Haken Audio EaganMatrix Micro is a new desktop mini synth that brings the Continuum/Osmose engine to every studio.
The EaganMatrix is the synth engine that powers the Haken Audio products and the Expressive E Osmose Synthesizer. It’s a multi-engine that offers various types of synthesis, including virtual analog and physical modeling. The latest is even additive/resynthesis with the extra app Loris Synth.
For those who previously found both companies’ products out of budget, there is now a more affordable way to use the engine. Haken Audio has unveiled the EaganMatrix Micro, a new desktop mini synth.
Haken Audio EaganMatrix Micro
EaganMatrix Micro is a new mini “cigarette-box”-like desktop synth that brings the Continuum/Osmose to every studio. It offers the same powerful EaganMatrix engine with up to 8 voices of polyphony. Among other things, it offers
- five flexible summation oscillators, each with controls for frequency, phase, and spectral balance
- smooth organic-sounding noise sources
- five multimode filters
- two bi-quad filter banks with banks of 8 or 48 related but independent bi-quad filters. These banks can also act as granular synthesis modules, as vocal mouth shapes, or additive synthesis modules.
- five independent Shape Generators
- eight CVC (Continuum Voltage Convertor) outputs,
- and more
Haken Audio EaganMatrix Micro doesn’t offer hardware control over the parameters. You need an external MIDI controller for this. It only offers a seven-segment display and buttons to change the octave and the preset.
Yes, it’s a preset player with hundreds of system presets included. No worries. You can also create your own patches with the cross-platform (macOS/Windows) Haken Editor.
Connectivity
On the connection side, it has a stereo 3.5 mm TRS audio output and a 3.5mm TRS EXT connection socket for pedals or CV signals. Plus, it has a mini USB connector that powers the unit and injects MIDI data. Every purchase includes a USB-A to Mini USB cable.
The mini USB connection allows bidirectional MPE and MPE+ connection to other devices and allows connection to the Haken Editor for editing and archiving EaganMatrix presets. Too bad there is no USB-C.
First Impression
It’s great to see that the EaganMatrix is becoming more accessible. After the Eurorack module version, it is now also a mini desktop synth, which means that even more people can use the engine with their setups.
Haken Audio EaganMatrix Micro is available now for $449 from the official store and retailers.
More information here: Haken Audio
If it indeed provides full access to the Haken Editor, and will work with my Exquis mpe controller, then it will be a no-brainer.
Yeah, this is the full synth in a box. These units can actually be used to run the earliest Continuums that don’t have the computational power anymore to run the currentn software.
Also, consider the Eurorack module at a few hundreds more, as it has stereo in, allowing for sound processing as well. It’s the main feature lacking from the Micro.
Always wanted this sound engine, but for the price/size couldn’t it have been in a metal case and not mini USB? Other than my KORG Nano’s which seem indestructible, everything I’ve had with a mini goes bad quicker than other USB types I’ve owned.
Yeah, mini USB in 2025 is a huge miss.
Mini USB? 3.5mm for audio AND expression input? Why? It feels disrespectful and lazy.