is it a monome or is it a grid? or is it both?
when people ask “what’s that cool thing with all those buttons?”, i always say it’s a monome or monome 256, (i’ve also heard people call it a monom´e) but it seems like the proper/official term is now “monome grid”?
either way “monome grid” or “monome one-twenty-eight” (to be more specific) makes a lot more sense since monome is the company’s name. (and there are many monome products now)
but i can’t help but wonder… is it still a monome?
(thinking out loud, please ignore)
come to think about it, i don’t think i’ve ever seen @tehn refer to the grid as a monome, only “monome device”… i just started calling it that because everybody else was… was it ever actually a monome? have i had it wrong this whole time? 
the product range has expanded but call it what you want
I’ve never been in a situation where one word (monome, 128, controller, grid, arc, aleph) was enough to satisfy a curious observer . the only clue you get about tehns naming theory is the blanket shift to grid…size doesnt change core function/design so the streamlining makes sense
also i get an inordinate amount of pleasure when I see singular devices labelled “grids”
it’s a common mistake on other forums
My guess is that at the beginning, there were only grids, so no need to give them names.
but was it ever really called a monome or was that just slang for monome 64/128/256? (like how people call their Technics 1200s just “Technics”)
from a 2011 newsletter :
'hello friends.
we’ve refined the walnut monome series and have 50 of size each available for order today on our site.
’
i always called my grid 64, which i have 6 years now, my monome… but now i guess grid 64 is more accurate, but i’m attached to call it a monome. i like the sound of it. grid is more impersonal.
but in conversations outside my own head, with other people, i always have to use more words than just monome 64 or grid 64 to describe what i do.
i’m deranging from the topic now, but for me it’s always difficult to explain what the monome/grid is to other people. i start by explaining it’s a physical thing with a lot of buttons, that you can connect it to your computer, and that the software on the computer decides what the function of the buttons are. -but what does make the sound then? >yeah that depends on the software. and the software is written by many different people all over the world who connect through a forum.
and i always feel they still don’t understand how wonderful this all is 
I’m glad you posted this, but it only further intensifies the mystery… “walnut monome series” could be interpreted both ways…
Does this mean series of monome products or series of monomes?
From 2008
'hello friends,
our january editions of the monome one twenty eight and sixty four are approaching quickly. those looking to obtain a device will be interested in the following information ’
and there was no arc at this time.
brought to you by the people who think that isms is basically the best name for anything ever-- you all correctly observed that the naming is very fluid, especially given the changing lineup of machines. i’ve favored “grid” as to me there’s not a great need to distinguish sizes and models as they all reference the same idea. if needed in a specific context, i still find the old names fine-- ie, monome sixty four.
so while yes, the newest “grid” is a “monome one twenty eight” i don’t see a need to explicitly say all of those words. the distinction between the “company” name and device name has always remained somewhat confusing and that happened naturally-- “whoa look at that pile of monomes” is something i’ve never myself said. the internet helped invent that. but that’s totally fine too.
[quote=“tehn, post:15, topic:3880”]
“whoa look at that pile of monomes” is something i’ve never myself said.[/quote]
i have spoken those words a few times, myself, when seeing things like this:
or this. or this. or this. or this…piles of monomes. grids and arcs. whatever you want to call them.