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Pantheon Steel, LLC
Batch 2 Halo Offering
Introducing the Halo Stratus, and Ordering Information
February 2011
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Greetings

Hello, everyone, and best wishes in a new lunar New Year, from all of us at Pantheon Steel.

Kyle Cox, Halo maker, here. It's been a long time since we at Pantheon Steel last sent information, I know. I hope what Jim Dusin and I have for you today will be worth the wait.

While all may seem quiet at Pantheon Steel from the outside, we have been hard at work making Halos ever since the first one shipped. Production has been ongoing, and well over three hundred Halos have now found their owners.

Over the last twenty four months the Halo has both established itself as something unique, and continued to evolve. Many subtle changes have accumulated and led us to ever more refined instruments. Over this time we like to think that the Halo has grown more and more Halo-like, become a truer version of itself.

Halo Batch One for us was an opportunity to introduce ourselves and the Halo to the world. We hope you agree we have made a good start. With no advertising our waiting/mailing list has grown immensely, which reassures us that there is interest in what we have to offer you.

Our Helpdesk has been kept busy, with our steadfast Halo Helper Aaron Ximm at its helm; we've received so many interesting, touching, heartbreaking, and inspiring stories from customers and would-be customers from around the world. It's been a wonderful journey so far, and reminds us why we are doing this.

As we prepare to move forward, we've had time to reflect on that journey. Batch One was also an opportunity for us to explore, in depth, the possibilities we found in the Halo form. Among other things this meant we were interested in trying many tunings. Along the way we learned what we liked -- and what we didn't like -- and most importantly, what the Halo wanted to be. There were rough times, and we learned from them. And we made a few unintended discoveries. As stated before this has been an amazing journey of discovery and it's only just begun.

Batch One was completed in many ways by late last fall, so we have a few months to catch our breath. We have used it to pursue some intensive research into ideas that emerged along our way. With that research bearing good results, we are now ready to change course slightly, and to try something different.

With that in mind...  Jim and I introduce today the details of our Batch Two Halo offering, which includes a special surprise. Something we are very excited about. Something called... the Halo Stratus. Read on...

Thanks for your support, the warm welcome you've given the Halo, and your interest in meeting one. We hope to make one for you.

Best of luck in the coming year, and in our lottery should you join it -- and may your hands find your music.

Sincerely,

Kyle Cox


Please find below:

I. Introducing the Halo Stratus
II. Limited Tunings for Batch Two
III. Instrument Availability, Prices and Shipping
IV. Luck-Based Lottery, and How to Participate
V. Anticipated Questions


I. Introducing the Halo Stratus

Among the steadily growing number of instruments of its type, what we call handpans, the Halo distinguished itself immediately with its low register -- first with the C central note we initially offered, and more recently with a B central note, only a half step lower, but with its distinctly different timbre.

In this register, the energy and projection of the Halo, both for the player and listeners, was a new experience. It is one we are very proud to have brought into the world.

Yet we have always known there is other potential in the Halo form as well, for a sibling instrument that might sing in a tenor or alto above the baritone Halo.

We originally planned to accept Batch Two orders a few months ago, but research into the possibilities of a higher-voiced Halo progressed with promising results. So we decided to continue our research...

Today, Jim and I are very excited, and very proud, to introduce a new member of the Halo family: the Halo Stratus.

Fabricated using the same basic form and techniques and craft as the Halo Genesis (what we shall now call the Halo as you know it), the Stratus has been changed in some of its particulars to give it a higher register.

Where the Halo Genesis will for now continue to have a B or C central note, today we introduce the Stratus with central notes of F# and G -- a fifth above anything you have heard before from us.

Where you might say the Halo sings with the voice of deep waters and had its roots far into the soil, the Stratus soars overhead and flickers with a bright flame. Where the Halo rings, the Stratus chimes.

We can't wait for you to hear it -- and to hear the siblings sing together in harmony.


II. Limited Tunings for Batch Two

Why fewer tunings this time?

Two of the lessons we learned in Batch One were: first, certain Halo tunings sound better on a Halo than others; and second, our production goes fastest when we make many instruments in the same tuning at once.

With those lessons in mind, we will try something new in our Batch Two offering.

Instead of the several dozen tunings we eventually offered during Batch One, we are going to offer four: two Halo tunings, and two Stratus tunings.

The specific tunings we offer for Batch Two were chosen for several reasons.

First, to provide a reasonable range of moods and characters.

Second, we selected some of the tunings that we are most happy with -- ones that have something special and which best represent the possibilities of the Halo as we know it today. We are concentrating for this batch on the tunings which sound the best. (There are others, which we will offer again or in the future, as well... see below.)

Third, we chose our tunings so that each Halo has a Stratus that compliments it perfectly (and vice versa).

We intend, and hope, that Batch Two customers will find one another in the world -- and play duets of a kind only imagined until now.

What will happen to the retired tunings?

The many tunings we offered in Batch One are in hibernation for now.

Many may be retired for good on the Halo in its current form, while others are just gone for the moment. We're pretty sure some favorites shall return as soon as Batch Three. We shall see.

Our current notion is that if Batch Two works well, we will continues to offer limited sets of tunings at one time, most likely offering a distinct and different set for each batch.

We know that many of you have had your heart set on specific tunings we offered in Batch One. We hope that you find something that catches your attention and interest among what we can offer today. And if not -- we hope that that might change in Batch Three, or beyond.

The Batch Two tunings

Without further ado:



For the Halo Genesis, we offer two of the tunings that represent the Halo at its best:

Golden Gate
(C) E G B C D F# G
Sample mp3

A wistful major, filled with golden light and the yearning of two major seventh chords. The low E on the tone circle acts as a second tonal center, allowing modulation from E minor to C major.

The name was inspired by the heartbreaking site of fog spilling down a pastel hill like an ocean wave in San Francisco, bright white on top, but moody and mysterious underneath.

Ursa Minor
(B) F# G B C# D E F#
Sample mp3

A dark, seductive and velvety minor, with a delicious tension in the lowest two notes in the tone circle. Closely related to both the Xiao Xiong Diao and Hijaz tunings from Batch One.

The name, which means 'small bear,' is that of the constellation commonly known in the English-speaking world as the Little Dipper. It was chosen to evoke twinkling stars on a winter night.

These tunings are both hexatonic, with more harmonic complexity than a pentatonic tuning, but fewer dissonant combinations than a full scale.

These tunings have seven notes on the circle. For the Halo Genesis, a seven-tone circle gives a distinct sonic advantage: more clarity, more sustain, and the ability to receive and sing with more energy.




For the Halo Stratus, we offer two beloved classic pentatonic tunings which to our delight perfectly compliment our Halo tunings. In every regard we hope they offer something brand new to our customers as well:

Ake Bono
(F#) B C# D F# G B C# D
Sample mp3

A classic Japanese pentatonic minor, slightly exotic to Western ears, which can be evocative of the Japanese court or temple music, and evoke misty ink and watercolor landscapes.

We originally intended to offer an eight-tone Ake Bono in Batch One, and it is with satisfaction and a sense of closure that we now offer one in a register that we find truly suits the tuning!

The Ake Bono Stratus compliments the Ursa Minor Halo, and allows for duets with no incompatible notes.

Melog-Selisir
(G) B C D F# G B C D
Sample mp3

A classic Indonesian pentatonic major, evocative of gamelan and related popular music from Indonesia. Optimistic and surprisingly uncolored in play, it is among the happiest tuning we have offered so far.

Deservedly one of the most popular pentatonic tunings on similar instruments, we are delighted to finally offer a version of it ourselves. It is not wholly dissimilar to the popular Raga Desh and Deshvara tunings.
 
The Melog Stratus compliments the Golden Gate Halo and allows for duets with no incompatible notes.


One reason we are offering these particular tunings is the potential for them to be played in concert, either in duets, or to give a single player an extended range.

We'd like to share demonstrations of how each pairing can be used to give one person (in this case, me!) an extended range:

Sample mp3: Ursa Minor and Ake Bono together
Sample mp3: Golden Gate and Melog-Selisir together


III. Batch Two Availability, Prices, Payments, and Shipping

Number of instruments available

Batch Two will consist of approximately 200 instruments. We will offer fifty instruments in each of the four tunings described above.

All fifty instruments in a given tuning will be made at one time, so as to minimize time spent switching gears. We hope that this will distinctly increase production speed!

We have not decided which tuning will be made when.

Batch Two pricing

The introductory pricing we were able to offer many of our Batch One customers was a special thanks for taking a chance on us and putting down a deposit many months in advance of receiving an instrument.
 
Batch Two Halos cost US$1800.
 
This includes a free custom soft Gig Bag, in a backpack style with an embroidered logo, a care kit for both daily wipe-down and very infrequent surface treatment, and a custom Pantheon Steel Halo T-Shirt!

Our price increase reflects our own ever-rising costs and expenses, and the large-scale investments we continue to make in custom machinery and other areas as we refine our processes and bring more of them 'in house.'

Shipping costs

All instruments will be shipped to their owners. We are not yet able to host visitors in Farmington (though we intend to in the future).

The free shipping we were able to offer many of our Batch One customers was also a special thanks for taking a chance on us and putting down a deposit many months in advance of receiving an instrument.

Via UPS ground, shipping in the United States will cost $50 after our subsidy, and to Canada will cost $100 USD.

Via USPS international air mail, shipping to most of Europe will cost $150 USD, to Japan will cost $175 USD, and to New Zealand will cost $200 USD.

Shipping to destinations we cannot to ship via USPS international air mail will be via UPS; this can be very expensive. Destinations such as Czech Republic, Australia, much of South America and the Middle East, and most of Asia, can cost $400-600 USD. We will provide an exact quote at the time your instrument is ready if you cannot take delivery in the US, Canada, or Europe (which we recommend whenever possible!).

Payment specifics

No down payments are requested for Batch Two.

No payment is required to participate in our ordering process.

Full payment is requested only when your Halo is ready to ship.

Instruments ship only when full payment is received. We cannot offer any payment plan or partial payment plan at this time.

Payments are currently being accepted via PayPal, credit card, check, and bank transfer. Details will be explained when your Halo is ready.

Note: we do work with customers whose circumstances have changed, and who are unable to afford their instrument when it is ready.


IV. Luck-Based Lottery, and How to Participate

Why a lottery?

It is a serious challenge to us that demand for the Halo far exceeds the number of instruments we can produce.

We believe that there is no right or fair way to satisfy that demand. No matter what practice or process we follow, some people will feel disenfranchised or be dissatisfied.

For Batch Two, we introduce a new process that we believe is as fair as possible, given the things that we prioritize.

We understand, and regret, that every person who wants a Halo will have a different set of priorities, and that we will not be able to make everyone happy. We apologize for this and for the delayed dreams that must follow.

Please understand that we are doing what we think is best, and that we will evolve our processes as we feel necessary.

We believe as matter of basic principal that everyone who is interested in the Halo should have a chance of acquiring one -- regardless of when they learn about the instrument.

As a result, we are not moving through our waiting/mailing list in the order people joined it.

We also believe that everyone interested in a Halo should have a chance at acquiring one, regardless of time zone and quality and frequency of internet access.

As a result, we are not going to use a process that requires people to compete at a specific time and day to place an order.

The Halo lottery process and principals

We are using an email-based lottery process to take Batch Two orders.

The lottery will be based primarily on luck, but there is credit given for time spent on our waiting list. The longer you have been on the list, the better your chance of getting an instrument, and the sooner you will get yours during the batch, if we accept your order.

The odds of having your entry accepted and receiving a Halo in Batch Two will depend on the number of entries we receive.

Because we have raised prices, and are offering a limited number of tunings, we do not know what participation will be like.

Our waiting list is now around 8000, however, so we anticipate that most people who participate will not have their order accepted at this time -- to our chagrin.

The basics for Batch Two ordering are as follows.

1. We are holding a lottery to accept two hundred orders.

2. Everyone on our mailing/waiting list is eligible to participate.

3. Only one entry is allowed per person, regardless of how many email addresses appear on our list.

4. Only one Halo will be offered per person.

5. Participation is required if you want a Halo at this time.

The process is opt-in; if you do not participate, you will not be offered a Halo at this time.

6. Participation is not required if you do not want a Halo at this time, but may want one from a later batch.

If you do not participate, you will stay on our list with no penalty of any kind. We understand that the limited tunings offered may make this a Batch you do not wish to participate in.

7. Entries will be selected based on a combination of luck (see below) and 'credit' given for time spent on the waiting/mailing list.

The longer you have been on the list, the better your chances. But everyone has a chance, and no one is guaranteed a Halo at this time, based only on time spent waiting on the list.

The strongest entries will be those that most accurately guess the winning lottery number, from customers who have been on our waiting list the longest.

The second strongest entries will be those that most accurately guess the winning lottery number, from customers who more recently joined our waiting list.

We anticipate that we will fill all 200 available orders from these two pools.

8. We will fill our lists, fifty names long for each tuning, by taking the strongest entries first.

In the event of any ties, the person who joined the list earlier will be preferred.

If yours is the current-strongest entry in our processing, and your first choice tuning is no longer available, we will put you on the list for your second choice, and so on.

It is therefore to your advantage to accept more than one tuning. But we understand that this is not always the case for many people.

9. Entries via email only will be accepted for two weeks: from now until March 3, 2011.

See below for details on how to participate.


How to participate in the Batch Two Halo Lottery

Please read these instructions carefully -- we cannot be responsible for entries that do not meet our requirements, that are sent to the wrong address, or miss our deadline, etc.

To participate, you must enter our lottery before March 3, 2011.

To enter our lottery, send us an email at the following address:

 batch2@pantheonsteel.com

Write from the address you joined the mailing list with.

If you got this information in an email directly from us, the address we used is the address you should use.

If you no longer have access to the email you originally joined under, use another address, and tell us your old (nonfunctional) address as described below in the body of your message.

Your email should be constructed exactly as follows.

In the SUBJECT LINE, include only a number -- your guess at the winning lottery number.

Pick a number between 1 and 200, and put that number in the subject line of your message.

Use numerals. If your guess is 7, write 7, not 007 or 07 or seven.

Do not include punctuation or any other information in your subject. Doing so may prevent us from finding your entry, even if it should 'win.'

In the BODY OF YOUR MESSAGE, include tuning choice and contact information as follows.

The body of your email should contain (only):

a) the Halo and/or Stratus tunings you are interested in, in your order of preference.

You can specify one, two, three, or all four, but we want to know your order of preference.

b) The email address you joined our waiting list under (which should be be the address you writing from when possible).

c) A phone number we can contact you at (with country code if your are outside the US/Canada) if for some reason email contact fails.

How we will determine winning entries

First, we will randomly determine the winning lottery number, and sort entries based on how close each person's guess is to the actual number. Entries the same 'distance' from the actual number will be sorted according to the order in which each person joined the mailing list.

Second, we will award credit for time spent on the waiting/mailing list. Credit moves your entry up on the list.

Finally, we will begin filling lists for each of the four tunings, moving down the master list of entries in order. Each entry under consideration will be placed on the list for the most desired tuning that is still available.

Note: entries that 'should' have won, except that no desired tuning was still available, will be kept aside in case our plans change. But it is still to your advantage to accept as many tunings as possible.

ONLY WINNERS WILL BE CONTACTED!

We will notify lottery participants whose entries were accepted via email. Notification will require a final confirmation. Declining at this stage does not have consequences, but we hope that it will not occur.

When we have contacted all winning participants successfully, we will make a note of that on our website and at the forums at Handpan.org.

We WILL NOT notify participatants whose entries were not accepted this time.

We aren't sure how many entries we will receive, but we do not have time to write everyone who participates if we receive thousands of entries. We are, remember, a small craft house, not a 'manufacturer.'

If you do not hear from us, and we have publicly stated that all lottery winners have been contacted, I'm sorry to say that we could not accept your order at this time.

We anticipate that there will be many more people disappointed than we would hope.

If your order is not accepted at this time, please accept our regrets. We do hope we can make you a Halo in the future.


V. Anticipated Questions

Please understand that we are a small craft house without full-time customer support employees. So, please write the Helpdesk with other questions only if truly urgent.

Please do NOT write us at this time with suggestions for changes to the ordering process, complaints about it, or the like. We will not be able to reply while processing entries.

Please do NOT write us to ask about other tunings, the fate of favorite Batch One tunings, the possible tunings for Batch Three, etc. Those things are not known yet.

Thanks!

We anticipate a few questions and hope we can address them here.

Q: Can I participate if I was a Batch One customer? How long do I get credit for being on the list?
A: Yes, Batch One customers are welcomed to participate! We automatically re-enrolled you on the waiting/mailing list as soon as your instrument shipped.

Q: How long will it take to fulfill Batch Two? It's taken a long time to fulfill Batch One!
A: We aren't certain, but in a perfect world, we would be taking Batch Three orders by the end of this year.

Q: Can I still specify a choice of bag, or stand?
A: No, Batch Two instruments are all shipping with a bag. The original Halo stand has been discontinued and we are engineering an alternative, but it is not yet available.

Q: Is there a hard shell in the bag, or available?
A: Not currently, but it is and has been in the works for quite some time. We do offer a custom Travel Hard Case suitable for transit as checked baggage, however.

Q: Do you offer any kind of discounts? What about a payment plan?
A: Unfortunately, no. Full payment is required before shipping, we aren't set up for partial payments.

Q: Do you require me to sign an agreement of any kind to get my instrument?
A: No, but we do request the right to buy back your instrument should you need to sell it, or to place it with a local customer (at original cost, so no loss to you). If you buy a Halo from us and 'flip it' we will most likely note this with great displeasure.

Q: Do you still offer any kind of tuning plan?
A: Yes, the same one in effect for Batch One instruments. If you return your instrument to us for a tune up within 18 months, we will pay for return shipping. So far the only Batch One instruments that have come back to us were ones damaged in accidents; the Halos we have seen in other contexts are holding their tuning quite well.

Q: Can multiple people in the same household enter the contest?
A: Yes, but we anticipate making only one instrument per household for each batch at present. If participation is lower than expected we may at our discretion do so however.

Q: Is the Stratus the same size as a Halo?
A: Yes. Both the Batch Two Halo Genesis and Halo Stratus are slightly deeper than most Batch One Halos.

Q: Is there any way I can order both a Halo and a Stratus? I would love to play duets.
A: Not at this time. We hope (and encourage) you can find another player to collaborate with!



Best of luck should you enter our Batch Two Lottery!
 
And thanks as always for your interest in and support for the Halo. We here at Pantheon Steel are grateful.