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My new Halo handpan arrived just in time for the first of two Berkeley Hang Gathering Concerts this weekend.

I only had a few minutes to play it before dragging it to the concert (where 7 Hang players played Friday night, and at least 4 Hang owners in the audience). After the concert all the Hang players couldn't resist trying it out.

Today I've had a bit more chance to get a feel for the Halo. The one I received is a C Ake bono, which has a C ding, and 7 notes in the tone fields of F3, G3, G#3, C4, C#4, F4, G4. This is different then what was 8 tone field prototype (F3, G3, G#3, C4, C#4, F4, G4, G#4), missing the high G#. Kyle said this is because after a number of prototypes that high G# just never sounded good, so they experimented with a 7 note tone field. He has offered to exchange this Halo with an 8 tone field C Ake bono or C Pygmy if I wish, but he says this 7 tone-field has a slightly better sound.

The Halo is about 1" larger in diameter, but it is slightly shallower in depth. It is slightly heavier -- the steel may be just a fraction thicker. This Halo has a dark patina then the more steel-looking prototype shown in their videos, with concentric rings around the entire drum. The F3 tone field ding is circular, the rest are more oval, somewhat like the modern "Integral" Hangs. The underside has a more flat finish, and the neck of the gu throat is much more shallow then most hangs, making it much less comfortable to pick up by the gu (which is my habit). The binding ring holding the two hemispheres of the Halo are covered in rubber, making it much easier to lift from the sides then many first-generation Hangs.

The sound of the Halo is much deeper then then my second generation D harmonic minor hang. It almost sounds baritone. The C ding is only a whole tone lower then the D ding, but the first note the Halo's tone field is the subdominant (4th) above the C (an F), whereas the the first tone field of the Hang is the dominant (5th) above the D (an A). As the second-generation and Integral Hang D minor scales have no subdominant in their tone fields at all, it makes for a very different sounding handpan.

The C ding is quite resonant, quite comparable to many of the 1st and 2nd generation Hangs that I've heard. If you strike it hard enough you will get that "wah" sound that Hangs are famous for. The flat area around the ding sounds significantly different then most Hangs, as the resonance peals all of the tone fields, whereas the Hang has a slight bit more separation. Like the second-generation and "integral" hangs, you can make the Halo "sing" by rubbing your hand across the ding or in the throat of the gu.

The 7 tone field notes are good, sounding somewhat like the first-generation Hangs, but not quite as rich sounding as second-generation or "integral" Hang. I assume that this is the type of metal, but it also may be the thickness of the steel, or the shortness of the Gu neck.

I brought my Halo over to my teacher Laura Inserra's home, where we found that the C Akebono Halo is very compatible with her first-generation F Pygmy Hang (ding F3, tone fields Bb3, C4, Db4, F4, Ab4, Bb4, C5, Db5). Her Pygmy Hang is a wonderful tenor to my Halo's baritone, and the tonality of both instruments is quite similar (i.e. a slight more 'steel' sound then the newer generation Hangs). We didn't have much time to practice, but we plan to perform tonight a simple duet of Hang and Halo at tonight's Hang Gathering Concert.

In summary: The Halo is a welcome addition to the handpan family. It offers a very interesting and new "baritone" tonality that is very different then the Hang. It is at least comparable in quality to most first-generation hangs, and in some ways superior. I wouldn't put the richness of sound quality quite in the "Stradivarius" class of the best 2nd generation or 3rd generation Hangs, but a magnitude better then any of the awful knock-off handpans that I've heard to date. Working with Kyle and Pantheon Steel has been a pleasure, and I expect there will be significant improvements to the Halo over time as they gain more experience with crafting handpans.

[This review was also posted in my blog at quescence.com where I will also be posting videos from the concert in the near future.]

thanks for your review chris !!!

a video is possible ?????

excuse me , i'm very curious ... can you tell us your number ???
is there the number inside the halo like in the hang ???
the ding is in the same finition (dark patina ?) of the all halo or is it more "brillant" ???

My "number" was 13, however, I think they may have moved me up a week or two because of the Hang Gathering Concert. I've also been in regular contact with Kyle since the deposit.

There is no serial number or "brand" mark anywhere.

The ding has the same patina as the rest of the top of the drum, but the concentric circles are less obvious.

-- Christopher Allen

Hi Christopher,

welcome in the Forum. Thank you for your first review about you Halo. You wrote a lot of interesting things and it is great to hear from the first players more about the Halo.

Is it likely, that Kyle build now the Halo with 7 notes regular? Or do he more experiments to see how to manage the Halo with the higher G# or similar higher tone fields?

Can you post a picture? If I understand right the look of the Halo changed a little bit. Interesting is the changing in coulor. I am curious if this is a result of a different hardening process from the steel since the initial Halo we see on youtube.

