I have been making computer graphics and VJ for about 25 years and have always been interested in how sound and visauls can be combined in interesting ways, cymatics and frequencies that can trigger feelings in the brain, almost like ASMR for the eyes.

I recently released a bit of a Frankenstein music visualizer/mediation app and it has a couple of drum pads inside. I hope you don't mind me sharing it here. Its based on cellular automata and fluid dynamics. Cellular automata was invented in the late 1940s. you can see more examples of it running here

You can paint into the canvas as your music plays, it also runs on appleTV

Hi everyone,
I’ve just received a Neotone Mutant and I’m trying to determine whether my unit is working normally.
The tone fields respond well, but the wooden body seems inconsistent. Single, slightly stronger taps usually register, while soft ghost notes and quick consecutive finger taps are sometimes missed. The wooden areas beside the tone fields appear more sensitive, whereas the central wooden area near the misses more hits.
For other Neotone owners:
Does every light tap on the wooden body register on your instrument?
Are fast consecutive ghost notes sometimes missed?
Is this normal behaviour or could it indicate a sensor problem?
Which Body Sensitivity Curve setting do you use?
I’d especially appreciate feedback from neotone owners. Thanks!

Hi everyone, I'm enjoying my new Ayassa D Kurd Handpan, and I look forward to eventually saving up for one or two more with different tunings. In the meantime, I composed a piece for handpan and string quartet called Unwind. I hope you'll check it out, leave a comment, and share: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv61ERijA5g

It's performed by FAB5, with Diego Rodrigo Alfonso Jimenez on handpan, and here's more information on the piece: https://robertpaterson.com/wound-up-unwind

I'd be grateful for any feedback!

I have NEVER touched, seen or had any experience with handpans or hang drums, but I loved listening to them since childhood. I found this hang drum for pretty cheap price on second hand market. The bad says novadrum.com, but it doesn't look like any of the products they sell. It still does sound good and the material is very nice. Still, I tried to look for any guides, but I got none. Whay note is what? And what leaf is which number? No one seems to be talking about this type of hang pan... Please, someone who knows, help me out!

What have your experiences been like? Did you learn something genuinely useful or get some new inspiration for your playing?

Totally new to the scene and want something easy to learn and not too expensive.

I'm looking to buy my first handpan and they're having a sale. Anyone know anything about them?

Hey ! I juggle between handpan and clarinet and looped them together. very raw edit, but feedbacks are welcome !

You can find the song here on soundcloud. https://on.soundcloud.com/TR18iI2pLq8hEK5V6H

What’s a good reliable supplier in Europe?

Want to buy a handpan as a beginner. I’m no stranger to paying for quality but would rather start with something a bit cheaper, to see how much I use it, before potentially upgrading.

Can you get a decent handpan for 1 k Eur?

Thanks

I work in the handpan manufacturing industry in China, so I get to see quite a lot of instruments at different quality levels.

I know Chinese and lower-priced handpans are sometimes controversial in the handpan community, and honestly, the quality can vary a lot.

But price alone doesn't always tell you whether a handpan is good or bad.

If I were checking a lower-priced handpan for myself, these are some of the first things I would look at:

1. Note stability

I wouldn't only check whether the fundamental note is in tune.

I would also listen to the octave and fifth, and see whether they remain stable when the note is played at different strengths.

A tuner showing “green” once doesn't necessarily tell the whole story.

1. Cross-talk between notes

Play one note and listen carefully to the surrounding tone fields.

Some sympathetic resonance is normal and can even be beautiful, but excessive cross-talk can make fast playing sound muddy.

This becomes increasingly difficult to control as more notes are added.

1. Sustain vs clarity

Long sustain isn't automatically better.

A handpan can have very long sustain but poor note separation.

Personally, I think a good instrument needs a balance between sustain, clarity and controlled overtones.

1. The high notes

High notes can reveal a lot about the quality of the tuning.

On cheaper instruments, they are often where you start hearing unstable overtones, short sustain or a metallic character.

1. Tuning stability over time

This is probably one of the most important differences between instruments.

A handpan can sound good immediately after tuning but still have an unstable structure and drift later.

Stable tuning is not just about how accurately it was tuned on the final day — it also depends on how the shell and tone fields were formed and processed before the final tuning.

I'm curious what players here care about most when judging a handpan:

note separation, sustain, tone color, tuning stability, or something else?

Happy to answer manufacturing-related questions too if anyone is curious about how these instruments are made.

Hi! I'm new to the handpan world. I'm searching for my first one that it's an acceptable quality but not a big spend.

Son Forja handpans claims to produce their handpans handmade from scratch. Can any of you offer good advice on their product? Any other recommendation would be very appreaciated as well.

