The latest loopop video review takes a look at the Haken Audio ContinuuMini, a new expressive electronic instrument from the creators of the Continuum.
The ContinuuMini has the same sound engine as the full sized Continuum Fingerboard, but is designed to be more affordable and portable. The ContinuuMini is a complete and self-contained instrument, requiring only USB power and an audio output. Preset changes, octave switching, and system menu operations are all available within the unit without the need for a computer connection.
Production of the ContinuuMini is being funded via a Kickstarter project, which has already reached its funding goal.
Video Summary:
The ContinuuMini is a new portable synthesizer and smaller brother to one of the most unique instruments I’ve ever played – the Continuum, from Haken Audio. There are two things that make the Continuums special – their extremely sensitive playing surface, and the advanced built-in synth engine, called the EaganMatrix with its custom built-in presets – designed to work with, and make the most out of the playing surface.
In this video review, I look at how much of bigger Continuums made it into the more portable and less expensive ContinuuMini.
Video Timeline:
0:00 lntro
1:05 Mini vs. keys
4:30 Built-in synth
6:55 Preset controls
7:50 Rounding
8:40 Effects
9:20 Onboard menu
10:35 EaganMatrix
11:25 The build
12:40 Mini vs. Continuum
14:15 Connecting a foot-switch and expression pedal
15:15 External synths
16:30 Pros and cons
17:30 Summary
I just plopped down the money to support the Mini’s Kickstarter campaign…..
I have lots of software & hardware devices that this could work with – so prefer to have the ContinuuMini as a physical touch device only – without the built-in synthesizer.
Even when its using a synthesizer sound, I hear the Continuu-verse as a clarinet or bowed string. It attacks and speaks much more like a woodwind instrument than keys, so think it over carefully. You should have a musical goal in mind before you take it up. Its an impressive tool, but I’m not sure I could do it justice. It clearly sounds gorgeous when using more traditional sounds, but to my ear, it has avant-garde written all over it for its potential weirdness factor. Bet its a minor hit with a core group of the faithful.
600 beans? Seriously? Have fun. I’ll pass.
I think that before anyone passes they should take a serious look at the Eagan Matrix engine. For 600 “beans” you get what may be the most powerful digital synthesizer engine ever created. Look…
https://www.hakenaudio.com/sound-engine/
Yes, there are a lot of demos of people playing violin sounds, or wind instrument sounds. Consider that there are no samples of any kind involved. The Egan Matrix uses the concept of an EMS Synth 100 or APR 2500 as a starting point. Then it goes fa beyond that. You connect sources and destinations with a virtual patch pin. But the connection are not so simple. The patch point is an algorithm. So it can do various modulation chores depending on how you play the instrument. It’s a very deep synthesizer. Like, the rest of my life deep.
You can also get a module from Evaton Technologies that will interface any Continuum to your Euro modular (where is the man-sized 5U module Russ?). This will open up a new world of possibilities when you can control your modular with touch along an X,Y, and Z axis. Not to mention pressure, velocity and aftertouch.
So, do not dismiss this instrument as simply being a controller. Do not under estimate it as a synthesizer.
this description made my heart pitter-patter like a deep algorithm was resonating through it
I played the Haken Audio Continuum Half and full size at Superbooth.
After using those the mini feels like a toy. The big Continuum feels super smooth with real control over everything and it is intuitive and really easy to play. The mini feels more like a Doepfer A-198 Ribbon Controller.
I found that the whole surface moving up and down felt cheap and annoying.
One of the greats things with the big Continuum is the spongy feeling, how you can feel the material stretch and how the tone reacts to that. That feeling is mostly lost on the Mini.
I still think it is a great deal. It’s a great synth engine combined with a ribbon controller to make a really nice portable package, but I think what was missing from this demo is a description of how different this product really is from its bigger siblings…