Building a futuristic new instrument takes more than just a clever idea. It requires the perfect balance of resources, funding, input from musicians, and other factors. These factors can present cold, harsh realities, but if handled right, they can also create opportunities. And that’s part of what made SONAR+D, held last week in Barcelona, such a fascinating place. The sold-out SONAR festival brought together the engineering, musical inspiration, and business know-how it takes to make music.
The Kickstarter-sponsored pavilion superstar, The Oval, was a highlight for me, I saw it just before SONAR opened, when the crowdfunding campaign had just launched.
Handpan Percussion Reimagined as an Instrument of the Future
A reimagining of the hang drum or handpan as a digital instrument, this could be a breakthrough in new instrument controller design. I had the opportunity to meet with the developers in Barcelona, try out some initial prototypes, and see that the version that will eventually ship to backers is even better. And I have to say, I’m impressed.
First, let’s compare the digital controller Oval with the acoustic controller that inspired it, Hang: The makers have created a video that makes the point very clear.
The Hang, although an acoustic instrument, is a modern instrument in its own right. The Swiss-designed original was created in 2000 but is no longer in production. The instrument is closely related to older idiophones such as the steel tongue drum, but has a unique shape and resonant characteristics. Although modern in its own right, it is broadly speaking more conventional, in that it is acoustic rather than digital.
This doesn’t make Oval a replacement for Hang or other related instruments. It’s better to understand Oval as a new digital composition inspired by the acoustic percussion that came before it. The genes of one derive from the genes of the other, each unique and no more or less meaningful than the other. Just as MIDI keyboards opened up new possibilities and became more accessible through their piano-like form factor, we are now grateful to have both acoustic grands and manual synthesizers.
What the Oval allows you to do is play sounds and adapt scales that the Hang can’t. This isn’t just an “easy” way to make music – it represents a new hybrid that opens up flexible ways to play melodic lines and timbres that just can’t be achieved as easily with other controllers.
The Oval prototype fits comfortably on your lap. The sensors on the first-gen model are basic, but it’s already expressive and a lot of fun to play. It responds well to different levels of velocity, and the pads give you more tangible feedback (than something like the MPC). It’s also portable: heavy enough to not move while you play and large enough to require extensive arm movements, yet light and compact enough to carry around. With SONAR+D we were worried about whether it would fit in carry-on luggage, but for mobile users, there’s good news below.
I was also impressed by the wireless MIDI connection, which employs the latest generation of Bluetooth, which means there’s no noticeable latency or lag whatsoever – play the controller and sound magically wirelessly streams from the iPad to the speakers (it works with any compatible Bluetooth source).
The case itself is a feat of ergonomics: attractive curves at every turn, a smooth, organic feel, and made from lightweight yet sturdy Corian—yes, that countertop material makes for a somewhat traditional, yet space-age-feeling laptop flying saucer.
The folks at Oval have shared a short film showing the prototype in action at SONAR+D.
But what’s most interesting are some of the new ones.
The biggest advancement the team showed us is the new sensing capabilities of the pads. Whereas the prototype used one sensor, the new pads use five sensors for X/Y sensing. Striking the pad in slightly different places outputs different control messages. You can see the embedded circuitry here. The design is inspired by acoustic hangs, which produce different sounds due to harmonics when struck in different places.
The iPad app has also received an update, which you can see here, and it’s already been further refined, even though the Kickstarter campaign hasn’t even ended yet.
And thanks to great support from the community, Oval has reached a stretch goal and will be building a “shell” to protect the instrument and carry it on your back like a turtle. It looks amazing!
The shell for the oval is here!
The €350 model has already been snapped up by early bird buyers, so the cost to buy is €499. For many, that’s a big investment for a product that doesn’t cost shipping. But if you’re ready to buy, you have a couple of weeks to do so. We’ll be keeping a close eye on how this situation develops.
Oval – The first digital handpan [Kickstarter]
Tags: Barcelona, Bluetooth, Catalonia, Controllerism, controller, crowdfunding, hands-on, Hang Drum, hardware, iOS, iPad, Kickstarter, MIDI, mobile, Oval, physical computing, preview, sensor, SONAR, SONAR+D, Spain, wireless
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