Continuum (instrument)
Encyclopedia
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
.
The Continuum Fingerboard was initially developed over the period of 1990 to 2000 at the CERL Sound Group at the University of Illinois to control sound-producing algorithms on the Platypus audio signal processor and the Kyma/Capybara workstation.
In 2002, the first commercial version of the Continuum Fingerboard used IEEE-1394 (FireWire)
or MIDI
connections to control a Kyma sound design workstation
or a MIDI synthesizer module. Later versions added a control voltage
option to permit control of analog modular synthesizers
.
The most recent model can generate audio directly, but it is still primarily designed to be a MIDI controller (the IEEE-1394 connection that was present on earlier models has been removed).
playing surface measuring approximately 19 centimetres (7.5 in) high by either 137 centimetres (53.9 in) long for a full-size instrument, or 72 centimetres (28.3 in) long for a half-size instrument. The surface allows a pitch
range of 9350 cent
s (about 7.79 octave
s) 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
.
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.
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.
's keyboardist, Jordan Rudess
. He has used the instrument extensively live and in the studio with Dream Theater. He plays the Continuum 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", 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
.
Another high profile advocate of the Continuum Fingerboard is Sarth Calhoun
, who uses it in his work with Lucibel Crater and Lou Reed
. In the Metal Machine Trio
both Calhoun and Reed use Continuum Fingerboards on stage.
Indian composer A.R. Rahman's 2007 Third Dimension tour of North America featured the Continuum. He used the Continuum in a piece he composed for the Changing Notes Concert held in Chennai
, and in the song "Rehna Tu
" in the 2009 movie Delhi-6
and the new version of "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara
". He also used it in his score of the film Enthiran and in the track "Acid Darbari" from the Academy Award nominated soundtrack of 127 Hours
.
The Continuum was used by John Williams
for his score to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Other musicians using the Continuum include Jordan Rudess
, John Paul Jones
, Randy Kerber
and Amon Tobin
.
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
.
The Continuum Fingerboard was initially developed over the period of 1990 to 2000 at the CERL Sound Group at the University of Illinois to control sound-producing algorithms on the Platypus audio signal processor and the Kyma/Capybara workstation.
In 2002, the first commercial version of the Continuum Fingerboard used IEEE-1394 (FireWire)
IEEE 1394 interface
The IEEE 1394 interface is a serial bus interface standard for high-speed communications and isochronous real-time data transfer, frequently used by personal computers, as well as in digital audio, digital video, automotive, and aeronautics applications. The interface is also known by the brand...
or MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital Interface
MIDI is an industry-standard protocol, first defined in 1982 by Gordon Hall, that enables electronic musical instruments , computers and other electronic equipment to communicate and synchronize with each other...
connections to control a Kyma sound design workstation
Kyma (sound design language)
Kyma is a visual programming language for sound design used by musicians, researchers, and sound designers. In Kyma, a user programs a multiprocessor DSP by graphically connecting modules on the screen of a Macintosh or Windows computer.-Background:...
or a MIDI synthesizer module. Later versions added a control voltage
CV/Gate
CV/Gate is an analog method of controlling synthesizers, drum machines and other similar equipment with external sequencers. The Control Voltage typically controls pitch and the Gate signal controls note on/off....
option to permit control of analog modular synthesizers
Modular synthesizer
The modular synthesizer is a type of synthesizer consisting of separate specialized modules connected by wires to create a so-called patch. Every output generates a signal – an electric voltage of variable strength...
.
The most recent model can generate audio directly, but it is still primarily designed to be a MIDI controller (the IEEE-1394 connection that was present on earlier models has been removed).
Specifications
The Continuum features a touch-sensitive neopreneNeoprene
Neoprene or polychloroprene is a family of synthetic rubbers that are produced by polymerization of chloroprene. Neoprene in general has good chemical stability, and maintains flexibility over a wide temperature range...
playing surface measuring approximately 19 centimetres (7.5 in) high by either 137 centimetres (53.9 in) long for a full-size instrument, or 72 centimetres (28.3 in) long for a half-size instrument. The surface allows a pitch
Pitch (music)
Pitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...
range of 9350 cent
Cent (music)
The cent is a logarithmic unit of measure used for musical intervals. Twelve-tone equal temperament divides the octave into 12 semitones of 100 cents each...
s (about 7.79 octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
s) 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
Millisecond
A millisecond is a thousandth of a second.10 milliseconds are called a centisecond....
.
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
Portamento
Portamento is a musical term originated from the Italian expression "portamento della voce" , denoting from the beginning of the 17th century a vocal slide between two pitches and its emulation by members of the violin family and certain wind instruments, and is sometimes used...
effects and notes that are not in the chromatic scale
Chromatic scale
The chromatic scale is a musical scale with twelve pitches, each a semitone apart. On a modern piano or other equal-tempered instrument, all the half steps are the same size...
, and allowing for the application of vibrato
Vibrato
Vibrato is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms of two factors: the amount of pitch variation and the speed with which the pitch is varied .-Vibrato and...
or pitch bend to a note. A software "rounding" feature enables pitch to be quantized to the notes of a traditional equal-tempered scale
Equal temperament
An equal temperament is a musical temperament, or a system of tuning, in which every pair of adjacent notes has an identical frequency ratio. As pitch is perceived roughly as the logarithm of frequency, this means that the perceived "distance" from every note to its nearest neighbor is the same for...
, just scale
Just intonation
In music, just intonation is any musical tuning in which the frequencies of notes are related by ratios of small whole numbers. Any interval tuned in this way is called a just interval. The two notes in any just interval are members of the same harmonic series...
or other scale to facilitate in-tune performance, with the amount and duration of the "rounding" controllable in real time.
