Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5/5 Stars
It’s a sound you’ve likely heard in TV and film soundtracks but may not be able to readily identify: a light, melodic, melancholy metallic chime reminiscent of a Caribbean steel drum but lacking that instrument’s strident attack and carnival atmosphere. This unique sonority is the Hang, a metal flying‑saucer‑shaped tuned percussion instrument played with the hands.
It was my pleasure to review the original Hang Drum library in June 2008, since when Soniccouture changed the product name to Pan Drums and added extra ‘handpans’ (the generic name for Hang‑style instruments). The new Pan Drums II adds further content, bringing the instrument count up to seven including the original pair featured in Hang Drum. All of these sampled instruments can be played chromatically, but if you want to recreate their authentic pitches, simply play the notes marked in purple on the Kontakt keyboard. The library (7GB installed) requires Kontakt 6 or Kontakt 6 Player version 6.8 or later.
I immediately fell in love with the Halo Genesis (aka Halo in B) handpan made by the US company Pantheon Steel. Larger and lower‑pitched than the Hang, it has a purer fundamental tone and a gentle attack which works beautifully for quiet ostinatos, in which role it could be mistaken for a harp. Its Halo in C partner sounds slightly more percussive. These handpans were played by their inventor Kyle Cox, who brought two of his favourite Halos for Soniccouture to record.
Lovingly hand‑crafted in Bristol, UK, the Meridian handpan has a peaceful, soothing tone reminiscent of harp harmonics, while its ‘edge’ performances introduce a nice pitter‑pattering attack. Played in its original tuning (a D minor scale without the minor sixth) the instrument takes on a dreamy, almost hypnotic quality. By way of contrast, the US‑built Rockcreek steel tongue drum is played with mallets, producing a clear, bright sustaining chime with Caribbean overtones. Pan Drums II’s final entry is the impressive Rav Vast, a large, Hang‑shaped steel tongue drum with a deep pitch, precisely tuned overtones and a solemn, lingering sustain.
The instruments were deep‑sampled with up to 60 velocity layers using a variety of striking techniques: fingertips, thumbs, knuckles, edge and corner hits, slaps and mallets (styles vary from drum to drum). The range of acoustic textures is wonderful, but things get even better when you dig into Soniccouture’s excellent sound‑design presets: these utilise the library’s built‑in effects to create haunting, ethereal leads and pads, alien electronic textures, Radiophonic tape delays, delicate high bells and a great upright bass emulation.
You’ll have hours of fun with these funky gamelan grooves, Afro‑flavoured jams, brushed drum syncopations and manic industrial rhythms.
Also lurking in the sound design folder are inspirational rhythmic pulses and evolving arpeggios created by the Jammer generative tool in conjunction with mutated handpan sounds. You’ll have hours of fun with these funky gamelan grooves, Afro‑flavoured jams, brushed drum syncopations and manic industrial rhythms. Happy handpanning!
£119
£119