Electronics as being at the forefront of programmable drum machine design.The highly complex Linn 9000 model released in the first quarter of 1985 was innovative in combining a programmable drum machine with an advanced onboard sequencer for the recording of MIDI-notes from keyboards and other MIDI-equipped instruments. However, the advanced sequencing software contained bugs that would take several months to sort out, and with delays in releasing the promised hardware upgrades that included a disk drive for composition storage and a sampling card option, sales of the Linn 9000 totalled just over 1160 units. In the wake of significant financial pressures, Linn Electronics closed down in early 1986.'A Beat In Time' covers all the Linn Electronics products; the LM-1, LinnDrum, Linn 9000, LinnSequencer, and several others that were never released - including the LinnDrum Midistudio that was demonstrated at trade shows in early 1986.The book features contributions, anecdotes and recollections from several former Linn Electronics staff members and music industry reviewers, and is printed in high-quality colour to showcase the hundred or more photographs, brochures, adverts and diagrams that compliment the text within the book's pages. Read more