Synesthesia Corporation has announced the Mandala 2.0 High-Def Drum & Synthesizer ($349). This USB-connected drum pad emulates a variety of acoustic instruments, including drums, harp, guitar, piano, and marimba, from its 4 GB sound library. You play the Mandala as you would a typical drum pad, using drum sticks to trigger the sounds. According to the manufacturer, the Mandala's surface detects 128 strike positions and Velocities, and allows you to map up to 7 zones per pad. See examples of Mandala here.

Mandala 2.0 is scheduled to ship in February 2008, and orders are being taken now on a first-come, first-served basis. Users who have already received Mandala 2.0 can download applicable software updates at synesthesiacorp.com/support.html. And for complete details about Mandala, visit mandaladrum.com.