A prototype is a preliminary model of something. Projects that offer physical products need to show backers documentation of a working prototype. This gallery features photos, videos, and other visual documentation that will give backers a sense of what’s been accomplished so far and what’s left to do. Though the development process can vary for each project, these are the stages we typically see:

The Haken Audio ContinuuMini

Portable. Affordable. Expressive.

The ContinuuMini has been designed to be a portable and more affordable version of Haken Audio's larger Continuum Fingerboards. The ContinuuMini is fun to play, has the same sound engine as the larger Continuums, and delivers it’s own unique and rewarding musical performance experience.

The ContinuuMini's Predecessor: The Continuum Fingerboard

Dr. Lippold Haken started development over 35 years ago on what was to become the modern Continuum Fingerboard. Today, the Continuum has established itself as the premier multidimensional controller surface ever designed. It has been in the vanguard for expressive control ever since it’s inception as a commercial product at the beginning of this century. Many varied artists from around the world have discovered the beautiful experience that the Continuum can deliver: an amazing acoustic-like experience that really opens the door for countless types of outstanding musical expression.

Besides being a versatile controller with the ability to connect to the external world via Midi and analog control voltage, the Continuum excels as a complete musical instrument, thanks to it’s internal sound engine, the EaganMatrix. The EaganMatrix is the brainchild of Canadian sound designer and Continuum performer Edmund Eagan.

The EaganMatrix creates an exceptional connection between playing surface and sound engine. It’s novel matrix design and deep modulation structure allows for unprecedented integration with the Continuum playing surface. These two major components come together to form the most expressive digital musical instrument ever made.

Enter the ContinuuMini

Now this playing experience will be available in a new compact affordable package, the ContinuuMini. The ContinuuMini has exactly the same sound engine as the full-sized Continuum Fingerboard, delivering the same level of sound quality that Continuum owners have come to enjoy.

The ContinuuMini is complete and self-contained, requiring only USB power and an audio output. Preset changes, octave switching, and system menu operations are all available directly from the ContinuuMini without the need for a computer connection.

The playing surface of the ContinuuMini has been designed to translate finger movement from one or two fingers at a time into beautiful musical expression. While based on similar design philosophies as the Continuum Fingerboard, the ContinuuMini has it’s own unique playing experience. The Mini’s playing surface can respond to incredible light touch, which leverages an underused aspect of human control, the ability of the hand to deliver delicate light touch finger input. Lighter than playing a piano, or strumming a guitar, or even lighter than the action of modern Midi keyboard controllers.

Every nuance of finger movement is captured and translated into sound through interaction with this highly-optimized playing surface. And complete control of the fully programmable EaganMatrix sound engine opens up a world of sonic possibilities.

Due to it’s robust bidirectional implementation of MPE and MPE+, the ContinuuMini can control external synths or be played by external Midi controllers.

The pedal input can be used as a continuous sustain pedal input, for dynamic sustain or a variety of other uses within the EaganMatrix.

The pedal input can also function as a bidirectional serial port. Currently this communicates with control voltage convertors, like Haken Audio’s CVC or Evaton Technologies microCVC, useful for interfacing with analog modular systems. We’re excited about the possibilities of future uses for this port, further harnessing the EaganMatrix engine in new and novel ways.

We are very proud of how we have been able to leverage our decades of hardware and software expertise into the ContinuuMini. The ContinuumMini fulfills a need for a small portable musical instrument that is intimate and expressive. This is truly a unique instrument, and with your support we’d like to make this new ContinuuMini a reality.

About Us

Lippold Haken was born in Munich, West Germany on April 12 1961 and received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering in 1989 from the University of Illinois. He lives in Champaign, Illinois and teaches at the University of Illinois ECE department. Lippold started working on the Continuum Fingerboard in the early 1980s, and has been in commercial production since 1999. His work includes electromechanical design, analog sensing, SHARC dsp design, finger-tracking, and programming the novel signal processing algorithms underlying the EaganMatrix. Lippold assembles the Continuum Fingerboards in his basement, with help from his father-in-law.

Edmund Eagan from Ottawa Canada is an award-winning music composer/sound designer, bringing over 30 years of professional experience to his work. For the last 18 years he has been increasingly involved in the design and evolution of the Haken Audio Continuum Fingerboard. His work includes mechanical and operational issues, design of the Continuum Stand with Fathom Labs, principal sound design for the internal sound engine of the Continuum Fingerboard, and principle designer for the new programmable synthesizer built into the Continuum, the EaganMatrix.

Christophe has been involved in sound synthesis for more than 30 years, with a special recent focus on physical modelling. In the past his DSP work and sound design skills have been utilized by companies like Tip Top Audio and Roli Corporation. He is a long-time ambassador for the Continuum Fingerboard, and organized ContinuuCon 2018 at IRCAM Centre Pompidou. His exceptional sound designs for the EaganMatrix focus on waveguide and subtractive synthesis techniques. Currently he is developing a friction modelling module for the EaganMatrix.