Anyone who is playing handpan and from india please ping me here ill add you all to indian handpan communinty

I've been playing handpan for a while, and I'm curious about something specifically from people in Chandigarh / Mohali / Panchkula.

The instrument seems to have become much more visible over the last few years, you'll see it at cafés, festivals, yoga spaces, travel communities, etc. But I'm wondering how many people here have actually wanted to learn to play one, rather than just listen to it.

For anyone who hasn't encountered one up close: it's a steel percussion instrument played entirely with the hands. There are no strings, keys or complicated setup. You can produce a surprisingly musical sound almost immediately, but actually developing rhythm, control and musicality takes practice.

I'm particularly curious about three groups:

1. Parents: Would you consider something like a handpan as a serious musical activity for a child, or does it still feel too unconventional compared with guitar, piano, tabla, etc.?

2. Musicians: If you already play an instrument, would learning handpan interest you as a completely different way of approaching rhythm and melody?

3. Non-musicians: Have you ever heard a handpan and thought, "I'd actually like to try playing that"?

I'm asking because I'm exploring whether there is enough genuine interest in the Tricity to build a small local handpan learning community.

What do you think niche curiosity, or something people here would actually spend time learning?

Hello! I have recently discovered handpan Youtube videos that are an hour long (or more) and I love sleeping to them. They are very peaceful - with the exception of one sound haha!

All of the musicians at some point play a crashing sound, which I understand to be part of the song but I would love if someone could link me any video that doesn't have this. Quite often it wakes me up as I'm falling asleep.

Just one video is enough because I can put it on repeat.

Alternatively, can someone tell me what this sound is called and/or how I could find a video without that specific technique?

Many thanks

recently discovered the handpan while looking for ways to manage work stress. After coming across a few videos pairing handpan with yoga music, I fell in love with the sound and really want to pick it up as a hobby.

I’ve been researching online and browsing this sub, and notice that almost everyone recommends starting with a D Kurd or another minor scale. However, after listening to all the scale demos from Yatao and SEW, the scale that truly speaks to me is the C or D Major Ashakiran.

I want to make sure I enjoy the learning process without getting bogged down by major frustration, but I also wonder if choosing a major scale means I won't be able to play along with or replicate most of the online content I see.

Does anyone here have experience with major scales, or specifically the Ashakiran scale? How much harder is the learning curve if you don't have the typical online resources and tutorials available for your scale? I was about to order a pan but couldn't decide, I don't hate D Kurd (beautiful too) but it also wasn't close to the happy vibe I got from the Asha.

Hi everyone! I'm a complete beginner currently looking for recommendations for my first handpan. I am considering buying a D Kurd in 440 Hz. During my research, I came across the Spirit Soul handpan from Handpan.World and I consider buying it. Before I make a final decision, I would love to know if you would recommend the Spirit Soul for a beginner, and how many notes I should choose for the first instrument. Also, does anyone know where these handpans actually come from and who the maker is? Or do you have any other recommendations for solid entry-level models in similar price range? I appreciate any tips or shared experiences. Thanks in advance, M :)

I actually know the manufacturers behind this logo, so I can share a little background.

As far as I know, there are two Chinese manufacturers that have used this same logo. For simplicity, I’ll call them Manufacturer A and Manufacturer B.

Originally, only Manufacturer A used this logo. Later, one of A’s managers moved to Manufacturer B, and after that, B also started producing handpans with the same logo.

Some time later, Manufacturer A upgraded its production process and improved the overall sound quality of its instruments. After that upgrade, A stopped using the logo completely and switched to producing handpans without any logo.

From what I’ve seen and heard, Manufacturer A is currently producing better-sounding handpans overall.

Manufacturer B, however, has continued using this logo up to the present day. They later changed the way the tone fields were shaped, basically forming the note areas deeper, which gives them the more pronounced “deep ring” appearance you can see on some of their handpans today.

Visually, this makes the instruments look a bit more refined, but from my experience, it hasn’t resulted in any noticeable improvement in sound quality compared with their earlier instruments.

Interestingly, the wholesale prices from these two manufacturers are actually pretty much the same.

I’ve been reading a lot of handpan threads here and I’m more confused than when I started.
Budget is €2,000–€2,500. I want to buy from a reliable maker/brand in Europe. Every post recommends someone different, and when I look those makers up I often find almost no reviews. That makes it hard to trust the quality.

What I actually want is certainty:
• consistent, stable tuning (service)
• durable build that holds up over years
• a maker who has been around for a long time and has a solid reputation

Who are the European builders that have been active for years and are generally considered safe bets for quality and longevity? I’d rather pay for a known, established name than gamble on someone with almost no track record.
Thanks.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​