Introducing Hapax.
Professional standalone sequencer
Genuine centerpiece of a setup, it offers every tool needed to compose songs in the studio and perform them on stage. From vintage to modern synths, from modular systems to your favorite DAW, Hapax can sequence and synchronize all your gear, while bringing you carefully crafted tools, designed for maximizing creativity.
The midi powerhouse.
Up to a million notes and events
16 tracks per project, 16 patterns per track.
Thanks to its dual–processor architecture, Hapax can record and transform tremendous amounts of data in no time, without a hitch.
Thanks to its dual–processor architecture, Hapax can record and transform tremendous amounts of data in no time, without a hitch.
Express yourself.
MPE compatibility
Hapax is the first hardware sequencer that fully supports MIDI Polyphonic Expression. Record the finest gestures, slides and articulations of your playing, without compromising quality.
Around the clock performance.
Dual–project architecture
Hapax can handle two separate and independent projects, that can be played simultaneously. This lets you compose or load an entire project while the first one is already playing, enabling endless sets and seamless transitions.
Dawless is more.
Hapax offers broad connectivity options for perfect integration in any setup.
Adaptive workflow.
Several ways to write music
Writing a melody: use a polyphonic or MPE track and take advantage of the advanced step sequencer to quickly lay down notes or edit your live recording.
Composing a beat: control up to 8 different instruments with a single track. The drum sequencer is tailored for very easy rhythm writing and jamming.
Composing a beat: control up to 8 different instruments with a single track. The drum sequencer is tailored for very easy rhythm writing and jamming.
Real–time midi effects.
Bring your synths to life
Hapax embeds multiple real–time, polyphonic, non-destructive midi effects, as well as project–wide assignable LFOs. Each parameter of these effects can be automated in the dedicated mode, and processed in the modMatrix, which provides even more ways of routing and modulating.
Powerful composition tools.
AlgorithmsPowerful tools for offline note transformation and generation, right at your fingertips. Harmonically invert your motive, generate a controlled–random counter–melody, slowly ramp up the velocities, emphasize every fifth 8th note...
Harmony, simplifiedFor fast and intuitive chord building, the chord live mode brings harmonic capabilities to anyone, with or without deep theoretical knowledge. With its colorful interface, the chord mode displays a synesthetic melding of hearing, vision and touch.
Hi–res recordingHit the red button, and record from the encoders and 128 pads of Hapax, external midi instruments (included MPE controllers) or any incoming analog signal, at a high resolution of 192 ppqn. Looper style recording, count–down and metronome options, punch–in mode, you'll certainly find the options that best suit your workflow.
Fluid editingUsing hardware should never get in the way of creative flow. The undo/redo button lets you go back in time as needed, thanks to its extensive history. Additionally, the snapshot function enables you to save the state of a pattern and recall it with a single press. Together with dedicated copy, paste and delete buttons, Hapax offers a complete toolbox for the prompt editing of your tracks.
Time elasticityEach track has an elasticity value which changes its playback speed, expressed in percentage of BPM. Quickly double or halve the speed of a track, or create slightly shifted tracks that will slowly drift out of phase with each other.
Four modes to explore.
Live mode
Isomorphic Keyboard
Think in shapes to play your favorite chords.
Live mode
Chord Generator
Browse through a large chord bank & play with algorithmic modifiers.
Live mode
Live Drumming
Full velocity range at your fingertips.
Step mode
Step by Step
Program your melodies and rhythms instantly on the 128 pads matrix.
Step mode
uTime
Slightly move the note around its central step position to create subtle grooves.
Step mode
Math & Chance
Create lively, ever-changing & complex patterns in a flash with conditionals trigs and probabilities.
Step mode
Roll
Energize your beats with note repeat.
Step mode
Loop Points
Set in real-time where your pattern begins and ends.
Step mode
Project Scale
When enabled, only in-scale notes can be added. No more 'wrong' notes.
Pattern mode
Independent Patterns
Launch different patterns for each track, for improved performance flexibility.
Pattern mode
Synchronized Pattern Changes
Schedule pattern changes for smooth transitions.
Pattern mode
Run Modes
Each pattern can be played forward, in reverse, in ping-pong, or randomly.
Pattern mode
Follow actions
Automate pattern triggering or add some randomness to your pattern launches.
Pattern mode
Length
Per-pattern length, from a 16th to 32 bars, allows for long jam recordings and polymetric effects.
Pattern mode
Transpose
Play or program notes on the TRSP leader track to transpose other tracks.
