Pros: Extreme, bizarre, and lovely effects. Deep programmability. Dynamic, volume-sensitive amp models. Drum sounds and effect sounds can be split to opposite sides of the stereo out for external mixing and adding outboard effects. Sequencer supports swing.
Cons: Mono input only. Drum programming is a little clunky.

Roger Linn Design, 510-898-5433, www.rlinndesign.com
$395

The signal path is deceptively simple: Filter section, amp model, delay line. The most instantly gratifying effects are modulated rhythmically by the programmable sequencer. Clocking along with the drum beat, the modulated effect could be a stepped filter, tremolo (amplitude modulation), a tuned flanger sequence (these will spark song ideas quickly), or a triggered envelope filter. These are practically good for breathing new life into blah synth sounds.

Two bona fide filter types are available, with your choice of ten mod sources. The 2-pole (12dB/octave) filter sounds perfectly nice and quite analogish, but the 4-pole (24dB/octave) filter is the star. With a buttery tone and luscious resonance, this is one yummy filter. I played a Nord Electro and an Alesis Andromeda through AdrenaLinn, as well as my Fender Rhodes. The filter presets gave the Rhodes a completely different flavor. Organ sounds from the Electro were decidedly in-organ-ic, and piano sounds got delightfully strange. Andromeda sounds sounded like . . . well, they sounded like Andromeda sounds. This is a compliment. I fell in love with Andromeda's 4-pole filter (see review May '01) and although I can't truthfully say the AdrenaLinn's software-based filter is that good, it holds its own shockingly well against the custom-designed ASIC hardware in the Andromeda. I should also mention that the envelope, especially when triggered by the sequencer or MIDI notes, is quick and snappy. Nice.

Next in the filter types department come a couple of flanger variations. Huh? (Just think of the filter section as the place from which the main effects come, and this'll seem less weird.) The flanger and inverted flanger can add lots of interest to sounds. Linn included a couple of addictive step-tuned flanger sequences in the factory presets that can turn hoary three-chord jams into things of exotic harmonic beauty. The flanger, like the filters, can be swept to the beat as well as step-modulated. The second flanger type inverts the phase of the delayed signal, and as a result scoops out more bass frequencies for a thinner sound.

A pitch modulation effect is next on the list. It can be used to create weird, clangorous out-of-tune sonorities, pitch vibrato, or a lovely chorus.

The last offering in the filter section is amplitude modulation, which like everything else can be step-modulated for robo-rhythmic effects or swept by an LFO for twangtastic spaghetti-Western tremolo effects.

I also played a bass guitar through the AndrenaLinn, and was pleasantly surprised to find that, unlike many guitar-oriented effects, it doesn't Hoover all the bottom out of your sound (unless you use the inverted flanger). Much appreciated.

Amp Models

There are a number of guitar amp simulations on offer, and most of the ones employed in the first few presets are guitar-oriented enough that you could be forgiven for dismissing the amp modeling section as a one-dimensional sonic deep-fryer. Dig a little deeper and you discover amp sims with a surprising degree of subtlety. With the Fender Deluxe amp model I could get credible crunchy Rhodes textures as well as soft growly sounds and rabid, wall-of-amps guitar simulations à la the Baldwin Brothers-- all from the same preset, simply by changing the Rhodes's output level. Very nice.

The amp model's position in the signal chain can be swapped with the filter's. This makes for very different effects, especially with heavily distorted (and therefore harmonically rich) sounds.

I'll tack on a short word about the delay line here. It doesn't do anything extra-fancy; no tape echo simulation or anything like that. But it's a nice clean mono delay line, and it can be synced to the drum beat or MIDI clock at a number of note values.

Vital Stats

The first mod source is a 32-step sequencer. Each step can be set at one of 100 levels and can trigger the envelope generator if you like. Mixing and matching triggered and non-triggered steps yields perky, lively riffs.

An AD (attack, decay) envelope source can be triggered by audio input or MIDI input, and its attack and decay times are adjustable. The DECAY parameter is multi-function; settings that show an "r" in the display yield full sustain, and the decay parameter controls release time.

The multiwaveform LFO (see the Vital Stats for waveform choices) can be used to create tremolo, auto-pan, filter sweeps, chorus and flanging. It can be synced at a variety of note values to the drum beat or MIDI clock.

An envelope follower tracks the audio input level and can be routed to the filter for MuTron-type quack, or to other filter types for more exotic effects.

Hold Peak works in a similar way, but tracks only the peak of the note without following the decay.
Of particular use to keyboard players are the MIDI mod sources. A MIDI note number source tracks MIDI notes from low to high and adjusts the filter accordingly, closing down the filter on low notes and opening it on high notes. Its output can be inverted by setting the mod amount parameter to a negative value.

MIDI velocity, pitch bend, aftertouch, and any of four other MIDI controller numbers can also be selected as mod sources.

Drum Beats

There are nine beefy kicks, including a depth-charge house kick, a punch-in-the-stomach club kick, a few acoustic kicks, a "boom" kick perfect for the guy down the street with the slammed Honda, and a big gated kick. Snares are equally varied, with tight and rappy, gated '80s, dry acoustic, trashy and ringy, brush slapped, 808-esque, 909-ey, sidesticked, and fat and thuddy tones represented. Nine timekeepers-- mostly hi-hats with a ride, shaker, and tambourine thrown in for good measure-- stand ready, and five sets of percussion noises ranging from toms to zaps to scratches to cowbells and what-have-you round out the small but good-sounding drum kit. Each sound is available at any of ten preset volume levels (inaudible to nice and loud).

Programming my own beats wasn't difficult, and I commend Linn for coming up with, to be fair, a pretty elegant way to do it using the few physical controls on the front panel, but if you have Emagic SoundDiver, you'll want to download the AdrenaLinn module from www.rlinndesign.com and use it to make your own beats-it'll be easier.