Reprinted from the Jan 1, 2003 issue of Audio Technology magazine

Brad Watts gives his guitar an AndrenaLinn injection
By Brad Watts

I remember working in a music shop in the mid '80s and demonstrating a handful of drum machines to a customer. The chap asked me about certain features of a particular LinnDrum - a Linn9000. His queries were answered and when told the price he then proceeded to ask me about the features of the other 'LinnDrum' - a Roland TR606. It took some time to clear up the fact that not all drum machines were LinnDrums - such was the popularity of the original drum machine by Roger Linn, it was almost a generic term. Mr Linn added more fuel to the legend when Akai released the MPC60. Without either machine, rap, hip hop and R&B would not sound like they do today. Roger Linn's designs, although quirky, are truly great instruments. The odd thing is, Roger Linn is a guitar player. It's taken a good 20 years for the man to design a product for guitarists. I must say it's been worth the wait. The AdrenaLinn is a unique and highly creative guitar stomp-box and drum machine come 'stick anything into it' processor. It fits quite nicely into the Linn legend. There is in fact more legends behind the AdrenaLinn than just our man Roger. Dave Smith, the guy who invented Midi, and Tom Oberheim are just two of the key designers behind the AdrenaLinn.

So what is it? According to the packaging it offers groove filter effects, amp modelling and a drum box. Essentially it's a guitar effects processor with a bunch of filtering and modulation options, damn fine amp simulation, delays, panning and EQ - all DSP driven. There's a capable drum machine in there too. With sounds that are not to be sniffed at - they made it into my drum hit collection. Drum patterns can be used as modulation sources for the filtering effects. Plus, if you're the sequencing type, the whole shebang can be clocked to Midi. Delays, LFOs, drum patterns, the lot. The box is a sturdy little number approximately 190 x 130 x 70mm - small enough to chuck in with a guitar. The input is mono and the output stereo, while there's a 6.25mm headphone jack to keep the neighbours happy. Midi implementation is thorough, to the degree that the AdrenaLinn can be edited via programs such as SounDiver. Operating system upgrades are, in fact, installable over Midi. Power is provided via 9VDC wall wart.

The AdrenaLinn stores 100 factory presets and 100 slots for user effect patches. 100 factory drum patterns provide plenty of scope and styles to choose from and 100 memory positions allow saving of users patterns. All editing is carried out via four rotary encoders and an eight by four editing matrix printed on the front panel. Parameter settings are shown with a large three-digit LED - the LED readouts can get a little cryptic so it's worth having a read of the manual. That said, the majority of editing is easily done by simply referring to the top panel's printed matrix. Once you're actually plugged in you can get some freakingly cool effects simply by using the factory presets with a little tweaking. Once you get into editing AdrenaLinn you'll find each patch can store its own 32-step filter sequence. Should an LFO be insufficiently complex for a filtering pattern, this feature will have you building some brilliantly unique textures. The filters sound great, no doubt thanks largely to Mr Oberheim. Both the two-pole and four-pole low pass filters sound remarkably 'analogue' - smooth or crunchy with resonance that goes completely off the Richter. For your staple effects the AdrenaLinn will flange, chorus, autopan and delay to your heart's content. The only omission would be reverb, but that's really more a job for a dedicated processor - the AdrenaLinn has far more going for it in other areas. Saving an edit is as easy as one button press. The amp modelling alone is worth the admission price with 12 classics Fender, Marshall, Vox, Mesa/Boogie, Matchless and Soldano emulations on offer.

I'm pretty much sold on the AdrenaLinn. For a bread and butter guitar processor you couldn't go wrong. For a practice amp with headphones it's perfect - you've got 100 drum patterns to play with. As a simple amp modeller I feel the amp recreations are as good if not better than AmpFarm or a Pod. There's some great sounding drums in there if you just want to use it for a drum module and this is all before you begin with the incredible diversity of locking up to a sequencer and getting some really neat filter effects. The AdrenaLinn, just like every other Linn device is destined to become a true classic. It'll be snapped up not only for many a guitarist's pedal board, but many a sequencer as well. High distinctions for another chapter of the Linn (r)evolution.

Contact: tel. (510) 898-5433
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