The LinnStrument, a new instrument design by MPC creator Roger Linn, is now available in limited quantities.

Here’s what Linn has to say about the LinnStrument:

The promise of synthesis was to produce any instrument sound you can imagine. However, if you’ve ever tried to play a convincing guitar, sax, violin, clarinet or cello solo on a MIDI keyboard, you’ve found it to sound static and lifeless because keyboards can’t do much more than turn sounds on and off at different volumes.

LinnStrument takes a new approach, capturing each finger’s subtle movements in three dimensions for simultaneous fine control of note expression, pitch and timbre. With this level of expressive control, the promise of synthesis is finally a reality.

Here’s a demo, by software developer Geert Bevin, that demonstrates some of the performance flexibility of the LinnStrument:

Prior to a general release, there are a small number of units available in the San Francisco Bay area. The LinnStrument is priced at US $1,500. Contact support (at) rogerlinndesign.com for details or see the Linn site for more info.