I am obsessed with this instrument. I want one so bad.
The hang drum is a melodic percussion instrument that you play with your hands. It consists of two metal hemispheres connected by a hollow rod that goes down the middle. One hemisphere is smooth, and the other has 7 or more divots on it's surface which are each tuned to a different note. Hitting the center of the drum plays a "base" notes. Every note can be varied depending on how you play it (shape and position of hand)
To date, they have been notoriously hard to acquire, having been manufactured only by the Swiss duo that invented them. Each was hand-made. You had to get on a 2 year waiting list, go to Switzerland to pick it up in person, and pay $1000-2000 for this specially shaped and tuned piece of metal.
Now, a company named Pantheon (makers of the common steel drum) are working on their own version of the hang drum, which they are calling the 'Halo'. No word on when it will be done, but the pricing will be somewhat cheaper than Panart's original versions (something like $500-700 less), and will be shipped to customers.
See the hang drum here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQXn5ba0aT8
