We recorded all five bellaura orin bells and measured their sound. Their main tones range from about 1,730 Hz (Ring) to about 2,620 Hz (Cherin Mini), between the notes A6 and E7 in the upper range of a piano. After one normal strike in a quiet room, they ring for about 4 seconds (Caprin) to 25 seconds (Ring).
All five are brass bells made in Takaoka, Japan, by one workshop that has worked there since 1938. Below are the measurements, what they mean, and how we took them.
The measurements at a glance
| Bell | Main tone | Nearest note | Main overtones | Beat (wavering) | Sustain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ring | about 1,730 Hz | A6 | about 4,620 and 8,240 Hz | almost none | about 25 seconds |
| Paddle | about 1,990 Hz | B6 | about 5,500 and 10,210 Hz | about 10 per second | about 8 seconds |
| Cherin | about 2,090 Hz | C7 | about 5,620 and 10,210 Hz | about 1.3 per second | about 15 seconds |
| Caprin | about 2,450 Hz | D#7 | about 4,960 and 8,670 Hz | about 3 per second | about 4 seconds |
| Cherin Mini | about 2,620 Hz | E7 | about 6,820 and 12,330 Hz | about 6 per second | about 8 seconds |
Measured in October 2026 on the Gold version of each bell. Values are approximate and can vary slightly from bell to bell.
What the numbers mean
Main tone (Hz)
Hertz (Hz) counts vibrations per second: the higher the number, the higher the pitch. The main tone is the pitch you keep hearing as the sound fades. It is the lowest tone each bell produces and, in most bells, the one that lasts longest.
Overtones
Overtones are higher tones that sound at the same time as the main tone. They give a strike its bright, shimmering start and usually fade within a few seconds, leaving the main tone. On a piano or a guitar, overtones fall at whole-number multiples of the main tone (2×, 3×, 4×). On four of our bells, the first overtone sits at about 2.6 to 2.8 times the main tone and the next at about 4.7 to 5.1 times. This uneven spacing is part of what makes a bell sound like a bell.
Caprin is the exception: its first overtone is almost exactly twice the main tone, nearly an octave above, and it rings about as long as the main tone.
Beat (natural wavering)
Many orin have a gentle "wah-wah" pulse as they ring. This is called a beat. It happens when two tones very close in pitch ring together: they drift in and out of step, so the volume swells and fades. The number of pulses per second equals the difference between the two tones in hertz. Cherin, for example, rings at about 2,090.1 Hz and 2,091.4 Hz at once, and the difference of about 1.3 Hz produces about 1.3 pulses per second.
How strongly you hear the beat can change with where you strike the rim. If you would like more or less wavering, try a slightly different spot.
Sustain
Sustain is how long you can hear the tone after one normal strike in a quiet room. A firmer strike, or a quieter room, makes it last a little longer.
Bell by bell
Ring: the lowest tone and the longest sustain
Ring's main tone measured 1,731.6 Hz in all three of our strikes, close to the note A6. Its main tone has almost no beat, so the sound is steady and pure, and it lasted about 25 seconds, the longest of the five.
Paddle: a quick, shimmering pulse
Paddle's main tone is about 1,990 Hz (we measured 1,994.0 Hz), close to B6. A second tone just under 10 Hz higher rings with it, which creates a quick shimmer of about 10 pulses per second. Its sustain is about 8 seconds.
Cherin: a slow, gentle wavering on C7
Cherin's main tone is about 2,090 Hz (we measured 2,090.1 Hz), almost exactly the note C7. Its slow beat of about 1.3 pulses per second gives a gentle, unhurried wavering. Its sustain is about 15 seconds.
Caprin: an octave overtone and a short, clear ring
Caprin's main tone is about 2,450 Hz, near D#7. Unlike the other four bells, its first overtone (about 4,960 Hz) is almost exactly an octave above the main tone and rings about as long as the main tone itself. It has a subtle beat of about 3 pulses per second and the shortest sustain of the five, about 4 seconds.
Cherin Mini: the highest tone
Cherin Mini, the smallest of our bells, has the highest main tone, about 2,620 Hz, near E7. A lively beat of about 6 pulses per second gives it a bright, fluttering quality. Its sustain is about 8 seconds.
How we measured
- We struck the Gold version of each bell three times at normal strength in a quiet room and recorded it with an iPhone.
- We analyzed every strike with a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), a standard calculation that breaks a sound into the frequencies it contains. Main tones were resolved to better than 0.1 Hz and cross-checked with a second method.
- The three strikes agreed closely. Ring and Paddle gave the same main tone every time (within about 0.01 Hz). Cherin, Caprin, and Cherin Mini varied by 1 to 6 Hz, depending on which of their two close tones rang more strongly.
- Around each bell's main tone, the bell was at least 50 dB louder than the room's background noise, so the background did not affect the readings.
- Sustain was estimated three ways (when the main tone sank into the background, when the overall sound returned to the background level, and how long the tone takes to fall by 60 dB) and rounded.
Every bell is slightly different, other finishes may vary a little from the Gold version, and pitch can shift by a few hertz with temperature. Treat these values as a close guide rather than an exact specification.
Frequently asked questions
What frequency is an orin bell?
It depends on the bell's size and shape. The five bellaura orin bells we measured have main tones between about 1,730 Hz and 2,620 Hz, in the upper range of a piano keyboard. The smallest bell, Cherin Mini, has the highest tone.
How long does an orin bell ring?
Our five bells ring for about 4 to 25 seconds after a normal strike in a quiet room. Ring lasts longest, about 25 seconds, followed by Cherin at about 15 seconds. A firmer strike or a quieter room makes the sound last longer.
Which bellaura bell has the lowest tone?
Ring, at about 1,730 Hz, close to A6. The highest is Cherin Mini, at about 2,620 Hz, close to E7.
Why does an orin bell's sound pulse or waver?
The pulsing is called a beat. Two tones very close in pitch ring together, and the difference between them in hertz sets how many pulses you hear each second: about 1.3 per second for Cherin and about 10 per second for Paddle. Ring has almost none.
Are these bells tuned to 432 Hz or 528 Hz?
No. Their main tones are about 1,730 to 2,620 Hz. Each bell's pitch comes from its shape and brass rather than from tuning to a particular frequency.
Does the color of the bell change the sound?
Each model has the same brass body and dimensions in every color; the color is the finish. We measured the Gold versions. Other finishes may sound very slightly different.
Hear the bells
Numbers only go so far. Listen to all five bells on our Sound page, or shop the collection.
New to orin? Read our guide: Japanese Orin Bell vs. Tibetan Singing Bowl: What's the Difference?
