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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 6:01 am

IX, after watching several videos of your playing, I have determined that you are not an authority on the potential of how the Hang can and should be played. You are really good at thinking about the Hang, but you do not have a refined tactile understanding of the instrument that justifies the authority that you try and convey when you discuss how others should play. Yes, you can feel the hang and can listen with your hands, but your skills are still primitive. You have made a sound clip of how to isolate harmonics, but you do not have the technical skills to do so, clearly indicated on the audio clip. You tell us about the deep Bass tone and the D2 Ding, but your technique does not allow it to come out of the instrument so that it can be heard. You KNOW (from thinking) about how to make the hang sing in different ways, but you are a novice player speaking like a professional when it comes to action. Its just like ethnomusicology professors who can talk and talk all day about subtle aspects of instruments and culture and music, but get them on stage, and the show is flat and sleepy. Which is why they are professors and not pro musicians.

If you are going to tell others how they need to play, then lets put the mirror up to your skills and see what you really "know," because truly knowing the Hang through experience is far deeper than any of your words will convey.....


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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 8:40 am

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omrhythm wrote:
IX, after watching several videos of your playing, I have determined that you are not an authority on the potential of how the Hang can and should be played. You are really good at thinking about the Hang, but you do not have a refined tactile understanding of the instrument that justifies the authority that you try and convey when you discuss how others should play. Yes, you can feel the hang and can listen with your hands, but your skills are still primitive. You have made a sound clip of how to isolate harmonics, but you do not have the technical skills to do so, clearly indicated on the audio clip. You tell us about the deep Bass tone and the D2 Ding, but your technique does not allow it to come out of the instrument so that it can be heard. You KNOW (from thinking) about how to make the hang sing in different ways, but you are a novice player speaking like a professional when it comes to action. Its just like ethnomusicology professors who can talk and talk all day about subtle aspects of instruments and culture and music, but get them on stage, and the show is flat and sleepy. Which is why they are professors and not pro musicians.

If you are going to tell others how they need to play, then lets put the mirror up to your skills and see what you really "know," because truly knowing the Hang through experience is far deeper than any of your words will convey.....


Hi,

@Om

you watched several videos from Ixkeys? Please tell me, where you find all the Ixkeys Videos.
So far as I know, there are only 2 maybe 3 videos on the web, where Ixkeys play the Hang.
Ixkeys dont made this video with "isolated harmonics" you speaking from.
Here is one of the videos where Ix playing the Hang.
Ix is the man on the right side. On the left side you see another member of the Forum. Quitte.
Quitte dont own a Hang and it is the second day he played the Hang on a visit in my home. I think you made a big confusion. So, your posting means not Ixkeys. You find a few audio recordings from Ix on the Hangblog. Listen, with good hifi-equipment and you could hear a lot of from Ix playing.
On the video you could also hear the Helmholtz deep tone Ix is talking about.
(with good speakers)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHyhmO2_rRc

Or do you mean the article on Hangblog, where Ixkeys show how to discover the Overtones of Hang? On the sound files Ix let only a few overtones ring. This say nothing about how Ix play the Hang.

http://www.hangblog.org/2007/10/28/disc ... overtones/


I have a recording where Ix is playing. I hope to cut and upload this in the next days.

This is very sad. You have no more arguments and now you come with videos Ixkeys never made.

By the way. If anybody is curious now tho hear a little bit Ixkeys playing a first generation low Pygmy Hang I suggest the "End of the Year" music. Download the mp3 and play it on a good hifi-equipment with good speakers.

http://www.hangblog.org/2008/12/31/end- ... ear-music/


Frank

_________________
The hang brings back what we lost: we are touched by an unknown call (Felix Rohner - Panart).


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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 10:52 am

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omrhythm wrote:
IX, after watching several videos of your playing, I have determined that you are not an authority on the potential of how the Hang can and should be played.

rptalk2me wrote:
The Halo sounds so good that you, for some silly reason, feel threatened. I just do not get it.


