LinnStrument Support
Manual
Register Dealer/Used Purchase
Getting Started
Panel Settings
Hooking it Up
FAQs
Recommended Sounds
Free Bitwig 8-Track
Free Surge XT Synth
Videos
Submit Video for next Compilation
Learning to play
Creating Sounds
What is MPE?
How hard should I play? 
Tips & Tricks
Smart MIDI
Samples vs. Synthesis
Updating Software
Cleaning the Surface
Installing Replacement Parts
Email Newsletters
Stolen Units
Monthly Zoom call with Roger
20% off on GeoSWAM instruments
New: Artist Interviews
Developers
Source Code
MIDI Implementation
How to add MPE
User Firmware Mode
About the Design
Design Goals & Choices
Piano vs. String layout
Why touch expression?
How the sensor works
"Marking of LinnStrument" video
Early Design concepts
External Resources
LinnStrument Forum on KVR
Learn the LinnStrument video series

LinnStrument Source Code

LinnStrument and LinnStrument 128 use the same source code and firmware. Both are based on the popular Arduino development platform, and specifically on the 84 mHz ARM Arduino Due circuit.  More information on Arduino can be found at www.arduino.cc.  The firmware for the LinnStrument is also open-source.  Modifying the source code for the LinnStrument firmware can be done simply by using the Arduino IDE.‍

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Downloading the LinnStrument Firmware

The LinnStrument firmware is available on Github.  Visit the Roger Linn Design company page on Github.    

Click "Clone or Download" then "Download Zip" then place the zip file wherever you wish on computer. After unzipping, rename the top-level folder from 'linnstrument-firmware-master' to 'linnstrument-firmware'. ‍

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Downloading and setting up the Arduino IDE (Integrated Development Environment)

  • Visit the Ardunino downloads page and follow the instructions for downloading the latest Arduino IDE.
  • Launch the "Arduino IDE" app.
  • Connect your LinnStrument via USB, then turn on UPDATE OS mode (Global Settings > Actions column).
  • In the Arduino IDE, Click Tools menu > Board > "Boards Manager...", then Install "Arduino SAM Boards". Then click Tools menu > Board > "Arduino SAM boards (32 bit ARM Cortex M3)" > "Arduino Due (Programming Port)".
  • Go to Sketch > Include Library > "Manage Libraries...". Search for "DueFlashStorage" and install it.
  • Go to File menu > "Open..." and select the file "linnstrument-firmware.ino" in the "linnStrument-firmware" directory that you downloaded above.
  • Go to Tools menu > Port and select your LinnStrument port from there. (It starts with /dev/cu.usbmodem followed by a number.)
  • In the "linnstrument-firmware" window, click the top-left check mark icon (Verify) to compile the code. If you receive compilation errors or warnings, check the above steps.

Note: You can simply click the Upload button (right-facing arrow) in the IDE to upload your code to LinnStrument, but this will reset LinnStrument's sequencer data, stored panel settings, and sensor calibration data to defaults, requiring you to perform a subsequent 'Global Settings > Calibration' after the upload. To avoid losing this data, do the following additional steps:

  • Compile your LinnStrument firmware as above by clicking the Arduino IDE's "Verify" button (the checkmark button in upper left corner).
  • In the IDE's Output pane, select and copy the file path that will appear similar to the picture at the bottom of this page, starting with "/var" and ending with ".bin":
  • On mac, open a finder window, press Shift + Command G, paste the line you just copied and press Enter. This will take you to the location of the newly-compiled OS file. On Windows, go to the directory indicated by the file path.
  • From the LinnStrument Support page, click the "Update OS" page and download the latest Updater app. Place your newly compiled OS file in the same directory as the Updater app. Now the Updater app will load your newly compiled OS file instead of the OS file inside the Updater app. By using this method to load your edited source code, your LinnStrument's settings and calibration data will be preserved.