an essential part of the further development of the handpan has to do with finding the ‘steel mixture’ that is used to make the instruments. The proportions of carbon, chrome and nickel contained in the steel – and above all their proportions in relation to each other – are crucial to the character of the sound of the handpans made with it.
Anyone interested in how different ‘stainless steel mixtures’ sound can now expand their knowledge with a direct comparison.
MUDRA Handpans (Brazil, Manuel Ortega) has published a video in which instruments made from 3 different steel blends with exactly the same scale and built by the same tuner are compared.
MUDRA Handpans feel like “the new kids on the block” in the handpan scene. Very innovative, great high-end instrument and tuning quality paired with fair prices – and remarkably nice people who make up the Mudra team.
With MIRA SHELLS, MUDRA also offers handpan shells in various AISI standards for handpan manufacturers.
check the comparison video:
here is the original description from MUDRA (https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0US2qPO2jl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)
- AISI 430 (1 mm thickness): It has a long sustain, bright and warm sound, pronounced attack and looks shinier than the others. Lamination lines are more visible on this material. It feels harder to work with compared to the AISI 439. It was our preferred Stainless steel grade for many years.
- AISI 439 (1 mm thickness): If you are looking for a sound in between Stainless Steel and Nitrided Steel, this is the best option for you. It has the ceramic and percussive quality of Nitrided Steel, combined with the long sustain of the Stainless Steel. The volume perception of this material is slightly lower than AISI 430. It has a matte surface, rougher than AISI 430 and there are no visible lamination lines.
- AISI 441 / Ember (1 mm thickness) : This material is the most resonant, the longest sustain and the blooming is more pronounced than the other materials. It has a great balance between a warm and ceramic sound, percussive timbres are well controlled and not “metallic”. The volume perception is similar to AISI 430 but feels louder depending on what is being played.
https://mudrahandpan.com/
https://mudrahandpan.com/handpan-shells/
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