For Musicians
(Lachlan Hawkins and Tsoof Baras in studio)
NEW digital library!
- Soundiron is a premium developer of virtual instruments and
sample libraries for songwriters, composers and sound designers.
Soundiron recorded four HAPI Drums, capturing each of them with a wide stereo pair of large-diaphragm Neumann TLM 103s and a binaural Rode NT-SF1, to provide you with two distinct tonal options. Instruments included the low "Origin" D minor model (D3 - A4), a pair of "Slim Tuneable" mid models (A3 - E5) and the small, treble Tini (A4 to A5). Each model can be loaded separately - including individual tongue soloing - or you can play all of them together as a combined chromatic scale. Soundiron played each one with soft rubber mallets, hard metal picks, and nylon jazz brushes. With their intuitive multi-layered modular UI, you'll enjoy complete freedom to mix, layer, retune and customize each sound to your heart's content. Click here for more info!
What drum is right for me as a musician?
The first choice is whether to get a drum with fixed tuning or adjustable tuning. If you are mainly going to be playing the drum by itself, then fixed tuning is a great choice. If you are going to be playing with other musicians and need to be able to change the scale you are playing in, then adjustable tuning is the better choice.
What hertz are the drums tuned in?
Our HAPI Drums in fixed tuning are tuned to A4 = 440 hz which is standard Western tuning. HAPI Drums sold in other countries may be tuned to A4 = 432 hz, check with your local supplier if outside the U.S.
HAPI Tuneable Drums can do both A4 = 440 hz and/or 432 hz in the same drum.
What scales are the most compatible with other instruments?
C Major is our higher voiced drum, A Minor and G Major are mid-range voiced, F Major, E Major and D Minor are low voiced.
C Major Pentatonic. Ranges
from C4 (middle C) to E5. C Major is a very popular musical scale. It
has no flats or sharps. It is also known as a "natural" scale. This drum
sounds great with the
HAPI Slim A Minor, G Major, or F Major scales. It
also pairs up with our
HAPI Origin Drum in the scale of D
Minor. The
HAPI Mini C Major is the exact same
scale as the HAPI Aura C Major. The Aura has stronger bass response but
the Mini has a much smaller shape and strong mids to high. We also have a full C Major scale (non-pentatonic) available on our Mini Drum.
A Minor Pentatonic.
A widely used musical scale. A Minor is the relative Minor of C Major
and known as a "natural" Minor. Sounds great with Native American flutes
in A. This drum will sound good with the HAPI Aura C Major, G Major, or
F Major scales. It also pairs up great with our HAPI Original drum in D Minor. Available on the Aura Drum.
G Major.
Known as the "people's key" it is one of the most popular keys in
classical and modern music. This scale is great with guitar because all
of a guitars 6 strings can be played open in G. The banjo is also
usually tuned to G. This drum will sound good with the HAPI Aura/Mini C
Major, Aura A Minor, or Omni F Major scales. It also pairs up with our HAPI
Origin drum in the scale of D Minor. Available on the
Slim Drum and Omni Drum.
F Major. This Major scale is on the circle of fifths, which means that it is a commonly used major scale. It has one flat note, it is Bb. Its relative Minor is D Minor and is compatible with Mini/Aura in C Major, Aura in A Minor, and Origin in D Minor. Available on the Omni Drum.
D Minor Pentatonic.
This scale produces a soothing meditative sound. It sounds great with
the HAPI Aura C Major, A Minor, Slim G Major, or Omni F Major scales. Available on the
Origin Drum.
We offer a lot more scales, if you are looking for something different, click here to see all the options!
Can the HAPI Drums be played by hand?
Yes! It does take practice to learn this technique. One finger is used, to get a clean sound it takes what is called a "percussive stroke or slap". The drum comes with a booklet that explains this technique. It takes most people a few days of practice to master. It is similar to playing a tabla drum.
Here is a good overview of the HAPI Drum that also shows the hand playing technique from Kalani:
Chromatic Scales?
We do not offer 1 drum with a full chromatic scale because vibrational harmony becomes a big issue.
Are there professional music studios using the HAPI Drum?
The HAPI Drum is used worldwide in professional music studios. Including: Lucas Studios, Discovery Channel, Nickelodeon, Sony Entertainment, EA Games, Warner Brothers, and more!
Here is a beautiful piece of music that Don Macdonald wrote using a HAPI Drum with a choir:
