A linear field transducer or LFT has a foil/Mylar diaphragm with conducting traces etched into it like a circuit board that are controlled by magnets in the frame which operate in push-pull. The effect is a presentation that is much more electrostatic in character than one finds in Magnepans or in full ribbon designs. Drawn to electrostatics, Thigpen sought to replicate their way with music – especially the midrange – without the difficult loads that electrostatics typically present to amplifiers and the need to provide an electric charge to excite the Mylar. Bruce's original idea was to create a full-range linear field transducer panel that would cover the entire frequency range. The resulting project led to the LFT-3, which, while realizing his goal of a coherent 'electrostatic' like musical presentation, failed to extend sufficiently into the lower registers to create an acceptable tonal balance or a full enough musical presentation.