Om and rptalk2me, you missed the point. The topic of my post wasn't my Hang skills or the strength of the threat I possibly feel, but an analysis of the Hang playing in the video. The video demonstates a comparison between a Halo and an Integral Hang.

My critique was that the Hang isn't played in a way that allow a comparison. The demonstration of the Hang is far from the sound potential of this instrument.

Whether the Halo is demonstrated adequately I cannot estimate because I never had the opportunity to play one. Therefor I confine myself to estimate the Hang playing in the video.

There were two clear arguments I made:

1) The Hang isn't hold in a way that allow the Gu-Ding-resonance. And the Gu-Ding-resonance is one of the main aspects of the Hang sound.

2) The Hang is played to hard. And to let the IH sound it needs a more sensitive and lighter treatment.

The interesting question is - besides the estimation of my own Hang playing skills or my possibly threatened feelings - : Are these two arguments right or wrong?

I missed your statements about this.

omrhythm wrote:
If you are going to tell others how they need to play...


Om, this is a misunderstanding probably caused by my shortenend English formulation that is caused because I probably need the threefold time to write a post than a native English speaker. My intention wasn't to tell others how they need to play. Everyone can play the way he or she likes. My point was: If one makes a comparison between the Hang and another instrument, it matters how he or she plays the Hang. Besides this special issue toddmnd can play however he likes it.

Ix


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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 5:21 pm


Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 1:15 pm
Posts: 53
Ixkeys wrote:
You play the IH in a way that cannot show its beauty and potential.
Ix


To me, this is a rather overbearing statement and judgment. I actually respect your opinion, but I disagree with a fundamental view of Hang-playing as dichotomous--it can be played with beauty, or not.

Rather, I would say that there is a complex range of factors, which generally range along continua, and that individual listeners have a subjective response to that playing. The beauty perceived is largely in the eye of the beholder (or perhaps better, in the ear of the "behearer"). I also think that there may be general group preferences of what sounds better, but that these would be far from unanimous, and that there will always remain various personal preferences from person to person. This can apply to many different aspects of playing the Hang, as well as scale choices. One of the great gifts of the Hang is "approaching the instrument in freedom," as PANArt advocates.

I have considered your input (and will continue to do so) in terms of expanding and improving my ability to play, both in terms of an exploration of the Gu-Ding resonance, and a different style of play. At this point, even if I have a limited range of playing skills, I still appreciate a great deal of beauty and potential in my IH, but hope to continue to find ways to expand on its potential and find additional ways to connect with its magic.


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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 5:36 pm

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Hi,

at he weekend we meet on the german Hangsonic. There where a lot of second generation and Integral Hanghang.
We speak about the aspect that the way you hold the Hang has an big impact of the sound.
It is not so easy to find out, but if you find the right angle of your legs the Hang has much more potential as without that.
This is not a playing rule, but interesting to know. And after that is solo physik. Not a matter of opinion.

@todd. I also think that you play the Hang a little bit to hard for an good example of the sound quality of the Integral Hang.
Maybe as an result playing the Halo direct before?
The metall sheet from the Halo is thicker as the Hang metall sheet. I can imagine that you must hit the Halo a little bit harder than the Hang to evoke the sound.
There is no rule to play the Hang. But there is a lot of potential in the Hang, if you find out how to play with the Gu-Ding resonance.
Ixkeys demonstrate this for the audience and Hangplayers on the Hangsonic.
All agree, that there is a point where the Hang "blossom".
That means not, that the Hang sound is bad, if you play on another way. You only dont use this potential in the Hang.

Frank

_________________
The hang brings back what we lost: we are touched by an unknown call (Felix Rohner - Panart).


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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 6:46 pm

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Hi todd, I hope you understood that my intention was not to judge your playing skills. My intention was to avoid that the Hang is misunderstood.

Playing an IH isn't easy. It is a challenge. I occasional had the opportunity to play an IH. Before the Hangsonic I played three different IH. On the Hangsonic there were several more. And I'm just a beginner on this instrument.

