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You may have seen videos of handpan artists on YouTube and Facebook, and marveled at the incredible sound they produce.
(If you haven't, check out Yuki Koshimoto, Paul Boyter or Hang Massive - a few of the legends)
The Lumen is an electronic percussion instrument in the form of a handpan, which provides the unique playing experience of it's acoustic inspiration, with the added benefits that electronics bring. It features built-in amplified speakers, an advanced on-board audio processor and full velocity sensitivity.
We want artists around the world to be able to pick up the instrument, turn it on and play - no need to connect to any other equipment. Being an electronic instrument, you can of course output the audio signal or MIDI messages straight from the Lumen.
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Why Make an Electronic Handpan?
Acoustic handpans, from their origins in Switzerland to the many varieties available today, all have a number of things in common:
- A beautiful, vibrant sound
- Distinctive playing style
- Rare
- Expensive
The last two are the key: artists around the world struggle to get hold of them. We want to change that.
A second hand Hang, the instrument which originally inspired the Lumen, has been seen on eBay for over $9000. Even modern acoustic alternatives sell for upward of $2000.
The prototype you see in our launch video is what we've managed to achieve on our own. In order to take it to the next level, we need to hand it over to an industrial design team - and we already have an award winning team standing by.
Once the project is funded, we'll work closely with them to work out all of the details, hopefully adding some extra features as we go.
Paul Boyter, a renowned percussionist (and star of our launch video), will be providing assistance from the performance side, while Soniccouture will be doing the instrument sampling and sound design.
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Funding
What will it cost?
Super Early Birds: $499 / €440Early Birds: $599 / €530- Crowd funding price: $699 / €615
- Estimated retail: $799 / €699
Shipping
PLEASE NOTE: Shipping will be charged after the campaign is fully funded. This will allow us the opportunity to negotiate the best possible rate with our shipping partners based on expected volumes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will it have a 1/4" jack?
Yes - a highly requested feature and it will be included.
How long will the battery last?
Our goal is to have it last 4 hours if using the built-in speaker system and considerably longer if only outputting audio/MIDI.
Is it polyphonic?
Yes - although we didn't highlight it, our prototype featured polyphony of 14 voices. This is obviously too limited, so we are now using a chip that handles polyphony up to 256 voices.
What are the dimensions and weight?
Our prototype is 450 x 450 x 250mm, but the final dimensions will be influenced by the size of the built-in speakers. The shell material is being experimented with so we don't have a fixed weight as yet.
Is shipping free?
No - as stated on the perks and on the campaign page, we will charge shipping only when it is time to ship.
Can we get a wood version, like the prototype?
At this point we don't plan to make the production version from wood. If sales go really well we'd like to explore a hand-carved shell but that will be further down the line.
Stretch Goals!
If we reach these targets we'll design the bag and travel case as below - but we need to reach them before we start. If we get to the $90,000 target we will make that bag available as an perk. Help us get there!
Risks & Challenges
As this is a new product, there is the chance that we could run into manufacturing and production delays which are beyond our control. We will be open and transparent in these cases, and keep all of our backers in the loop.
We want to make the Lumen from the highest quality components possible, which may take time to source and assemble. We believe we've given ourselves enough time to do that; and if there are any delays we will communicate those as well.
How can I help?
The best way is to back us, we need you!
If you can't, but think that the Lumen is a product that should be available to the world, please share this campaign with friends; every contribution helps.
