Control Dimensions
Haken Audio’s Continuum Fingerboard is a musical instrument that allows unprecedented real-time performance control. With a greater pitch range than a 61 note Midi keyboard, the Continuum offers realtime continuous control in three dimensions for every finger that is placed on the playing surface. This communicates an immense amount of information to its custom-designed user programmable synthesizer. Specifically programmed to take advantage of the subtle, dramatic and expressive musical possibilities of the Continuum's surface.
A Gloriously Unique Sound Engine
“The EaganMatrix is a unique sound engine with cohesive multiple synthesis topologies including - Subtractive Synthesis, Physical Modelling with Modal Filter Banks, FM, Spectral Sets with Micro Analysation, including Waveguide with Feedback and Feedback Delay Networks.”
At the heart of the instrument is the truly innovative sound engine of The EaganMatrix! This synthesizer was invented by Edmund Eagan, and was specifically designed to take advantage of the subtle and dramatic expressive musical possibilities of the Continuum’s surface. The EaganMatrix is a modular digital synthesizer, allowing the user to finely craft their musical sound by digitally connecting audio and control modules via a patching matrix. The EaganMatrix synthesizer is internal to the Continuum Fingerboard, utilizing the Continuum's internal DSP engine. No external hardware is required as both playing surface and sound engine are intertwined as one musical instrument. The synthesizer is edited by using the 'Haken Editor', an external cross-platform editing program that allows you to explore all the possibilities of a fully modular, patchable synthesis engine, with all the screen real-estate of your computer.
It's all about the Matrix
The EaganMatrix is inspired by classical modular matrix patching synthesizers such as the ARP 2500 and the EMS Synthi 100. However, unlike those analogue predecessors, the EaganMatrix doesn't use pins to make patch point connections.
Instead, a dynamic formulaic equation can be placed inside a selected patch point, replacing that static pin, creating a simple to amazingly complex relationship between the Continuum playing surface and the flow of sound from patch point source to destination.
Each three-dimensional movement of your finger on the playing surface can influence the final result of every single patch point! And there are many, many patch points! This relatively simple concept is a very powerful one. It harnesses the amazing performance response of the Continuum Fingerboard, so that the performer can create nuanced, expressive, dynamic, and totally custom sounds. More information on the EaganMatrix here.