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"  We&amp;#039;re big fans of new approaches to making digital music, from electro synthesizers to DIY albums\u2014and Rock Band, natch. So we couldn&amp;#039;t wait to get our hands on the new Synesthesia Mandala USB Drum Pad ($350), which was co-created by Tool drummer Danny Carey (inset by Holomorph via Wikimedia Commons).  The pad hooks up to a computer via a USB cord, and pumps out the jams through your CPU&amp;#039;s speakers or sound system. The promise: the ability to assign different sounds and effects to different concentric circle &amp;quot;zones&amp;quot; on the pad. Personally, I was just looking forward to rocking out in our office mid-afternoon.  Unfortunately, my dreams were short-lived. While it&amp;#039;s great that the pad was created by a musician, the software feels like it was, too\u2014navigating the interface was needlessly complex. Here&amp;#039;s an example from the &amp;quot;quick start&amp;quot; manual: &amp;quot;METERS: Two analog-style meters help you regulate the Master output volumes of the left and right channels. As in life, stay out of the red whenever possible. FX CONTROLS: To send you further down the rabbit hole, two virtual effects stacks await your sonic debauchery. &amp;quot; Or, my favorite: &amp;quot;SELECTING AND SAVING PRESETS: This crux of the Mandala&amp;#039;s functionality demands italics.&amp;quot;  And as fun as it sounds to keep this in your cubicle, both the product&amp;#039;s price and complexity make it more of a fit for touring bands than office jams. In fact, any non-musician (such as myself) hoping to have a little fun fooling around is likely to feel like they&amp;#039;re in over their head. \u2014Seth Porges  RELATED STORIES \u2022 VIDEO: Hands-on With the First Laser Harp You Can Buy!  \u2022 VIDEO: Testing Rock Band With a Bon Jovi Cover Band  \u2022 DIGITAL STUDIO: How to Become a Music Mogul in 3 Steps   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a2813/4260178/>