Record Handpan
Would you also like to experiment with your handpan? Or with music programs and make recordings with a tongue drum? Maybe you have never done it before and can't find any helpful posts on how to best record your handpan . We will help you here as best as we can.
There are so many different reasons why you might want to buy recording equipment, and maybe should if you want to take your handpan recording to the next level. The problem is that you never know exactly what you need. No doubt you've scoured the internet to find the right one for you, but you feel lost with all the information available. Don't worry, you're not alone! Finding the right equipment for your handpan or tongue drum can be a real pain. That's why we decided to analyze the topic to help you out.
How you should record your handpan depends mainly on whether you want to do it via a computer or not, whether you are in the studio or whether you prefer to record a live session. We will cover the different topics here and also how you can record with the tongue drum. Enjoy reading!
Recording a handpan – how to best record your handpan
When recording your own music, you'll need to figure out how to best use your microphone for each instrument. Hand drums/handpans can be anything from the familiar conga to unusual drums like the North African tar. Since there can be many different types of handpans, here are some general guidelines for recording the hand drums, be it a handpan or a tongue drum.
The choice of microphones depends on the type of drum and its sonic characteristics. Conga drums, for example, are in the middle of the frequency spectrum and produce a loud sound that a large-diaphragm condenser microphone can capture well. If you want a denser, drier sound, you can use a dynamic microphone. If you choose a dynamic microphone, the microphone will "color" the sound of your recording.
Recording a handpan – which handpan microphone is suitable for studio recordings?
If you want to record smaller, higher-sounding hand drums, use either a large-diaphragm or a small-diaphragm condenser microphone and avoid using a dynamic microphone altogether.
The placement of the microphone also varies considerably between different hand drums. Listen to the sound of the drum and find a place where you like what you hear. Then you can record the handpan or its sound.
In most cases , the full sound is achieved when the microphone is placed between one and three meters from the drum. If you want a lot of attack, you can place the microphone closer when recording handpan . However, if you place the microphone closer than one meter, you will lose some of the depth of the drum.
A studio is a very different environment than a stage or if you want to record the handpan while you are outdoors, so it is not surprising that different tools are needed.
We use a matched pair of pencil mics, placed at 90 degrees to each other and aimed at the center of the instrument. We record with a Zoom H6 with phantom power and then match the files to the video in post-production. We also worked with a bass mic for a while.
The Audix proved to be a little sensitive in our humble opinion when it came to capturing the true sound of our instruments, especially the tongue drums. It either produced too much bass or too little at the expense of more noise. However, it's worth noting that this is very specific because we're trying to capture the truest sound of the instrument for our clients. For a recording project where you might want more bass in the sound, the bass mic is great!
Professional studio engineers have many tricks up their sleeves and could no doubt offer endless more information and opinions on recording handpans in the studio. These tools and methods have proven helpful to us.
Recording handpan – which handpan microphone can I use for live recordings?
Contact microphones are famous for live handpan playing, especially when played percussively and fed through a mixing system. There are several types of contact microphones: those that clamp to the edge of the handpan, and others - single or contact microphones in pairs. You can combine these with a small condenser microphone for optimal results. The contact microphones can be placed in the spaces between the notes or on the bottom shell.
You will also need a preamplifier to set up with your microphones. We recommend that you always bring one with you or ask your sound team for time to set one up. If you play with other instruments such as a didgeridoo or violin, make sure there is a large distance between the microphones and these instruments so that they are not drowned out by other, louder musical instruments. Before you start recording, play your handpan as loudly as possible and check the feedback to make sure no sounds are being clipped. Set the gain so that your loudest playing is still 3 dB below the maximum sound your system and handpan can record.
Recording a handpan — the right position for your microphone
Use two small diaphragm condenser microphones on either side of the handpan. You can also place a kick microphone (dynamic microphone) below the gu hole to amplify the bass. It is recommended that you place the microphones 40 to 50 cm away from the instrument. This will suppress any slap sounds on the notes. It is important to place both condenser microphones at the same distance from the handpan. This will ensure a balanced sound and will compensate for any phase differences. This applies to recordings that you want to make with the handpan when you play live.
In the studio we already mentioned that you should try distances between one and three meters to reproduce the best sound.
Tongue drum – individual recording types
Finally, most tongue drums are acoustic, and when people use their phones to record videos, that means inconsistent sound quality. Still, some try their best by placing microphones above their kalimba . The depth of the sound here comes from the resonance chamber located on the bottom, so the result is not quite perfect.
The best way to record the tongue drum is an electro-acoustic model with a built-in microphone and jack plug. You can easily record by connecting it to a sound card or guitar amplifier.
Tongue drum players who play fast music along with loud instruments such as electric guitar, djembe or drums, or in noisy public spaces such as open auditoriums and festival stages, need high-quality pickup microphones. Experts around the world agree that choosing the right pickup microphone is difficult because many contact microphones tend to amplify percussive hits or highs rather than melodic sounds - mids and lows . The sound of a pickup microphone should be adjusted to amplify the mids and bass more and the highs less. This often requires the assistance of an experienced sound engineer who understands the sound of a tongue drum and is familiar with the acoustics of the environment.
Recording a tongue drum – what equipment do I need and where do I record?
A tongue drum is one of the instruments that sounds best in a quiet environment. However, many times we have to play in front of a larger audience. In this case, choosing the right sound equipment is crucial. Translating the sound of a steel tongue drum , capturing all the overtones and reproducing them perfectly is a constant challenge that all artists must face, including those who want to record their handpan .
For soloists who prefer the purest and cleanest sound possible from the tongue drum in their recordings, whether outdoors or indoors or in the studio, a pair of small-diaphragm condenser microphones with a kick mic is the best choice. If you play along with other acoustic instruments that are usually low volume, such as flute, violin or acoustic guitar, this setup would still work as long as you use in-ear monitors to avoid unwanted feedback.
Recording a tongue drum – how many microphones do I need?
A tongue drum is a percussive, melodic instrument - you create different scales, sometimes spanning up to two octaves. If you're playing for an audience for sound healing or meditation, you'll want the overtones to be clearly heard, the sustain to be long, and optionally add reverb. Depending on whether you're doing this on the beach or in a closed auditorium, we recommend these two options:
- Use two small-diaphragm condenser microphones on either side of the tongue drum.
- Contact microphones are popular for recording both tongue drums and handpans in the studio. The contact microphones can be placed in the spaces between the tongues or on the bottom shell.
Decide on a specific configuration: with or without a computer?
Consider what you need: Do you want something that is convenient and quick to set up? For example, are you often on the move, outdoors or on the bus? Do you like jamming, going to festivals and want to capture the moment? Then you should choose a portable recorder.
Or are you often at home, have a lot of time, like to try out different options and want to use software that allows you to re-record, edit and arrange your compositions in peace? Then we recommend that you choose the configuration with a computer.