I hope you have fun with your Halo and we can hear more from you, soon.

Greetings
Frank

thanks for response !!!

i have same question than Funky : can we expect again a halo with 8 notes in the tone circle ???

I have been talking to Kyle regularly this last week as my number is just about up, and the last I heard is that there will be both 7- and 8-tone tunings.

I believe an update addressing this topic is going to be out "very soon"

aaron

Also,

Great write up Chris!

I was already glum that I couldn't go to the concerts this weekend, but now I'm doubly so -- I really want to *feel* a Halo! Can't wait to see your video(s).

Btw if I get a complementary tuning we should do some playing together soon! I'd love to do duets up in the tunnels in the Marin headlands etc...

aaron

Very nice review Chris. I can't wait to hear some samples of it, as well as some duets with Laura's Pygmy.

As for the branding and serial #s.... they will appear on all HALO's on the top flat area of the ding.

I can't wait to hear one of the 8 tone field HALOs as well.

Very detailed new Halo write up on the hang-music.com forums today:

http://www.hang-music.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=20205

This is about a Da Xiong Diao eight-tone Halo.

Todd seems to like it.

I had tried to post this here as well, but was having problems with the website saying I wasn't logged in.

Initial Impressions of Halo #5 Da Xiong Diao scale:
On Monday, my new Halo arrived! I’ve been enjoying the exploration of its sound and play, and it’s been great!

Of course the Halo was inspired by the PANArt Hang, and most of us first came to it because we were seeking a Hang for ourselves. My initial thoughts follow, and they include many direct comparisons to the Hang (in my case, an Integral Hang, or IH). Over time, I assume there will be less comparison, but I think many of those questions are in the forefront of people’s minds at this point.

I’ll also say that the initial videos that others have posted give some idea of the Halo, but don’t really do it justice (at least using the regular speakers on my computer). After playing it for a couple days, I’ve gone back to the videos and I now hear more, but it’s still quite a different experience to play one or to hear it in person.

SOUND
I’ll start off with the sound, which is most important: Deep, rich, penetrating, powerful, captivating, ethereal, mystical. I’d use the same words for the Integral Hang, but I think the Halo might be even more so in its own way. I’d even use the word “trippy” for it (which I mean in a very positive way!) The ding is loud, and the high G harmonic really sings when it’s given anything but the softest touch. The ding has a rich full sound—significantly louder than the other notes. It seems to want to return to that ding. I find it hard to overplay the ding—don’t get the distortion that I would get if I played my IH this hard. Harmonics are clearly present in all the notes, not just the ding.

Sustain was a bit longer than the IH. With a digital tuner, IH notes sustain a bit over 3 seconds, while the Halo is at least a half second longer. (Before actually measuring, I expected the difference to be even greater.) But I always prefer to measure things when possible. I’m sure other people have more sophisticated tools for analyzing these characteristics, and that will come.

Volume: The Halo can really fill up a space. It might even be able to hold its own with some drums. It can be played fairly quietly as well. I think it will be easier to balance the Halo with other instruments, and it will be better able to compete with background noise. I think the Hang is best in a totally quiet setting, but it also works really well in outdoor settings (in parks, near water, around birds or insects, or around a campfire, for example). I think the Halo will do quite well in these settings, possibly better in that it is louder, and it will be able to hold its own more. Playing publicly is another way to share these wonderful instruments, and in many cases background noises of traffic, people talking, etc. make it harder to hear the instrument.

Responsiveness: It’s easy to play and highly responsive, similar to the IH. Certainly easier to play than the handful of 1st Gen Hangs I’ve tried—they seemed to need a more precise touch. The Halo is more forgiving, and it’s easier to adjust the dynamics. I’m still working on isolating the harmonics—I think this might be a bit more difficult on the Halo (see more below regarding the tone fields), but I hear a lot of harmonics in all the notes, and I don’t tend to do a lot of harmonic isolations when I play my Hang, either.

Scale: Da Xiong Diao (DXD). Love it! It’s got a C3 ding, and the following notes in the 8-note tone circle: F3, G3, Bb3, C4, D4, Eb4, F4, G4. Not a lot of dissonance (only one semitone in there), but it has enough depth and combinations to keep things interesting. At times it has an Asian flavor, but it’s often subtle. I’m happy with the hexatonic scale. At this point, I have to say that I’m mostly just loving the sounds that come out of the instrument, and I really think all of Pantheon’s initial scale offerings have a lot going for them (and yes, I’m someone who has spent hours and hours looking at scale charts, playing with them on a keyboard, discussing them with others, etc). Note that this scale has the same intervals as the Dominant 7th Bellart (Alto) Bell designed by Luis and played by Synthi/Josue in the Bells Trailer #2. I’ve listened to that video a LOT, and it’s not immediately obvious to me that they are the same scale. I guess the lower starting point and the different voices of the instruments make them sound quite a bit different. But I find them both to be beautiful. The DXD is a very playable scale for someone who likes to play intuitively and let go.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Size and weight: It’s big and heavy compared to the IH. The Halo is about 2 inches bigger in diameter, which means almost a 20% bigger footprint. It weighs almost 50% more. It’s about an inch shorter, making it look even more like a UFO (more aerodynamic . . . but I guess that’s not so important after getting out of the Earth’s atmosphere). It’s more flat on the bottom around the Gu, and on the top around the Ding.

