Recording the sound of the Handpan

Antonio Miscellaneo
Oct 3
3 min read

The handpan is one of the most beautiful and expressive instruments in the world — but capturing its sound in a recording can be surprisingly tricky. Anyone who has tried to record a handpan on their phone or in a small room knows that the result often falls short of the live experience.

In this article, we’ll explore the challenges of recording, how to improve results even with basic tools, and what equipment setups are recommended if you want to take your recordings to the next level.

Recording with a mobile phone

Mobile phones are wonderful for quick captures and sharing on social media, but they come with limits:

Mono recording (most phones use a single mic input, losing the stereo space that makes handpans so immersive).
Compression (phones automatically “squash” the sound to avoid peaks, which reduces the handpan’s dynamics).
Background noise (air-con, fans, traffic) is often picked up more clearly than the subtle overtones of the instrument.

The result? Recordings that feel flat, thin, or noisy compared to the live sound.

How to Improve Your Recordings Without Expensive Gear

Improving the room

Choose a soft space: Rooms with carpets, curtains, sofas, and bookshelves will absorb sound and reduce harsh reflections.
Avoid corners: Position yourself away from walls and especially room corners, which exaggerate low frequencies.
Add rugs/blankets: If you must record in a bare room, lay a rug under the handpan and hang blankets behind the microphone to dampen echoes.

Improving phone recordings

Use landscape orientation: This engages both microphones (if your phone has stereo mic capability).
Find the right distance: Place the phone around 1 meter from the handpan. Too close = distorted sound, too far = weak signal.
Use an external phone mic: Affordable clip-on stereo mics for iPhone/Android (like the Shure MV88 or Zoom iQ series) can dramatically improve the sound.

The Ideal Equipment Setup

If you want to go beyond casual videos and capture professional-quality recordings, a few tools will make all the difference.

Portable recorders

Zoom H5 / H6: These portable recorders are widely used by handpan players. They come with built-in stereo capsules and can also connect to external microphones. Great balance of quality, flexibility, and price.
Placement tip: Place the recorder 60–90 cm above the handpan, pointing slightly towards the center. This captures both the central “ding” note and the surrounding tone fields.

Dedicated microphones

For studio-quality sound, a pair of condenser microphones is ideal. Popular setups include:

Matched stereo pair (e.g., Neumann KM184, Rode NT5, Audio-Technica AT2021).
XY or ORTF placement above the instrument captures the stereo image naturally.
Connect these to an audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett, Audient EVO, etc.) and record into a DAW (like Cakewalk, Logic, Ableton, or GarageBand).

Why stereo is key

The handpan’s magic lies in its spatial sound — notes resonate across the shell and interact with each other. Stereo recording reproduces this depth and shimmer, making the listener feel “inside” the sound.

You don’t need a studio to start recording your handpan. Even with a mobile phone, some thoughtful adjustments to your space and setup can dramatically improve your results. As your passion grows, investing in a portable recorder or a pair of quality microphones will allow you to truly capture the rich, meditative voice of your instrument.

At Harmonic Circle, we encourage all students not only to play but also to record — because listening back is one of the best ways to grow as a musician. And who knows? Your next recording might be the one that inspires someone else to begin their handpan journey.