Pattern mode
Sections
Save sections (arrangements of patterns) and launch them in sync.
Pattern mode
Song
Arrange your sections in a chain to create complex songs.
Pattern mode
Program Changes
Per-pattern program change, for easy preset-switching during your live performances.
Automation mode
Automate Everything
Per-pattern automation (FX parameters, CV outputs, midi messages (CC, pitchbend, aftertouch, NRPN, CC pair, program changes, )...
Automation mode
Interpolation
Draw envelopes with a few points, or program discrete events.
Automation mode
Recording Editing
Edit or fine tune a previously recorded automation with ease.
Automation mode
CV In Recording
Bridge the gap between analog and digital, with the 16 bit CV inputs.
Automation mode
Virtually unlimited automation per track
Simple by design.
Trimmed to perfection
We designed Hapax from the ground up, deconstructing everything we knew about sequencing. We aimed for a high-end product, with dual arm processors for computation power and a rugged yet minimalist housing.
As music-making should remain an enjoyable process, we favored dedicated buttons over key combinations and imagined a clear-cut interface as well as a simple architecture. We have striven to minimize the importance of screens for live performing, but the dual grayscale display helps keeping track of things in a studio context.
As music-making should remain an enjoyable process, we favored dedicated buttons over key combinations and imagined a clear-cut interface as well as a simple architecture. We have striven to minimize the importance of screens for live performing, but the dual grayscale display helps keeping track of things in a studio context.
Evolving firmware.
The Hapax Operating System has been written with extra care, prioritizing stable and fast operations. New features and parameters will be added regularly. Looking for the latest HapaxOS for your device? Follow this link.
hapaxOS 2.0 new features
Red Means Recording – Review
Loopop – Review
Captain Pikant – Analyzing Daft Punk's Beats
MrTuna – Live Looping
Patchwerks – Hapax In The Studio
Bleeps and Boops – Recreating Café Del Mar
Red Means Recording – The Buddha Machine Sessions
🇫🇷 Arkitek – Redonnez vie à vos synthés
Klaus Obermaier – Complex Tuplets, Dawless Eurorack
Signal Sounds – Secrets of the Hapax
Specifications
Model name
Hapax
Hardware
128 RGB MATRIX pads
52 clic pads
9 sturdy clickable encoders
2 OLED greyscale displays
SD card for saving projects
CPU: dual ARM design
RAM: 32MiB
Housing: machined aluminium 2mm
Housing (back): unibody ABS
Sequencer
Dual Sequencer (2 Projects)
16 tracks per project
16 patterns per track
Input
2× midi in (DIN + TRS type A)
2× CV in [-5V to +5V] (16bit)
Stereo pedal (footswitch)
Output
4× midi out (3× DIN + TRS)
4× CV out [-5V to +5V] (16bit)
4× GATE out [+5V]
Bidirectional I/O
USB Host (link a controller)
USB Device (link a computer)
Power supply
15V, 1.2A, 18W (included)
Dimensions
358 × 206 × 58 mm = 14.1 x 8.1 x 2.3 in
Weight
1.855 kg = 2.2 lb
Main Features
Player
Dual Project: 16–track × 16–pattern + 16–track × 16–pattern
Polyrhythms/Polymeters/Phasing capabilities
Track run–modes: reverse, pingpong, random
Track length: 1 step to 32 bars
Very low jitter and latency
Performance
Live modes: scales, chords generator & drum
Real–time global scale on each project
Live recording with looper & metronome
High recording resolution: 192ppqn
Record midi velocity of note ON and note OFF
Transpose track / Match Chord track
Real–time midi effects, up to 7 per tracks (Arpeggiator, Chance, Euclid, Harmonizer, Randomizer, Scale, Swing...)
Misc
Multitrack recording
Undo/redo and Snapshot
Copy/paste for almost everything
Instruments definitions
Advanced modMatrix
Assign 8–pot mode
Fill
Easy import/export of MIDI files
Latency compensation
Audio synchronization from a DAW possible (sample-rate precision)
Extended settings for improving your workflow
Step
Step modes: polyphony, drums & MPE
Algorithmic composition tools
Quantizer with strength
Loop points on each track
Conditional trigs + roll + microtime + chance possible on each note
Automation (CC, Pitchbend, Aftertouch, Program Change, NRPN, CC pair, CV) editor with interpolator
Pattern/Song
Advanced pattern mode
Song editor mode, based on sections (groups of patterns)
Synchronized project load and launch