I'ts also not easy to play a 2nd generation Hang. I needed more than a year to find the "sound" of my own 2nd gen. Integrating the Gu-Ding-resonance and a soft playing were two main aspects for me to find out how the Hang wanted to be played. The third basic aspect was to play the Hang in a silent place.

We all are students of the Hang and not "Hang masters".

Ix


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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 8:06 pm


Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2009 7:10 pm
Posts: 11
Ixkeys wrote:
Playing an IH isn't easy. It is a challenge.
I'ts also not easy to play a 2nd generation Hang. I needed more than a year to find the "sound" of my own 2nd gen. Integrating the Gu-Ding-resonance and a soft playing were two main aspects for me to find out how the Hang wanted to be played. The third basic aspect was to play the Hang in a silent place.

We all are students of the Hang and not "Hang masters".

Ix


This is good news to those of interested in a Halo. Following the above logic, we have not heard the real potential of the Halo yet. Since nobody who currently owns one has had that kind of time to learn its subtle nuances and how the Halo wants to be played.


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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 8:24 pm

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tao te hang wrote:
This is good news to those of interested in a Halo. Following the above logic, we have not heard the real potential of the Halo yet. Since nobody who currently owns one has had that kind of time to learn its subtle nuances and how the Halo wants to be played.


Or with other words: Nobody knows whether such subtle nuances possibly will be found in the future or not, but he has to pay 1500$ to find out. ;)

Ix


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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 8:31 pm

Ixkeys wrote:
Hi todd, I hope you understood that my intention was not to judge your playing skills. My intention was to avoid that the Hang is misunderstood.

Playing an IH isn't easy. It is a challenge. I occasional had the opportunity to play an IH. Before the Hangsonic I played three different IH. On the Hangsonic there were several more. And I'm just a beginner on this instrument.

I'ts also not easy to play a 2nd generation Hang. I needed more than a year to find the "sound" of my own 2nd gen. Integrating the Gu-Ding-resonance and a soft playing were two main aspects for me to find out how the Hang wanted to be played. The third basic aspect was to play the Hang in a silent place.

We all are students of the Hang and not "Hang masters".

Ix

Once again, this is all your opinion, and does not hold true for everyone. If you would simply add "for me" at the end of statements like "Playing an IH isn't easy," you would avoid having to be corrected by generalizing for everyone. This is more the case for novice musicians and for people who have little experience with the Hang or other hang-like instruments....


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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 8:52 pm

As far as the Halo is concerned, in my experience it is equally as responsive as the Hang. The Ding actually requires MUCH LESS force to produce a strong tone. I will admit that some refinement is necessary concerning the sound of the Ding, but for the most part, the Halo is extremely responsive and quite easy to play (for me). As for an initial release to the public, the Halo is far superior to the 1st generation hanghang, again IMO. For having only spent 2 years researching and developing this product, Kyle has done a fantastic job. Yes there is room for refinement, as is to be expected. But for the most part, I think that Kyle has demonstrated that it is in fact possible to produce a Hang-like instrument that is palatable to the general public and will fulfill the need of people that do not have hanghang already, again IMO.

As far as subtle nuances, what specific sounds are you looking for in the Halo to compare it to the Hang?? There is certainly a Gu-Ding relationship, and there is a solid base tone that comes out of the bottom of the instrument, which changes when you adjust the opening. Each tone field has exciteable harmonics. The Rim of the Ding has a lot of potential and possibilities. It is not as refined as the 2nd generation Ding-Rim, but it produces more tone with a lighter and less precise touch necessary than the IH Ding-Rim. Again, all in my experience.

