Roland simply launched a bizarre little riff on an acoustic handpan

Synthesizer large Roland simply introduced a reasonably weird contraption. The Temper Pan is the corporate’s digital take on an acoustic handpan. For the uninitiated, a handpan is a model of the steelpan instrument that is been well-liked in Trinidad and Tobago because the Thirties. It is extensively thought-about to be the one actually new acoustic instrument invented in the 20th century.

Nevertheless, handpans and steelpans take severe talent to play. Roland’s Temper Pan is way simpler to play, thanks to obviously seen pads that characterize notes. These 9 pads might be set to completely different musical scales, making it unimaginable to hit a fallacious observe. The corporate says that this easier design requires “no earlier musical expertise.”

There is a built-in 2.1 speaker system and a Bluetooth receiver, which lets customers stream audio from exterior sources. The sound engine presents “tranquil tones,” with a number of sound variations and results.

The Temper Pan permits entry to numerous completely different percussive devices just like the tongue drum, gamelan, crystal bowl and singing bowl, together with distinctive tunings. It may possibly additionally emulate stuff like sitars, orchestral strings and synth pads. There’s an affiliated app for altering up sounds and for fine-tuning pad sensitivity.

It is performed with finger faucets, identical to a lot of its acoustic cousins. The instrument is sufficiently small to be positioned straight on a lap, although additionally works on a desk. Roland claims that is the right gadget for “musical exploration, rest and meditation.” As for these final two, the Temper Pan can play built-in environmental music and nature sounds. The corporate says these modes are for “mornings, evenings, stress-free and yoga classes.”

This being a contemporary digital instrument, there is a USB-C MIDI port for triggering sounds on computer systems or through different devices. It is powered by six AA batteries or through USB-C connection. The instrument is out there to order proper now, however shipments will not be going out for a couple of weeks. The Temper Pan prices $660.