The physical modelling handpan.
A fully modelled, playable handpan — not a sample library. Every note is generated live, with real sympathetic resonance, touch-sensitive dynamics and a long, blooming decay. It breathes like the real steel.
One instrument, endless moods
A handpan that's alive
Because it's modelled, not sampled, it responds to your touch in real time — and gives you control over the physics itself.
Fully physically modelled
No samples anywhere. Every note is synthesised live from a model of the steel shell, so it never sounds looped or static.
Real sympathetic resonance
Strike one note and the rest of the shell rings along — the interconnected shimmer that makes a real handpan magic.
Touch-sensitive dynamics
Soft taps and firm strikes change the timbre, not just the volume — continuous dynamics with no stepping between layers.
Authentic scales
Real handpan tunings — the classic D Kurd and more — laid out so almost anything you play stays musical.
Shape the tone
Dial decay, brightness, touch, shimmer, sympathetic resonance and room — you're shaping the instrument, not EQ'ing a recording.
Tiny footprint
No multi-gigabyte download and no huge RAM use — the model is light on disk and easy to load. AU & VST3.
Playing in under a minute
Install
Run the macOS or Windows installer and the handpan appears in your DAW as an AU/VST3 instrument.
Pick a scale
Choose a handpan scale like D Kurd. The notes map across your keyboard so you can't easily play out of key.
Play & shape
Perform with dynamics, then dial decay, brightness, resonance and room until it sits in your track.
Why it beats a sample library
The handpan's soul lives in interaction and nuance — exactly what fixed recordings throw away.
A sample library
- Replays the same recording on every repeated note
- Dynamics step between a few fixed layers
- No real sympathetic resonance between notes
- Big download, heavy on RAM
This handpan
- A fresh, natural result on every single strike
- Continuous dynamics — touch changes the tone
- True sympathetic resonance across the shell
- Tiny footprint — shape the physics in real time
Runs everywhere you work
AU & VST3 in any host that loads them — on Windows, Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
- Price
- $49 one-time · full free trial · lifetime updates.
- Type
- Physically-modelled handpan virtual instrument — no samples.
- Formats
- AU (Audio Unit) and VST3 — both included.
- macOS
- macOS 11 Big Sur and later · Apple Silicon (M1–M4) native & Intel.
- Windows
- Windows 10 and 11 · 64-bit · VST3.
- Hosts
- Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Studio One, Cubase, Bitwig, Reaper and any AU/VST3 DAW.
- Delivery
- Instant download via Gumroad — signed installers for macOS and Windows.
- Maker
- Built by Reinhardt Buhr / Buhr Audio — clean, musical, CPU-friendly plugins.
Get the Physical Modelling Handpan
Download the full free trial and play a real, breathing handpan in your own track in minutes. One-time $49 to keep it forever.
Get the most out of it
Guides and tutorials for the Physical Modelling Handpan.
The best handpan VST plugin in 2026
Why a physically-modelled handpan beats sample libraries, and what to look for.
Read → ExplainerWhat is a physical modelling handpan?
Physical modelling synthesis and sympathetic resonance, explained simply.
Read → TutorialHow to use a handpan VST in your DAW
Choose a scale, map it to your keyboard, play it expressively and mix it.
Read → ExplainerHandpan scales explained: D Kurd, Celtic Minor & more
What a handpan scale is, what the popular ones feel like, and how to choose the right mood.
Read → TutorialHow to make ambient music with a handpan
Choose a calm scale, play sparsely, and build lush ambient and meditation tracks.
Read → ExplainerHandpan vs hang drum: what's the difference?
Why 'Hang' is a specific instrument and 'handpan' is the family name — and what to search for.
Read →