Regarding the amount of pressure required to excite the IH and Hang, I think that it is only partially correct to say that you get more tone with less force. To a certain point this is true, but if you have an extremely precise index finger, as required to accurately play the tabla, for example, you can actually draw more sound out of the IH and other hanghang if you strike it harder with more precision than if you strike it softer. This is more for striking the Ding than for the tone fields. This of course goes up to a certain point. When one thinks about playing with MORE force, it is generally assumed the the entire hand might be used when playing the Ding for example. If you use more force, less fingers (like 1), and more precision, more sound can be extracted out of the hang. But of course, it still should be played in a quiet area. The Halo on the other hand has a greater overall volume than the hang. It could possibly be played in a more crowded setting without the sound being lost. Particularly with the Ding. However, as Kyle refines the Ding, this might change. Currently it does not produce the clearest single set of harmonics possible. It is slightly dissonant, and a tad bit "tank" sounding. This may not be the most desireable, but for a first release I think it is acceptable and will be received well by most people.


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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 8:57 pm

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omrhythm wrote:
Once again, this is all your opinion, and does not hold true for everyone. If you would simply add "for me" at the end of statements like "Playing an IH isn't easy," you would avoid having to be corrected by generalizing for everyone. This is more the case for novice musicians and for people who have little experience with the Hang or other hang-like instruments....


I only can write my opinion here. If something is not my opinion, I declare it writing for example: "Omrhythm thinks that..."

But your suggestion doesn't work. My opinion is not that "playing an IH isn't easy for me". My opinion is that "playing an IH isn't easy and a challenge for everyone" not only for me. This is a big difference. I want to transport the thought into the heads of as many IH beginners as possible to challenge them not to think, what they currently can get out of their instrument is everything that they can get out of it.

I can be wrong (because I'm not the pope), but whether my hypothesis is right or wrong can be tested by sensitivly approaching and playing the IH. And this is the reason why I point out the impropper Hang playing for the comparison of Halo and IH.

Ix


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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 11:11 pm


Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2009 7:10 pm
Posts: 11
omrhythm wrote:
As far as subtle nuances, what specific sounds are you looking for in the Halo to compare it to the Hang??


Since I asked the question, I am not specifically looking for any subtle nuances since I have played neither instrument. I was using the comment made by Ix to show that we may have only seen a glimpse of Halo potential. Therefore, to base one's entire reaction to the Halo by the few videos we have seen may be premature.

omrhythm wrote:
However, as Kyle refines the Ding, this might change. Currently it does not produce the clearest single set of harmonics possible. It is slightly dissonant, and a tad bit "tank" sounding. This may not be the most desireable, but for a first release I think it is acceptable and will be received well by most people.


However, when I do envision how I want to play, I see myself playing a lot of ding and ding rim type of style. Which of course could all change when I actually get to try one. You pointed out in above quote what I can tell as a difference between the two so far, which incidentally will not prohibit me from purchasing my Halo. :)


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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 1:36 am

It shouldn't change your decision. I agree, it is certainly the most significant difference that I found so far. Having said that, I can also say that the Ding of the Halo has many positive attributes that the Hang does not have. It is extremely resonant, and therefore, there is a lot more possibility for closed or muted tones and "muffs" (closed, dry tones). The Hang has this capacity too, but not nearly as pronounced as the Halo. The Rim of the Halo is not as refined as I personally would like, but I think it is something that will improve in time. And as I have said before, the various sounds of the Rim of the IH are much less pronounced and not nearly as diverse as 2nd gen. The Halo also has more possibilities than the IH in terms of "slaps" and tone variations on the Ding.

Todd and I got some great videos. Hopefully he will post some in the next few days. My first experience with the Halo was as if I had had it for 3 years. It is extremely easy for me to transpose my hang exploration on the Halo. The tone field orientation is wonderful. And I was not hindered in the least in the hour that I had to explore it.


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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 2:41 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOvyTdRlWp0

There is also a part 2 on the same channel


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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 9:44 am

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omrhythm wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOvyTdRlWp0

There is also a part 2 on the same channel


Hi,

I know that the Halo is not the Hang. I want to explain what I hear on you and all other Halo videos till now.
@Om . From a musician aspect you have some very nice percussion and tabla technics. You use tabla technics also on Hang and Halo sometimes.
For people who like this style you are a very advanced player.

