The Continuum is a music performance controller developed by Lippold Haken and sold by Haken Audio, located in Champaign, Illinois.[1] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1704x365, 95 KB)The Haken Audio Continuum (from http://www. ... Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. ...

Technically a MIDI controller, the Continuum features a touch-sensitive neoprene playing surface measuring approximately 19 cm high by either 137 cm long (full-size instrument) or 72 cm long (half-size instrument). Sensors under the playing surface respond to finger position and pressure in three dimensions and provide pitch resolution of one cent (one one-hundredth of a semitone) along the length of the scale (the X dimension), allowing essentially continuous pitch control for portamento effects and notes that aren't on the chromatic scale, apply vibratos or pitch bends to a note. While pitch bend and vibrato are standard features on most MIDI keyboards, sliding between half steps, as permitted by the Continuum, is not. A software "rounding" feature enables pitch to be quantized to the notes of a traditional equal-tempered scale, just scale or other scale to facilitate in-tune performance, with the amount and duration of the "rounding" controllable in real time. MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is an industry-standard electronic communications protocol that enables electronic musical instruments, computers and other equipment to communicate, control and synchronize with each other in real time. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... The chromatic scale is a scale with twelve pitches, each a semitone or half step apart. ...

The Continuum also provides two additional parameters for the sound: It is also able to transmit the finger pressure on the board as a MIDI value, as well as the finger's vertical position on the key. These parameters can be used to enrich the sound even more, for example to modulate between two sound banks. The Continuum is capable of polyphonic performance, with up to 16 simultaneous voices.

The Continuum does not itself generate sounds. Rather, it must be connected to a sound-producing source that will receive MIDI input, such as a synthesizer module.

Perhaps the most famous use of the Continuum in contemporary music is by Dream Theater's keyboardist Jordan Rudess. It can be heard in the songs "Octavarium" from the album with the same name, and in the end of the song "The Dark Eternal Night" from 2007's Systematic Chaos. He is also seen playing the Continuum on Dream Theater's 2006 live DVD Score. (To see it, click here) Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band comprised of James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy. ... Jordan Rudess (born Jordan Rudes on November 4, 1956) is a progressive rock keyboardist best known as a member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... Octavarium is a song by progressive metal band Dream Theater, from the album of the same name. ... Octavarium is the eighth full-length Dream Theater studio album, released on June 7, 2005 (see 2005 in music). ... The Dark Eternal Night is the fourth track off of Dream Theaters 2007 album, Systematic Chaos. ... Alternate Cover Special Edition CD/DVD Cover Systematic Chaos is the ninth studio release of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, and their first released on the new label, Roadrunner Records. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... DVD Cover Score is a 3CD/2DVD combination by progressive metal band Dream Theater. ...

The continuum is also played by Jordan Rudess on John-Luke Addison's Multiple Valences album in the song "Unimaginable Charimatics".

Artists using the Continuum

• Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater)
• A. R. Rahman
• Arshaan Bath
• Peter Chau
• Kevin Stobbe

Jordan Rudess (born Jordan Rudes on November 4, 1956) is a progressive rock keyboardist best known as a member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band comprised of James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy. ... Allah Rakha Rahman (Tamil: ஏ.ஆர்.ரஹ்மான்) (born on January 6, 1967 as A. S. Dileep Kumar in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India) is an internationally renowned musician, best known for composing film scores and soundtracks. ...

External links

• Haken Audio
• Review of full sized Haken Continuum
• Youtube videos featuring Continuum with V-synth XT