$349

Sure, Rock Band is cool and all that — but ultimately you’re playing a game. Why not get a drum pad that you can actually make music with? The Mandala drum pad comes with a sensor under the drum skin that can be broken up into between one and seven “zones” laid out as concentric circles. Depending on where you hit the pad, you can trigger different sounds, and each of these sounds can change depending on how hard you hit the pad. It can be a bit tricky staying accurate when you’re using more than four zones, but if you’re a drummer by trade, you should be able to home in on the right places to hit the pad without too much trouble…for the rest of us, stick to four zones or less, and learn to practice! The pad comes with “Virtual Brain” software that you can use to change the sounds for each zone, built in effects racks, and other MIDI capabilities. Works with both Mac and PC!

Shiny
- trigger samples with drumsticks
- great sounds and effects
- up to seven concentric “zones”
- compatible with Mac and PC
Dull
- configuration can be painful
- hard to locate zones
- needs serious practice

USB Mandala V2.0
Synesthesia