the evolution of the LinnDrum II

Third design, now abandoned in favor of the current design. Click the images for the full size shots.

via Roger Linn Design
"September 20, 2008:
I'm sorry to report that we won't be shipping in 2008 and I can't yet offer a new estimated ship date. The good news is that it's turned into a significantly more powerful and creative product. The bad news is that we'd prefer not to release details of the new design because it's so cool that I don't want to show our cards to the competition. However, I do want to thank all those who wrote in with suggestions because this interactive design process has very much helped to change what we thought the product originally should be into what we now know you really want. So please hold your questions while we're hard at work on it, and I'll be periodically updating this page as we release new information. If you'd like to be notified when we update this page with something significant, please click here to join our LinnDrum II email list.

For those of you who are new to LinnDrum II, its new subtitle is "Beat-Centric Digital Audio Workstation with Integrated Analog Synthesis". Inspired by how the MPC product line that I (Roger) originally created for Akai has evolved a new genre of musical instrument, LinnDrum II aspires to raise the bar beyond the current crop of high-end pad-oriented music production station products in order to enable musicians around the world to better realize the next wave of beat-oriented music.

- Roger and Dave
And for your amusement, here's the evolution of the LinnDrum II so far."





some details from tonymission on gearslutz:
"what i know:

Two versions will be available. $1000/1500 one is just for drum sampling like an MPC and the other will have 4 voices dedicated to prophet 8 synth engine if im understanding that correctly. the first sold through Roger Linn Designs, the other through Dave's company...

2008 is no longer the release "date/timeframe" ... early 2009 Linn is quoted as saying in his NAMM interview (youtube)

* Operating system is optimized for realtime live performance, with the ability to switch between beats, drop in and out of record on different beats, switch in and out of song mode and much more, all without stopping play.
* Digital voices have nearly the same signal and modulation path--including modulated filters and resonators--as shown on the LinnDrum II Analog panel. Total number of voices is not yet determined.
* 16 standard 1.1 inch square velocity- and pressure-sensitive drum pads, assignable to sounds, tunings, beats, track mutes, sound mutes or sequence steps.
* Both MPC-style real time and 808-style step recording are provided, and the 16 pads are backlit for visual animation.
* Real-time stereo digital effects on output mix--modulated multi-mode filtering, guitar amp model and bit/sample rate reduction distortion, modulated resonator, compressor, delay, reverb and EQ--with 6 dedicated on/off keys to switch them individually in or out in real time.
* Compact flash slot for data save/load/backup, or for expansion of internal sound storage.
* Internal RAM and flash size is yet to be decided; at least 16 mbytes for each.
* 128 x 64 dot graphic LCD.
* USB port for transferring samples and other files, MIDI messages and audio I/O to and from computer.
* 4 pushbutton soft knobs below the LCD, acting either as soft knobs or soft keys.
* 48 lit buttons for extensive real-time performance control.
* 2 sliders assignable to a large variety of real-time functions.
* HELP key gives descriptive text for any screen, data field, function key or knob.
* Pressing DETAILS key followed by any panel key presents a screen of settings related to the key pressed.
* 2 pairs of stereo outputs, with phones output fed from either pair.
* Stereo inputs for sampling, audio processing or triggering sounds.
* MIDI in and out.
* 2 inputs for either foot switches or expression pedals, assignable to a wide variety of functions.
* Four complex analog voices based on the same Curtis-chip synth voices used in the highly-aclaimed Prophet '08 and Evolver keyboards.
* Four direct ouputs for the four analog voices.
* 27 dedicated dual-function rotary encoders for voicing the analog and digital voices.

taken from:
Linndrum II Analog Drum Machine

more info/source on price:
Create Digital Music » LinnDrum II: Former BoomChik Gets More Delayed But More Mature"