I start with a crystal singing bowl as the intro, and I added reverb in sound therapy to create a sense of space and depth, simulating natural environments that can induce relaxation and meditative states. Auto pan moves sound between audio channels, creating a dynamic spatial experience that can help with stress reduction and focus. Together, these effects can enhance the immersive quality of therapeutic sound sessions.
I have done the same with the chant, so that the human voice would be so abrupt inside of a therapeutic music.
Then for the gongs I added drum buss, due to the reason the gongs’ sound is kind of blurry with the echos, the drum buss could emphasize the attack sound, and present a well beat and transaction for the soundtrack. In addition, Drum buss processing in sound therapy works by enhancing rhythmic elements through compression, saturation, and transient shaping. It creates fuller, more grounded beats that can help synchronize brainwaves and regulate heart rates. The enhanced low frequencies and controlled dynamics can promote deeper relaxation and emotional release during therapeutic sessions.
Later on with the Tuning fork was the key of the entire sound set, because this sound was used largely in sound therapy that could medically help patients. I have tried myself when I added vibration inside of the sound, it could impact the brain cells and form a distraction to our active brain. This could help people who are affected by their massive thoughts and anxieties to rest for a short while. In terms of creating that effect, I added Phaser-flanger to create more beats as vibration and cut off the high frequencies so there isn’t any jarring sound that makes the patients uncomfortable. I have also added grain delay and pedal to embellish more textures for the audio.
I did the same for the second part of the tuning fork except I lowered down the rate of phaser-flanger to ½ because later on with the chant the tuning fork might sound too noisy when it’s layered. Therefore, I speed down the rate with a softer tempo but the vibration doesn’t change much.
For the rainstick I added echo because the original sound is too dry, it is very rough to hear when it is for therapeutic sounds, additionally, Echo effects in sound therapy create repetitive sound reflections that gradually fade, mimicking natural acoustic environments. This temporal spacing of sound can induce meditative states, help with breath regulation, and create a sense of expansiveness. The delayed repetitions can also help anchor attention and promote deeper relaxation states. I have also added an auto filter and controlled the frequency and res of it, this allowing the rise and fall to be highlighted and simultaneously ignore the very high pitches and frequency.
Eventually I drop in the Tongue pan (deep green) with me playing it myself, this is my first time ever playing this instrument, I used the generator but it was very difficult to control, and using a tongue pan generator presents challenges in recreating the authentic harmonic richness and natural resonance of a physical handpan. Tongue pan sounds work therapeutically by producing harmonically rich overtones and sustained frequencies that promote alpha brainwave states and deep relaxation.
The hybrid reverb helps simulate the natural acoustic properties of handpan resonance, creating an immersive sound field that enhances the therapeutic experience. Compressors are crucial in controlling the dynamic range, ensuring consistent energy flow and maintaining the delicate balance between the fundamental notes and overtones.
The main challenge lies in finding the right balance between digital processing and maintaining the organic, healing qualities characteristic of acoustic handpan instruments, while ensuring the therapeutic frequencies remain pure and effective.
For my future works, I consider improving on real-life recording would help me to understand how the instrument will be collaborated together. If I have to use the generator again, then the tongue pan generator could be improved with more nuanced hybrid reverb settings and intelligent compression that adapts to the player’s dynamics. A multi-layered processing system could combine these effects to create more immersive healing environments. In addition, I’m looking forward to creating a more sophisticated integration of reverb, auto pan, and drum bus effects to develop targeted therapeutic soundscapes. The echo timing could be synchronized with brainwave patterns for enhanced meditation effects. Development could include real-time frequency analysis to optimize the balance between tongue pan harmonics and spatial effects, ensuring therapeutic frequencies remain pure while maximizing the benefits of digital processing.