I never said, that the sound from the Halo is totally poor. If I see an instrument in this shape, I compare the sound from this instruments automatically with the sound from the Hang.
The notes from the Halo are clear tuned. No question. I think that also the overtones are well tuned. Kyle tuned steelpans in the foretime and this should not be a big problem for him.
If you play the Halo @om you can delight the listener with you playing style.
I am also an percussion player and I understand, that some of your patterns are hard to play and I wish sometimes I could play this patterns on percussion instruments. Compliment.

What me realy irritate on the Halo sound is not so easy to explain in englisch. But it is so clear to hear, that I hope anybody understand what I mean. If an player hit the area between the dome in the middle and the tone fields, there is a Hank like sound. This sound you can hear also on gas bottles if you hit the shoulder. This is for my ears not very nice, but maybe other people like it.
This is maybe the result of the thicker metall sheet? For spin forming you cant use such a thin metall sheet as we have on the Hang. That makes the Halo much more heavy (ok, it is a little bit larger but the most weight comes from the thicker metall).
I heard, that a few people find benefits in this. A few Halo player sayd that the Halo could be much louder as the Hang. So you can play better together with drums.
I also hear, that the sustain from some notes if you let them free ring together + the Hank like sound makes this what I called "sound slobber" in the foretime. A not balanced sound.
Please @Om. Tell me not, that you dont hear this "Hank" like sound. Anybody could hear this on any Halo video. I dont mean, that the Halo sound like a Hank. Only on some areas it makes this sound.
So it is only a matter of taste if you like that or not. Personally I dont like this.
You played also on the back side from the Halo at the end of your video. As an advanced percussion player I hope you have the time to make another video playing only this side from the Halo.
In your short demonstration I hear nothing from the deep Helmholtz sound a second generation and Integral Hang can make. It is only a metallic nice rhythm. This you can make on a lot of items with your playing style. Remember the Nadishana teapod video. I dont say, that the Halo sound is like a teapod. I only want to make pictorially that a percussion player find sound on everything to play cool rhythms.
So, I hope I see a video from the backside of the Halo soon. Kyle made a copy from the GU of the Hang and I am curious to hear the result.

If I forget for this moment the whole story behind the Halo. (For me it the Halo is not very inspired. Inspiration brings something new. A lot of what Kyle made are a lot of steps back. For example the spin forming. It is only a try to copy the Hang with "another" result)
If I forget for one moment all my experience and adventures with my Hang.
Let me say I go back in the time before I heard something about the Hang.
From this standpoint and position I see an percussion instrument, what also could make fun for me to play as an percussion player. I think if I had the chance to play it from this standpoint I also play from the beginning all what I learned in my live on drums on this instrument. I imagine that it makes fun to play together with other people and drums. Back to the collective. Maybe from time to time it is not loud enough with to many other drums. Why not test out sticks?
I think this could made a lot of fun for me. This is not ironical meant. Beliefe me. I never would pay 1500 USD for such an instrument. For this money I can buy a complete drumset and I think if I want to play percussion and I had so much money my whish to play again drumset is bigger. This is my personally feeling.
1500 USD is only the result from the big success of the Panart Hang.
But I speak now from a standpoint before I know something about Hang.

Back to the moment. A few weeks ago I played my Hang on the street.
A woman ask me, if I could come to the main hospital from the city and she ask me to play the Hang on the intensive care unit. It was not easy for me, but I sayed: "yes I do that."
So the day came and I go to the hospital with my Hang. I sit on the floor with the Hang. All doors from the rooms open. There where very sick people. I think a few at the end of their life. Also vigil coma patients. From other stations of the hospital the personal brought a few people in wheelchair, and a few are fit enough to came self and take a seat.
The chief doctor from the hospital and the chief doctor from the intensive care unit also take a seat.
Now I start to play the Hangdrum. I played tabla style, polyrythms, djembe patterns, isolate overtones and so on... (ok, this was ironic. I only want to make this very pictorially).
Fact is, that I played the Hang. Quiet soft melodys. I gave the sound room. I let the notes speak for themselves. I let the sound speak from themselves.
And this sound touched the people very deep. An old man in wheelchair ask me to come back soon. He said that what he had heard is the best therapy for him, so far.
This for me is also Hang. The sound from the Hang can bring you to your inner self. Not with cool complicate percussion drumming. Only something in the sound. At the last weekend I see a few people with tears in their eyes, after they listen the "midnight Hang" we played. The Hang open doors for the player and also for people who listen carefully.
But some people cant let loose the control over this "doors". Maybe they are afraid what they find behind this "doors" ?