The Halo around 50% heavier, weighing in around 13-14 pounds (the IH is around 9).

Given that it is somewhat bigger around, but significantly heavier than the IH, I’m guessing that the steel is thicker. The additional mass would explain the increased volume and power of the notes. (I don’t have any way to accurately measure the thickness of the steel, so I’ll leave that up to someone else.)

The rings created when the steel is spun into its basic shape can be clearly seen in the ding and most of the top and bottom (bottom seems a little smoother).

Ding: It’s HUGE! (or at least it feels that way). The diameter of the playable surface is around 7.5 inches. Compared to the area of the IH ding (which is around 5.5 inches), it’s almost double the size. It can also be played much harder than the IH ding—I played it as hard as I’d dare (and a lot harder than I’d ever play the IH), and it never got to that point of overplayed distortion that you’d hear on the Hang. If only the center dome is struck or if the flat field is played lightly, you hear mostly the fundamental note of C3. Playing it harder, the overtones really come out, especially the 12th (G4, which is also the top note in the tone circle). There are other harmonics in there as well. It seems to take a little more control to make sure the ding doesn’t overpower the notes in the tone circle. So far, I’ve found the deep, rich ding to be a nice home for my playing, and I often feel drawn back to it for a long note.

That low F in the tone circle really takes up a lot of space—it just barely fits in there. The G is also pretty good sized. Those lower notes need to be played with a little more force to get their full sound. The tone fields get progressively smaller as the pitch rises. I guess the low F and G stand out because they are lower than the A3 on the bottom of the IH tone circle. The concave dimples of each tone field have a clear circular outline (maybe a ¼ or ½ inch larger than the dimples). Also, the tone fields themselves are more egg-shaped than ellipses, and the concave indentations are not directly in the center of the tone fields. They are good sized, but it will take some adjustment to get used to their positions. Hang players might also have make some adjustments to elicit the specific overtones (there is also variation on the different generations of Hangs).

Color: Overall, it’s a dark gray, with shades of blue and purple, depending on the angle and intensity of light, with the rings from the spinning showing to varying degrees.

The large size means that if one is playing two notes on opposite sides of the instrument, there is a lot of territory to cover. It’s still doable, but it does add a bit to the challenge.

The Gu is not as deep as on my IH, and it ends more abruptly (instead of the IH’s smoother curve). Because of the size and shape, it is less comfortable to carry the instrument this way (also mentioned previously by Robert/Cheap), which was also my favorite way to carry the instrument. The extra weight of the Halo make it even less comfortable.

The outer edge, where the two hemispheres come together, is circled with a U-shaped piece of rubber, which is glued in place (instead of the brass ring on the IH). The rubber edging does make it feel more secure to carry the Halo this way.

Stand: pretty cool, very adjustable. I usually play my IH sitting on the floor. I’ve been playing the Halo that way, too, but since it’s bigger and heavier, I’m planning to use the stand more. The 3 arms are about 19 inches above the floor when the stand is at its lowest setting. It holds the Halo (or a Hang) comfortably, and can be adjusted to get it wherever it feels most comfortable. Be aware that the instrument is just resting on the top, so you’ll want to be careful to make sure it doesn’t get bumped—even 19 inches is a long way to fall!

Bottom Line: I’m very impressed. Of course I waited for 2 years to get this baby. I already have an IH, so that made the waiting easier. I was trying to manage my expectations to avoid disappointment. Turns out that most of that was unnecessary—it really has a great, full sound. While there will be obvious comparisons to the Hang, the Halo has its own distinct spirit and personality, which is also great. It has a lot of power, and perhaps I would describe my IH as more subtle and a bit more reserved and somewhat more refined. Beyond it’s power, the Halo has a lot of complexity, and there will be plenty to explore.

I think the vast majority of people will be very pleased with their Halos. Whether you already have a Hang or not, I think the Halo has a magical sound all its own. I still love my Hang, and I find myself going back and forth between the Hang and Halo, enjoying the gifts that each brings with its beautiful sounds.


Links to some pics:
Pic of top: http://s951.photobucket.com/albums/ad35 … 010005.jpg
Single tone field: http://s951.photobucket.com/albums/ad35 … 010019.jpg
Top View of Hang and Halo: http://s951.photobucket.com/albums/ad35 … 010012.jpg
Side View of Hang and Halo: http://s951.photobucket.com/albums/ad35 … 010013.jpg
Halo Stand: http://s951.photobucket.com/albums/ad35 … 010023.jpg

thanks for this good good review so complet !!!

we want to hear it !!!!

Here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JquarxP7Gu4

1) You hold the IH with a wide angle of your legs. In this posture the Helmholtz resonance of the IH is F2 and cannot resonate with the D3 Ding. Therefor the IH cannot show its full sound. It needs the Helmholtz resonance lowered to D2 to give back its full sound potential.

2) You strike the IH definitely to strong. To let the IH sound it needs a more sensitive and lighter treatment.

The way you play the IH cannot demonstrate the sound potentials of the instrument. I came back yesterday night from the Hangsonic weekend in Hiddenhausen (Germany) where i met a lot of Hangplayers wit IHs and 2nd genation. We played alone, together, swaped our instruments. Played in a silent room, outside in nature and on stage. I hear nothing in your video what I heard in the last days from several IHs.

Ix

thanks for showing this new scale !!!
i love it !
it's sound very "sad" and relaxing to me ...

My experience is that changing the way that I hold the IH doesn't make that big a difference in the sound of the IH. I will continue to experiment to see if I can find something, but I have never noticed a dramatic difference.

"Too strong" is a subjective judgment. At some points, you are probably right--I was intentionally striking it a bit harder, largely in order to contrast it with the Halo, which feels less fragile and delicate to me, which may be regarded as better or worse, depending on the person. There may have been times where I struck it a bit too hard because I have been playing the Halo more in the past few days, and I have been intentionally exploring its sounds.

I would not consider my playing of the IH in this video to be particularly inspired, but I would still say that I think it gives someone a sample how the IH sounds. Of course there are numerous other players who may play in various styles, in different rhythms, with different notes, etc. However, I would agree that both the Halo and Hang lose a good part of their "depth" and "magic" in most recordings, and I would certainly include this one among those. Again, I largely played the Hang so that viewers would understand that there is a certain amount of loss of the character of both instruments, particularly in my relatively simple recording.

It's not a question of melody or rhythm and not of recording. You play the IH in a way that cannot show its beauty and potential.

When Frank will find the time we will upload an excerpt of a Hang concert we played some weeks ago. Its also bad recording technique but you can hear what I mean.

I played Ich der Hugo's IH a few weeks ago alone in a silent room and found out, that I had to play it lighter and softer than my 2nd gen to find the sound. This seems to be a priniciple of the Hang: You have to play softer to get more sound. And then, when you have found the sound, you can increase the volume out of the stillness. You cannot play a Hang loudly before you found its sound in the silence.

This principle also applies to the Gu-Ding-resonance. With some Hanghang it is easier and with some Hanghang it is more difficult. If it is more difficult you need more silence to detect it. Not until you found the resonance in the silence you will be able to learn to increase the volume of the Helmholtz resonance.

I think the easiest way to find the Gu-Ding-resonance is to put the Hang on the floor, strike the Ding in a dampened way while you take the Hang at the brass ring with the other hand and slowly lift it from the floor. A bit more difficult it is to hold the Hang upright and use a hand covering the Gu to detect the Gu-Ding-resonance. Putting the Hang on the lap while sitting on a chair and change the angle of the legs is the next challenging step. And the most difficult way to find the Gu-Ding-resonance and reproduce the posture, I think, is sitting cross-legged on the floor.

Here is the Hang Forum topic where I discussed the Gu-Ding-resonance: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=132

Ix

Why are you and Funky so worried about the chance of something other than a PANArt hang sounding good? You guys think everything but PANArt is junk. Why are you so worried if you think halos sound like hank drums? I guess I don't get it.

I didn't get your point.

In my post I wrote about the sound of the Hang and was worried about that the Hang sounds good. And you ask, why I'm so worried that something other could sound good.

Because I'm worried about the Hang's sound and not about the sound of something other, it is impossible for me to answer your question.

Ix

Come on Ix. You are being just plain silly now! Here is a guy who has owned and played a Hang for a year and has a newly acquired Halo which he has played for a grand total of about one week. He sits down and plays them head to head and you cry foul. You say that he is not playing the the Hang to it's full potential. Gee. Do you think he is playing the Halo to it's full potential after one week? Oh that's right, I forgot. Now you are going to say: "how hard can it be to learn how to play an instrument that sounds like a hank".

The Halo sounds so good that you, for some silly reason, feel threatened. I just do not get it.

Get a life dude!