Somni Cálix – Exclusive Raven Sounds Edition

The Cálix is a handheld sound healing instrument from Somni Sounds, a small family workshop in Nova Friburgo, Brazil. Each one is cut and shaped from a single sheet of aluminum alloy and hand-tuned to two notes a perfect fifth apart.

What makes the Cálix unusual is what happens when you move it. Strike either wing and sweep the instrument through the air and the sound shifts and modulates with the movement. You can play it stationary like a resonant metal instrument, or move the sound through a room or around a listener — particularly useful in sound baths, yoga and movement classes, and one-to-one sessions.

This Raven Sounds edition is made exclusively for us in a dedicated batch. The larger wing is etched with a Raven logo with the Somni Sounds mark on the lower wing. Each Cálix includes a padded handle and double-headed mallet, with soft and hard striking surfaces for different tones and harmonics. Tuned to A=440 Hz.

Listen to the recording for each tuning above to hear the differences between them.

Tunings

Each Cálix is tuned to two notes a perfect fifth apart.

• A/E — low register · approx. 16 × 23 in · 3.1 lb
• C/G — mid-low · approx. 15 × 21 in · 2.4 lb
• D/A — mid-high · approx. 14 × 20 in · 2.2 lb
• E/B — high · approx. 13 × 19 in · 2.2 lb
• F/C — high · approx. 12.5 × 19 in · 2.0 lb

Pairs that work well together: C/G with E/B or F/C, and D/A with E/B or F/C.

Playing

Strike toward the outer ends of each wing rather than the middle: near the center you get more of the fundamental, while toward the edges the upper harmonics come forward. Try both mallet heads and different spots on each wing — one Cálix covers more ground than you'd expect.

As the Cálix rings, try moving it slowly through the air. Changing its position and angle changes how the sound moves through the room and reaches the listener.

Care

Aluminum won't rust or drift out of tune in normal use, but it will scratch, so rest it on fabric or in a Cálix bag rather than against hard surfaces or other instruments. Clean with 70% alcohol on a soft cloth; a metal polishing wax minimizes fingerprints if you like.