SynthFest France 2026: Haken Audio Slim 21 is the most portable full-size Continuum controller so far, with the same features & synth engine.
Expressive MIDI controllers with MPE are trending. From Osmose, ROLI Seaboard, Ebodme ERAE II, Linnstrument, and many more. The selection is huge today. One that has been around for a very long time is the Haken Audio Continuum and its built-in EaganMatrix sound engine.
Ahead of SynthFest France 2026, Haken Audio has unveiled the Slim 21, the most affordable and compact version of the full-size Continuum.
Haken Audio Slim 21
Slim 21 is the newest and most portable member of the Haken Audio Continuum family. It offers the same unique neoprene surface, with each finger tracked individually.
The main difference between the two other Continuum controls is their size. It has 21 half steps, so nearly 2 octaves, and measures 45 x 19 x 3 cm (17.7 x 7.5 x 1.2 in), with a weight of 1.6 kg (3.5 lbs).
At its core lies the same EaganMatrix sound engine, offering multiple synthesis types, including virtual analog, additive, and physical modeling.
The dedicated Haken Editor for macOS and Windows allows users to craft all new sounds like on a multi-engine Synthesizer. Powerful engine, yes, but the highlight is how expressively you can play it.
Continuum’s unique, sensitive play surface seamlessly interfaces with the EaganMatrix sound engine for a truly organic playing experience. The hardware uses up to 12 independent hall-effect sensors per finger to track each finger individually.
Then, the analog output of each sensor is digitized by ultra-high-speed A/D converters. A typical note played on the Continuum will use data from hundreds of thousands of Hall-Effect samples, enabling exponentially greater accuracy and sensitivity.
This allows the user to articulate the pitch or other parameters differently for each pressed note. Just like with other MPE controllers, but even more fluidly.
First Impression
It’s great that there’s now an affordable entry into the full-size Continuum world.
Haken Audio Slim 21 is available now for $1799.
More information here: Haken Audio
Well, they could have added an extra active. Much better it could have been.