What exactly is a high-def drum pad? Beats the piss out of us, but we do know that Danny Carey has been playing a Mandala pad forever. That, thumpers, is endorsement enough.

…But if you insist on the details, here are some easy-to-follow bullet points:

• The Mandala plugs into a PC or Mac with a USB cable.
• One pad can accommodate up to seven different sound zones.
• The surface detects 128 strike positions from center to edge.
• There are 128 strike velocities (from soft to hard) with no false triggers.
• Each pad is handcrafted and thoroughly tested before it is shipped.
• The Mandala will set you back $349.