Publications by PANArt

This page contains all publications by PANArt Hang Manufacturing Ltd. respectively by Felix Rohner, Sabina Schärer or Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer. They are listed in chronological order from the newest to the oldest. Links to publications on other websites than www.hangblog.org are marked with (external link).

Most publications are available in English and/or German. Some were translated in French, Italian or Spanish too.


Instruments (external link)

Author: PANArt Hang Manufacturing Ltd.
© Copyright by PANArt Hang Manufacturing Ltd. – All rights reserved
Published on panart.ch: April 6th, 2017
Languages: German, English, French

This page on PANArt’s website provides an overview of the various Pang instruments currently built by PANArt. Along with the Hang® Gede (external link), the Hang® Gudu (external link), the Hang® Urgu (external link), the Gubal® (external link), the Hang® Bal (external link) and the Pang strings (external link) there is an entry about the sound sculpture Hang® (external link), which is no longer built. See also the article Our Instruments (external link).


The Hang® Bal – the new sound sculpture from PANArt (external link)

Author: PANArt Hang Manufacruing Ltd.
© Copyright by PANArt Hang Manufacturing Ltd. – All rights reserved
Published on panart.ch: October 22nd, 2016
Languages: German, English, French

First experiences with the Hang® Bal in a larger group of players confirmed our expectations towards our new sound sculpture. For whom is the Hang® Bal suitable?


Round the neck – Reithalle Bern 1994 (external link)

A clip from the documentary “Come Down”
on behalf of PANArt Steelpan-Manufaktur Bern
a kolk production, © 1994 – All rights reserved
Published on panart.ch: June 15th, 2016
Language: English

The Trinidadian people gave a gift to the world: the sweet sound of steel. Each individual has to find out what is meant by this gift. You have to live it, to eat it, do digest it. In 1994 the steel orchestra Original Bernese Oil Company organized the first international Panyard in Europe. It was an insight into the nature of this gift from Trinidad, into the nature of human beings. This is a glimpse of the closing party. Enjoy!


The Sound of Sheet Metal – A Challenge (external link)

Author: Felix Rohner
© Copyright by the author – All rights reserved
Published on panart.ch: April 8th, 2016
Languages: German, English, French

The art of the metal sound sculptor resides above all in his ability to construct his sound sculpture as an intercommunicating system of energy stores. The complexity of these instruments also has consequences for their players.


Pan building – Hungary 1989 (external link)

Video with Felix Rohner
Original footage 1989: Horst Nienroth
© Copyright by PANArt Hang Manufacturing Ltd. – All rights reserved
Published on panart.ch: April 8th, 2016
Spoken Language in the Video: German, subtitles: English

In 1989, the first Steelband in Switzerland, the Bernese Oil company (founded 1976), toured Hungary. During this tour I made a steelpan out of an old barrel from 1979. It was a revelation for me: This old barrel, aged under the Hungarian sun, produced a wonderful warm sound, much better than the sound from a fresh new barrel from the drum factory! This was the beginning of a long period of research that led us to the Pang® composite, an artificial aged metal. I would like to share this private video with all those who would like to create their own sheet metal sound sculpture. Felix Rohner, Tuner


Pang music – the new art form from PANArt (external link)

Author: PANArt Hang Manufacturing Ltd.
© Copyright by PANArt Hang Manufacturing Ltd. – All rights reserved
Published on panart.ch: January 22nd, 2016
Languages German, English, French

The call of iron has taken us, here at PANArt, a big step further. Pang, the sheet that serves as PANArt’s raw material, has over recent months given birth to novel resonance bodies. These have come together to form the Pang ensemble. The creative path has led us away from the sound sculpture Hang, and towards Pang’s other potentialities: instruments whose bodies can also bring forth a driving, pulsating bass.


PANArt’s offer to the metal sound sculptors (external link)

Author: Felix Rohner
© Copyright by PANArt Hang Manufacturing Ltd. – All rights reserved
Published on panart.ch: October 24th, 2014
Sprachen: German, English

In 2013/14 PANArt has obtained a patent in the USA and in Europe. The subject of this patent is the protection of a procedure where common steel sheet is converted into sheet with a higher intrinsic energy. In the method the steel sheet is nitrided until the sheet is completely permeated with iron nitride needles. This material, a composite, is suitable for building sound sculptures and musical instruments with higher sound quality and stable tuning.


Anthony Achong: “The Secrets of the Steelpan” (external link)

Author: Felix Rohner
© Copyright by PANArt Hang Manufacturing Ltd. – All rights reserved
Published on panart.ch: October 7th, 2014
Languages: German, English

With ‘Secrets of the Steelpan – Unlocking the Secrets of the Science, Technology, Tuning and Operation of the Steelpan’ Dr. Anthony Achong is presenting his life’s work, a summary of his extensive studies on the steelpan. Here you can read a review by PANArt tuner Felix Rohner.