I know that a lot of people feel something special if they listen to the Hang. A lot of people told me that. I saw a lot of people mesmerised standing in front of me.
Time will tell, if someday the Hang copys find this key.

Greetings
Frank

_________________
The hang brings back what we lost: we are touched by an unknown call (Felix Rohner - Panart).


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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 1:40 pm

Hi Frank,

Yes, I agree with you on several points. Yes, there is something about the sound of the Halo that is not 100% desireable. In my experience it is contained entirely in the Ding in combination with the resonant body. This is something that can be improved on in time and hopefully in the future this sound will improve.

So, the questions and comments that you raise are valid, but the main theme seems to be that Kyle is trying to copy the Hang and that, in your opinion, it is not worth $1500 to try out this new product. I personally think that you and Felix are stuck in time in the past, just as your analogy. You act like the Hang does not have a high value. To purchase a Hang today at this very moment it will cost $4500-10,000. Do we like the fact that the price has gotten so high because of the popularity of the Hang and small distribution? No, of course not. No buyer wants to see these high prices. But that is the reality, that 1st generation hanghang are selling for at least $4500, not 300 Euro like the original price. But somehow you and Felix are stuck here. And you have the luxury of deciding that $1500 for a Halo is too much because you have hanghang. But $1500 is a very small amount compared to what it cost to buy a hang used, and then you have to consider that ebay sales are dangerous and they do not happen very often.

So although YOU may not want to spend $1500 on this kind of sound, there are plenty of other people who will be extremely pleased with this instrument for this price. Because in reality $1500 is a feasible amount of money for most people to save to buy an instrument, if they truly want one. $4500 is not very feasible for the average person. Sure, everyone would want to buy a Hang for $1500, but people cannot wait 3 years with no communication from PanArt and with no gaurentee that they will get one. There are hundreds of people who send letters to PanArt that do not even receive an email of confirmation that there letter was received because PanArt is too cheap or too stubborn to hire a secretary (?). I don't know the reason behind not having help with the administration of their business, especially since they only want to be monks and do not want to deal with the public that much. They would rather hammer away. So why not hire someone to help communicate?

So, another way to look at it is like this. Kyle has taken a large percentage of his time over the last 2 years creating the Halo at the expense of not creating Steel Pan (as much?). Therefore, he probably hasn't made very much money to survive in the past two years because all of his money goes out and maybe has not come in all that fast. From a business standpoint, there are very real numbers that have to be assessed to understand if the venture is going to turn a profit. Your problem seems to be that the Halo is too expensive compared to the IH and also 1st generation. And you are not willing to pay that price, partly because you got lucky and paid a small price for all your hanghang......

As a comparison, I am in the mining industry, and I buy mineral specimens and crystals from miners all over the world. Many times I have to pay to fund the mining operations, and in return I get the material that they find. Many times when prospecting a new area, the crystals that they find are not good enough quality for the amount of money that I had to pay, and on those particular crystals, maybe I will lose some money. But if I continue to buy from the miners and they have my support, in time they will start to find much better minerals as they get deeper into the earth, and this material I can make better money on. But if I do not continue to support them, then they either find someone else to sell the better material to once they find it, or they stop mining altogether. Ultimately in both cases it is bad business for me. So if the mining results in the beginning show signs that they are good enough to continue (meaning that the first minerals look very promising, even though they are not perfect or good enough), then I will continue to invest. This is how new varieties of minerals and crystals are discovered, because someone on the buying end decides to support the mining venture and take a risk and hope that the risk will yield results in the near future. SO that is why I support the miners, because I have developed long standing relationships, where I care about the miners and their families, their villages, and the lifestyle that they live going up into the mountains and risking their lives to dig out precious gems....

It is not 100% the same with the situation with the Halo. But basically, for me I see enough promise and hope in the instrument right now to have confidence that it will continue to improve and will become something better and better each time. So I support Kyle by purchasing a Halo, because it is "good enough" for the money compared to $4500-10,000 for a Hang, with even greater risk buying on ebay, .... or the other option, which is to wait 3 years, "buy" from Felix for a cheaper price, and then have him tell you what you can and cannot do with your instrument with all of his rules and attachments. I did NOT buy a Caisa because it did not have as much promise for future evolution.

I think that a large part of the community that does not already own a hang sees the value in supporting Kyle and his efforts at this price. You seem to have a problem with it and think that Kyle is "stealing" ideas, and perhaps money from Felix by only making a "copy". It is obvious that you do not support the efforts of new makers of hang-like instruments. You have no desire whatsoever to help the world to have more of these nice instruments. You would rather tell us what is too expensive and not good enough, and you fail to realize that the Halo is a work in progress. If nobody buys from Kyle because they think the price is too high and the product not good enough, then Kyle's venture stops. This seems to be your desire. You do not want Kyle to succeed, it seems, from the words that you write. Don't get me wrong, I think $1500 is a lot of money, and the Halo is not a Hang, and it is not 100% perfect and refined. And in comparison to 300 Euro for a 1st generation Hang, yes, the Halo is a lot of money. But please, you need to get out of the past. If you are going to compare an IH Hang at $1750 or a 1st generation Hang for 300 Euro to a Halo for $1500, then please, tell us where we all kind find these hanghang for these prices TODAY and we can stop the discussion.

Your opinions sound so much like the opinions of Felix. People have said that he is a monk and that he is not concerned with money. I raise my eyebrow at that thought. Much of the complaint about the second hand market is about high prices. Felix wants to be a noble person by offering a lower, fair price to the world for his instrument, and does not recognize or validate the world market outside of himself that has escalated the price of second hand Hanghang. That's great. But on the other side, he is upset about other people making money on the hang, and perhaps upset about the Halo being $1500, when he offered his first Hang for 300 Euro. It is a tough place to be in to uphold your own ideals and not conform to market pressures. But if he is truly a monk, then he will let the whole price thing go. He will let go of his attachment to what happens to his instruments when they leave the Hanghaus. He may act like a monk when hammering a Hang, but when he steps out of the hammering room, he takes off his Monk's Robe and becomes an ordinary human again. He exhibits "seller's remorse" on a day to day basis and lives in the past. He once rejected a Hang for retuning because someone paid 1500 Euro for a 1st generation Hang. His words were, "He made 500% profit, and now I am supposed to tune it for 40 Euro?" Are you sure that money is not part of the issue in Felix's mind? At the time, hanghang were selling for $4500 and more, and he was upset that someone sold one for 1500 euro.???? That's a pretty big WTF if you ask me. That was the absolute cheapest price anyone has paid for a second hand hang that most of us online have seen in 3 years, but yet it was still too much of a problem for FElix because the next person made some money on his creation, in the amount of 500% profit. Again, sounds like seller's remorse, and living in the past with prices. It just doesn't make any sense. Especially because he can sit down and create a new hang once a day (average). Its not like Kyle has stolen his business and now Felix cannot make money. He just has a fixed set of ideas that do not work with the nature of how things work on our planet.

