Attending trade shows like the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas can be a real hassle. Fortunately, there are some media only events that allow for intimate access to company executives (often a CEO or inventor) in a setting that the masses only dream about.
One of the best such affairs is the Lunch@Pieros event held at a great Italian restaurant a block away from the Las Vegas Convention Center.
In the din of the show floor, I would never have been able to hear the Mandala electronic drums in action. Let alone get to hear the demo from and speak with the CEO of the company and inventor of the drums. But at Lunch@Piero's that's exactly what happened.
Synesthesia Corporation's produces the patented Mandala Drum trigger pad and Virtual Brain software control module. The Mandala Drum pad detects where and how hard you hit it and translates that information into sound and sound controllers for your playing pleasure and exploration.
Professionals use it on stage (drummers from Tool, King Crimson, Living Color and many more) but it's also a great learning tool and lots of fun.
Drummer Danny Carey of Tool with his drum kit
The Mandala is a huge step beyond conventional drum triggers:
Every hit gives you a Note with Velocity AND a Strike Position for HD sound control
Surface detects 128 strike positions from center to edge
128 strike velocities from soft to hard with no false triggers
Multizone configuration allows mapping of up to 7 zones per pad
USB interface with easy, yet powerful 'Virtual Brain' software for Mac or PC. Play along with your favorite songs in iTUNES!
Includes original sound library with scores of instruments, or load your own samples
Tons of out-of-the-box presets to get you playing right away
Connect multiple Mandalas to your computer to form a kit
Also works seamlessly with Logic, Battery, BFD, Live, Reason, GarageBand, etc.
What do you need to play the Mandala? Not much skill for one (I can attest to that). You need a PC or Mac with 1GB of RAM and a DVD drive. The Mandala proprietary software runs on Mac OS X, Windows XP and Vista.
You can put the Mandala pad on any stable surface or mount it on a drum mount or a snare stand and play away. It comes with all kinds of factory presets so you don't have to be Ginger Baker or John Bonham to enjoy it.
Check out the video of Mandala inventor Vince De Franco.
For professionals, the Mandala will add a lot to your performances and recording. For wannabe's and students, the Mandala gives you a great learning environment. And for those just looking for some fun and creativity, you can mess with the preset sounds and bang away and have a blast.