From the Hang to the Gubal (external link)

Author: PANArt Hang Manufacturing Ltd.
© Copyright by PANArt Hang Manufacturing Ltd. – All rights reserved
Published on panart.ch: March 7th, 2014
Languages: German, English, French

If you would like to get to know the musical instrument Gubal®, we suggest you read this article. Here you can find out what this instrument is about.


Hang – Sound Sculpture

Publisher: PANArt Hang Manufacturing Ltd.
© Copyright by PANArt Hang Manufacturing Ltd. – All rights reserved
Text: Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer
Redaktion: Ruedi Helfer
English translation: Hernán D. Caro
English proof-reading: Christine Studer
Illustrations: Work sketches by Felix Rohner
Layout/Graphics: Jonas Ganz
44 pages, hardcover in linen, ISBN: 978-3-9524172-1-8
Published on occasion of the 20th anniversary of PANArt: June 2013
Languages: German, English, French
Source of supply:
English version – Hang – Sound Sculpture (external link)
German version – Hang – Blech Klang Skulptur (external link)
French version – Hang – Sculpture Sonore (external link)

What is special about the sound of metal? As instrument makers, we have been dealing with this question for years. A tangible result of our work is the Hang, and a further product in the near future will be the Gubal. On our path to the Hang and the Gubal, we have gained countless insights and inspirations, the most significant of which we have summarized in a book. In this way we would like to support and encourage all of you who are already underway with the sound of metal, or those who are considering such a journey. Included in the book is a CD with Gubal samples which show the new aspects of the sound of metal.


HANG on EBAY

Authors: Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer
© Copyright by the authors – All rights reserved
Published on www.hangblog.org: January 11th, 2013
Languages: German and English
Zur Deutschen Version dieses Dokuments

Statement by PANArt Hangbau AG concerning current sales of Hanghang on EBAY


The call of iron

Authors: Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer
© Copyright by the authors – All rights reserved
Published on www.hangblog.org: May 10th, 2011
Languages: German, English, French, Italian

In the year 2001 PANArt introduced the Hang. 10 years later the Hang builders at PANArt, Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer, are using this anniversary as an opportunity to communicate to a broad public where the “call of iron” has taken them, where they stand today and how they intend to continue.


Newsletter PANArt, May 19th, 2010

Authors: Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer
© Copyright by the authors – All rights reserved
Published on www.hangblog.org: May 19th, 2010
Original language: German – English translation by Christine Studer
Zur Deutschen Version dieses Dokuments

A newsletter concerning PANArt’s work with sound and the sale of Hanghang in the year 2010


Hang Guide

Authors: Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer, PANArt Hangbau AG
© Copyright by the authors – All rights reserved
First published April 2010 as printed brochure.
Published online as PDF on www.hangblog.org: May 12th, 2010
You can download this brochure in German, English, French, Italian
Zur deutschsprachigen Downloadseite
Since April 2010 this brochure serves as an introduction to clients who come to the Hangbauhaus to choose a Free Integral Hang. The purpose of this pamphlet is to make the access to playing the Hang easier. Essential aspects of the Hang and of playing it are addressed in order to encourage and support individual explorations for the sound sculpture. There are explanations to the Free Integral Hang and its sentiment to tuning, to the art of tuning by PANArt in addition to a few practical tips.

Because this introduction to free Hang playing is also useful for playing a second-generation Hang (2006-2007) or an Integral Hang (2008-2009), PANArt has decided to publish a PDF of this brochure in the Hang Library.


Letter from the Hangbauhaus November 2009

Authors: Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer
© Copyright by the authors – All rights reserved
Published on www.hangblog.org: November 21st, 2009
Languages: German, English, French, Italian, Spanish

November 2009 the Hang makers Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer sent this letter to people who asked for an Integral Hang in 2008 and 2009, but weren’t able to acquire one. The text answers the question: “What is a Hang and what is it not?” and announces the new Free Integral Hang.


The Integral Hang 2009

Authors: Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer
© Copyright by the authors – All rights reserved
Published on www.hangblog.org: June 1st, 2009
Languages: German and English
Zur Deutschen Version dieses Dokuments

This statement was sent in the year 2009 to those who were invited to the Hangbauhaus to purchase an Integral Hang. It outlines the Hang maker’s point of view regarding the Hang in the year 2009.


PANArt Hang Booklet 2008

Authors: Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer, PANArt Hangbau AG
© Copyright by the Authors – All rights reserved
First published January 2008 as printed booklet.
It was given or sent to the buyers of an Integral Hang.
Published online as PDF on www.hangblog.org: January 6th, 2009
You can download the booklet in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish
Zur Deutschen Downloadseite

Texts and Photos offer insight into the history and the various phases of the Hang’s development. The booklet also introduces the Integral Hang and includes the agreement that PANArt concluded with the buyers of an Integral Hang in the years 2008 and 2009.