Timbre
In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the...
shift, and position on the Z-Axis (vertically) corresponds to a change in amplitude
Loudness
Loudness is the quality of a sound that is primarily a psychological correlate of physical strength . More formally, it is defined as "that attribute of auditory sensation in terms of which sounds can be ordered on a scale extending from quiet to loud."Loudness, a subjective measure, is often...
. The Continuum is capable of polyphonic performance, with up to 16 simultaneous voices.
Continuum players
A major proponent of the Continuum in contemporary music is Dream TheaterDream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
's keyboardist, Jordan Rudess
Jordan Rudess
Jordan Rudess is an American keyboardist best known as a member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater and the progressive rock supergroup Liquid Tension Experiment.-Biography:...
. He has used the instrument extensively live and in the studio with Dream Theater. He plays the Continuum in the songs "Octavarium
Octavarium (song)
Octavarium is a song by progressive metal band Dream Theater, from the album of the same name.The song starts with Jordan Rudess using his Haken Continuum and his lap steel guitar, drawing references from Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", Tangerine Dream, Marty Friedman's Scenes, and...
" and "Sacrificed Sons" from the album Octavarium
Octavarium (album)
Octavarium is the eighth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater. Released on June 7, 2005, it was the band's final release with Atlantic Records. Recorded between September 2004 and February 2005, the album holds the distinction of being the last album ever recorded at The...
, "The Dark Eternal Night" and "Constant Motion" from 2007's Systematic Chaos
Systematic Chaos
Systematic Chaos is the ninth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater. Released on June 4, 2007 in the United Kingdom and June 5, 2007 in the United States, Systematic Chaos was the band's first release through Roadrunner Records, which was sold to their previous label...
, and "A Nightmare to Remember", and "The Shattered Fortress", from the album Black Clouds & Silver Linings
Black Clouds & Silver Linings
Black Clouds & Silver Linings is the tenth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on June 23, 2009 through Roadrunner Records. It is the band's last album to feature drummer and founding member Mike Portnoy before his departure on September 8, 2010. The album was...
. Rudess also used the Continuum on Dream Theater's live releases Score
Score (album)
-Disc two:-Disc three:-DVD:Tracks 1 through 8 feature Dream Theater alone. Tracks 9 through 14 feature Dream Theater and The Octavarium Orchestra.-Disc one:#"The Root of All Evil" – 9:32#"I Walk Beside You" – 4:10#"Another Won" – 5:40#"Afterlife" – 7:28...
and Chaos in Motion, and his 2007 solo album The Road Home
The Road Home (Jordan Rudess album)
The Road Home is a cover album by Jordan Rudess. It was released on September 12, 2007.Rudess's arrangements of these classic prog tracks include many sections that were not in the original songs, especially solos...
.
Another high profile advocate of the Continuum Fingerboard is Sarth Calhoun
Sarth Calhoun
Sarth Calhoun is an electronic musician from Brooklyn, NY.He is a member of Lucibel Crater along with Leah Coloff and Paul Chuffo. He is also a member of Lou Reed's Metal Machine Trio, along with Lou Reed and Ulrich Krieger. He was previously a member of Number19.He plays continuum fingerboard and...
, who uses it in his work with Lucibel Crater and Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
. In the Metal Machine Trio
Metal Machine Trio
Metal Machine Trio is a group founded in 2008 by Lou Reed, Ulrich Krieger and Sarth Calhoun.The group plays free improvised music, touching on various genres from free rock, free jazz, minimal music, noise, electronica, to ambient.-History:...
both Calhoun and Reed use Continuum Fingerboards on stage.
Indian composer A.R. Rahman's 2007 Third Dimension tour of North America featured the Continuum. He used the Continuum in a piece he composed for the Changing Notes Concert held in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, and in the song "Rehna Tu
Rehna Tu
"Rehna Tu" is a Hindi song composed by A. R. Rahman, featuring lyrics by Prasoon Joshi for the 2009 Bollywood film Delhi-6. The song was performed by Benny Dayal, Tanvi Shah and Rahman himself, who is the main vocalist....
" in the 2009 movie Delhi-6
Delhi-6
Delhi-6 is a 2009 Hindi-language film directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and starring Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Om Puri, Waheeda Rahman, Rishi Kapoor, Atul Kulkarni, Deepak Dobriyal and Divya Dutta. The film is reportedly based on Mehra's growing up years in Chandni Chowk area of Old...
and the new version of "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara
Mile Sur Mera Tumhara
"Ek sur" , or "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara" as it is better known, is an Indian song and accompanying video promoting national integration and unity in diversity....
". He also used it in his score of the film Enthiran and in the track "Acid Darbari" from the Academy Award nominated soundtrack of 127 Hours
127 Hours
127 Hours is a 2010 biographical adventure drama film co-written, produced and directed by Danny Boyle. The film stars James Franco as mountain climber Aron Ralston, who became trapped by a boulder in Robbers Roost, Utah in April 2003....
.
The Continuum was used by John Williams
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
for his score to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Other musicians using the Continuum include Jordan Rudess
Jordan Rudess
Jordan Rudess is an American keyboardist best known as a member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater and the progressive rock supergroup Liquid Tension Experiment.-Biography:...
, John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
, Randy Kerber
Randy Kerber
Randy Kerber is a composer, orchestrator, keyboard player, born September 25, 1958 in Encino, California, who has had a prolific career in the world of cinema...
and Amon Tobin
Amon Tobin
Amon Adonai Santos de Araújo Tobin , known as Amon Tobin, is a Brazilian musician, composer and producer of electronic music. He is described as a virtuoso sound designer and is considered to be one of the most influential electronic music artists in the world...
.