The PANArt Hang Meets the ZenDrum

While the world of HandPan is growing, and it is a little easier these days to obtain a HandPan, than in the dark days of just a few years back (at time of writing) when the Hang was the only (and an almost impossible to obtain) option. Owning, and playing a real HandPan still may not be for everybody - simply because they’ve fallen in love with the sound.

Hang, and HandPan can be very expensive. They’re relatively fragile. To a more or lesser degree they require occasional tuning, which depending upon your geographic location, (in addition to other factors), can prove to be very expensive. And, for some, only having a handful, or two of notes to play with, per pan, may prove limiting, and just might not be enough.

Which is where devices like the ‘ZenDrum’ come into play. And having seen Soniccouture’s awesome Pan drum sample pack used in some very interesting, and inspiring ways with devices such as the ‘DomeControl’, and the ‘EigenHarp’, the ZenDrum, offers another option for playing the Hang, or HandPan, without all of the complications associated with obtaining, and maintaining, one of those much-loved metallic musical discs.

The Zendrum is a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) triggering controller designed by drummers to allow musicians to express their creativity in rhythmic and intuitive ways. However, the Zendrum can trigger ANY sound via MIDI, so it is much more than drums yet as easy to play as tapping your desk with your fingers. Unlike a keyboard, there are no moving parts to break or wear out. It is a handcrafted instrument carved from fine woods, assembled and tested by the inventors. Each Zendrum is a work of art, manufactured with careful attention to detail and high quality.
And as you can see from the embedded video (uploaded by YouTube user 'MuckleDrummer'), the ZenDrum is a pretty unusual, and very cool looking piece of kit. That comes available in a number of different styles, and finishes (with our favorites being the ones that resemble giant console joypads). And when combined with the ‘Hang drum’ sample pack, it does a pretty decent job of mimicking the Hang, in sound, and to some degree, in its relaxing, and delicately tactile style of play.
For more information on the ZenDrum, you can visit the makers website: HERE.
© HandPans Magazine