History, Development and Tuning of the HANG

Authors: Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer
© Copyright by the authors – All rights reserved
First published as paper for the International Symposium on Musical Acoustics, ISMA 2007, September 9-12th in Barcelona
Published on www.hangblog.org: November 11th, 2007
Language: English

Abstract: The HANG is a new musical instrument, suitable for playing with the hands, consisting of two hemispherical shells of nitrided steel. It is the product of a collaboration among scientists, engineers and hangmakers, thanks to which we have been able to better understand the tuning process in all its complexity. Seven notes are harmonically tuned around a central deep tone (ding), which excites the Helmholtz (cavity) resonance of the body of the instrument. There are many ways to play the HANG. We show the different stages of its development over the seven years since its birth in 2000. We describe the tuning process and the musical conception of the HANG.


Acoustics of the HANG: A hand-played steel instrument

Authors: Thomas D. Rossing, Andrew Morrison, Uwe Hansen, Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer
© Copyright by the authors – All rights reserved
First published as paper for the International Symposium on Musical Acoustics, ISMA 2007, September 9-12th in Barcelona
Published on www.hangblog.org: November 11th, 2007
Language: English

Abstract: The HANG is a new hand-played steel instrument developed by PANArt in Switzerland. We describe the modes of vibration, observed by holographic interferometry and the sound radiation from the instrument, observed by measuring the sound intensity in an anechoic room. A low-voice HANG is compared with a high voice-HANG.


Letter from Hangbauhaus – Bern, End of March, 2007

Authors: Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer
© Copyright by the authors – All rights reserved
Published on www.hangblog.org: Oktober 18th, 2010
Languages: German and English
Zur Deutschen Version dieses Dokuments

In spring 2007 PANArt sent this letter by e-mail to people who had contacted the hang makers to ask for a Hang. It contained a short history of the development of the Hang, introduced the second generation of Hanghang and explained how the Hang was distributed in the year 2007.


10 Jahre PANArt – Excerpts-from-the-anniversary-publication

Authors: Felix Rohner, Sabina Schärer, Hans Businger
© Copyright by the authors – All rights reserved
First published: July 2003
These texts were chapters of the anniversary publication “10 Jahre PANArt” (10 Years PANArt), published in July 2003 on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of PANArt in a limited edition of 500 copies.
Published online as PDF on www.hangblog.org: September 24th, 2010
Language: German
Zur deutschen Downloadseite

The history of the Hang begins with the history of the steelpan in Switzerland. As an important part of this history the PANArt Steelpan-Manufaktur AG was founded by four members of the steelband ‘Berner Ölgesellschaft’ in 1993. Looking back from the year 2003 these excerpts of PANArt’s anniversary publication allow readers to gain an insight into the history of the Hang before the Hang and the early years of the Hang.


www.hang.ch (2002-2006) (external link)

Website by PANArt Hang Manufacturing Ltd.
© Copyright by PANArt Hang Manufacturing Ltd. – All rights reserved
Languages: German, English

PANArt’s second website existed from spring 2002 to summer 2006. It was closed in connection with the introduction of the second generation of the Hang. A number of versions were archived by web.archive.org.


www.panart.ch (2000-2002) (external link)

Website by PANArt Hang Manufacturing Ltd.
© Copyright by PANArt Hang Manufacturing Ltd. – All rights reserved
Languages: German, English

PANArt’s first website was online from summer 2000 to spring 2002. A number of versions were archived by web.archive.org.


The HANG: A Hand-Played Steel Drum (external link)

Authors: Thomas D. Rossing, Uwe J. Hansen, Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer
© Copyright by Thomas D. Rossing, Uwe J. Hansen, Felix Rohner, Sabina Schärer – All rights reserved
Published on acoustics.org
Language: English

Press summary of a paper for the 142. Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in Fort Lauderdale, FL on December 4th, 2001


The Pang Instruments

Authors: Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer
© Copyright by the authors – All rights reserved
Published in the Procedings of the ICSTS 2000 (publisher: Anthony Achong), pp. 197-202
Published online in the Tuniversity (external link) on PANArt’s first website panart.ch: December 2000
Republished on hangblog.org: February 18th, 2017
Language: English

Research paper presented by PANArt at the first International Conference on the Science and Technology of the Steelpan (ICSTS), October 16 – 18, 2000 in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.


Panyard – Die unabhängige Zeitung für Pankultur (external link)

Editorial staff: Sabina Schärer, Markus Hochstrasser, Werner Egger
Contains articles in German, English and French.

The journal Panyard was the information platform of the “IG Junges Pan Schweiz” (interest group of young pannists in Switzerland). Five issues were published in the years 1993 and 1994. It was partially archived on this website hosted by www.pan-jumbie.com.


Blick in die Werkstatt eines Pan Bauers (external link)

Author: Felix Rohner
© Copyright by the author – All rights reserved
Published in the program booklet of the 1. National Steelband Festival Bern 1987
Dokumented by www.pan-jumbie.com
Language: German

Felix Rohner reports about his work as steelpan builder and tuner.


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