Effects and production
Reverb, delay, looping and what to do with a handpan once it is inside a mix or a DAW.
Recording and amplification
How to capture a handpan on a recording, get it through a PA without feedback, and treat it sensibly with effects and in a mix.
The handpan is an awkward instrument to capture and an awkward one to amplify, for the same two reasons. It is quiet, so you need a lot of gain, which brings the room and the stage with it. And it sustains for several seconds, so everything you add, whether that is a reflective wall, a reverb plugin or a second overdub, lands on top of a note that is still ringing.
Almost every piece of advice in this section follows from those two facts. The room matters more than the microphone. Placement matters more than the model. Gain before feedback is the whole live problem in three words. And restraint with reverb is what separates recordings that sound spacious from recordings that sound like a swimming pool.
Where products are named here it is because they are genuinely common reference points, not recommendations. Prices and model ranges move, and purpose-built handpan pickups are a small market with few manufacturers, so check what is current before you buy.
Contents#
| ID | Question | Level |
|---|---|---|
| REC-01 | What is the best way to record a handpan at home? | beginner |
| REC-02 | Which microphones suit the handpan, and why? | intermediate |
| REC-03 | Where should I place the microphones? | intermediate |
| REC-04 | How do I record in a normal room without it sounding boxy? | intermediate |
| REC-05 | Do I need an acoustically treated room? | beginner |
| REC-06 | Can I get a good recording with just a phone or a handheld recorder? | beginner |
| REC-07 | How do I capture the low gu without the recording turning to mud? | advanced |
| REC-08 | How should I approach multitracking and overdubbing a handpan? | advanced |
| REC-09 | How do I amplify a handpan on stage? | intermediate |
| REC-10 | Pickup or microphone: which should I use live? | intermediate |
| REC-11 | What types of handpan pickup exist, and how do they mount without damaging the instrument? | intermediate |
| REC-12 | How do I stop feedback when I amplify a handpan? | advanced |
| REC-13 | Do I need a DI box, a preamp or an EQ? | intermediate |
| REC-14 | What does a simple gigging rig actually look like? | beginner |
| REC-15 | Which effects suit the handpan, and which ruin it? | intermediate |
| REC-16 | How do I build a live looping setup? | intermediate |
| REC-17 | How do I mix a handpan into a track? | advanced |
| REC-18 | How do I use a handpan in electronic production and sampling? | advanced |
Files#
- Recording · REC-01 to REC-08
- Live amplification · REC-09 to REC-14
- Effects and production · REC-15 to REC-18
See also: Playing with others, Acoustics and physics, Care and maintenance
Live amplification
Getting a handpan through a PA without feedback, damage to the instrument or a thin, plasticky sound.
Recording a handpan
Microphones, placement, rooms and the practical business of getting a handpan onto a recording without it sounding boxy, thin or muddy.