Continuum (instrument)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 The full-size Continuum Fingerboard |
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| Manufactured by | Lippold Haken |
|---|---|
| Dates | c. 2004-present |
| Price | $5290[1] $3390 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Polyphony | 16 voices |
| Input/output | |
| External control | MIDI, AES3 |
The Continuum Fingerboard or Haken Continuum is a music performance controller developed by Lippold Haken, a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois, and sold by Haken Audio, located in Champaign, Illinois.[2]
The Continuum is a MIDI controller; it does not generate audio. Rather, it must be connected to a sound-producing source that will receive MIDI input, such as a synthesizer module.
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[edit] Specifications
The Continuum features a touch-sensitive neoprene playing surface measuring approximately 19 centimetres (7.5 in) high by either 137 centimetres (54 in) long for a full-size instrument, or 72 centimetres (28 in) long for half-size instrument. The surface allows a pitch range of 9350 cents (about 7.79 octaves) for the full-size instrument, and 4610 cents (about 3.84 octaves) for the half-size instrument. The instrument has a response time of 1.33 ms.[3]
Sensors under the playing surface respond to finger position and pressure in three dimensions and provide pitch resolution of one cent along the length of the scale (the X dimension), allowing essentially continuous pitch control for portamento effects and notes that are not in the chromatic scale, and allowing for the application of vibrato or pitch bend to a note. 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.[4]
The Continuum also provides two additional parameters for the sound: it is 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 are independently programmable; a standard configuration is where position on the X-Axis (lengthwise) on the instrument corresponds to pitch, position on the Y-Axis (widthwise) corresponds to a timbre shift, and position on the Z-Axis (vertically) corresponds to a change in amplitude. The Continuum is capable of polyphonic performance, with up to 16 simultaneous voices.
[edit] Continuum players
A major proponent of the Continuum in contemporary music is Dream Theater's keyboardist, Jordan Rudess. He has used the instrument in the songs "Octavarium" and "Sacrificed Sons" from the album Octavarium, "The Dark Eternal Night" and "Constant Motion" from 2007's Systematic Chaos, and "A Nightmare to Remember", "The Count of Tuscany", and "The Shattered Fortress", from the album Black Clouds & Silver Linings. Rudess also used the Continuum on Dream Theater's live releases Score and Chaos in Motion, and his 2007 solo album The Road Home.
The Continuum was used by John Williams for his score to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.[5]A.R. Rahman used the Continuum in the song "Rehna Tu" in the 2009 movie Delhi 6.[6]
Other musicians using the Continuum include John Paul Jones and Randy Kerber.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ "NAMM: Continuum Fingerboard MIDI Controller". Harmony Central. 2004-01-26. http://namm.harmony-central.com/WNAMM04/article/Haken/Continuum.html. Retrieved on 2009-07-08.
- ^ "Dr. Lippold Haken". http://www.cerlsoundgroup.org/CSGdesc/LippoldHome.html. Retrieved on 2008-04-06.
- ^ "Haken Audio". http://www.hakenaudio.com/Continuum/html/overview/Intro.html. Retrieved on 2008-04-06.
- ^ Lumma, Carl. "Haken Audio Continuum". KeyboardMag. http://www.keyboardmag.com/article/haken-audio-continuum/Aug-04/1874. Retrieved on 2009-07-08.
- ^ Eichmann, Lauren (2008-05-21). "Indiana Jones and the incredible Continuum Fingerboard". ECE Illinois. http://engineering.illinois.edu/news/?xId=074108320784. Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
- ^ Eichmann, Lauren (2007-06-13). "ECE Professor’s instrument featured on world-renowned musician’s tour". ECE Illinois. http://www.ece.uiuc.edu/news/headlines/hl-fingerboard.html. Retrieved on 2008-04-06.
- ^ Kim, Peter (2008-03-05). "'Indiana Jones' movie to use professor's musical invention". DailyIllini.com. http://media.www.dailyillini.com/media/storage/paper736/news/2008/03/05/News/indiana.Jones.Movie.To.Use.Professors.Musical.Invention-3251800.shtml. Retrieved on 2008-04-06.