I am more than happy to support Kyle now and in the future. Because if we do not support him, then we will not have more options for different sounds and new instruments. Not everyone can afford to spend their money on this, and maybe they will want to wait until the Halo or Bell is more refined, or wait for a Hang from Felix. I applaud this effort and ability to wait. It is very monk-like to have this patience. But for the majority it is not as easy to wait. I have said it before, if you are to put yourself in their shoes, go and give away your hanghang Frank and tell me how long you can wait until you get another one.

The fact that you (and maybe Felix?) are upset about the price of the Halo (and other things) indicates to me that you are not in support of someone else moving forward with PanArt's ideas. And since PanArt released their scientific papers, this comes across as a HUGE paradox in behavior, and certainly does not feel like the actions of a monk, nor the actions of a community member. So please tell us, do you wish for Kyle to have success? Does Felix? It sure doesn't seem like it...which is why many of us who DO want a community vibe to survive are interested in supporting Kyle and his process of evolution.


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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 2:39 pm

User avatar

Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:13 am
Posts: 884
Location: Germany
Hi,

@Om . You pick up only one thought from my posting and this is the money.
I only said, that the sound from the Halo dont touch me personally so deep, that I could imagine for myself to buy it for this price, because I like to play percussion. For this price I would buy me maybe a drumset.
But this is only one of my thoughts in the posting, and not the central point.
If anybody want to pay this price for this instrument it is not my problem.
And yes, i hope earnestly that this buyer has fun with the Halo and find that what he searched in this instrument.

Yes, I hope realy that other people come in contact with Panart and they find together a way to make more Hanghang in a good quality for the big request.
I think this is possible if people share a little bit the philosophy from Panart. Than it is likely that this people can learn a lot of from Panart and they dont must start from the beginning, and they dont must make mistakes where Panart find out years ago that special things dont work fine for a Hang.
I think it is only a question of time and Panart find such people who are able to learn a lot of from Panart and after that make realy similar instruments.

I agree, that it is not a good situation for buyers to wait in some cases very long for the first answer from Panart.

Only because I share in most points the philosophy of Panart, I only speak for myself. I dont understand, that this is so hard to believe.
There are also a lot of points where I have different views and in this cases I tell Felix what I think.

I understand, that a few people now are pissed off because Felix ask Gidda to change the heading and domain from his Forum. Please stop to bring your worry and hassle about that in combination with all what I wrote!
This has nothing to do with me. This has nothing to do with this Forum!

Frank


@Om . Can I hope to see a video from the backside of the Halo?

_________________
The hang brings back what we lost: we are touched by an unknown call (Felix Rohner - Panart).


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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 3:59 pm

Funky wrote:
@Om . Can I hope to see a video from the backside of the Halo?


I can't do this until I get my own sometime later this year. I do not live near Todd, but was visiting the area.

I use a Ding-Gu resonance technique in the Part 2 video when I make a fist and strike the shoulder. But unfortunately most video camera mics do not pick up frequencies that low, so this sound can never be heard with Hang or Halo on videos usually...


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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 4:52 pm

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Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 9:28 am
Posts: 489
Location: Germany
omrhythm wrote:
I use a Ding-Gu resonance technique in the Part 2 video when I make a fist and strike the shoulder. But unfortunately most video camera mics do not pick up frequencies that low, so this sound can never be heard with Hang or Halo on videos usually...


I don't know what you mean with "Ding-Gu resonance technique". The Ding-Gu resonance on the Hang means that the Helmholtz resonance is adjusted to D2 with the legs (or with the hand if the Hang is hold upright), an octave under the Ding note D3. If you have done this it affects every tone or sound you play. Moreover you can play the bass tone D2 on the Ding or on the shoulder of the Hang (between Ding and tone fields, best near the tone field A3) when the resonance is adjusted. When you have learned to do this you don't need much power like with the fist.

Ix


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 Post subject: Re: My Halo Arrived, My Initial Review
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 6:33 pm

Thanks for the technique lesson. I am well aware of how to activate all possible sounds on this instrument. But I am not as good at discussing them. The fist is more ergonomic and precise for me than my wrist to draw sound out of the Gu from the top side, and it is my strike of preference.


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