Thoughts on the Mandala, and almost ready to buy more

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Yoshi71
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2014 6:12 pm

Thoughts on the Mandala, and almost ready to buy more

Post by Yoshi71 »

I noticed there hasn't been any action on this forum for almost a month, and thought I'd start a topic.

I own one of the latest versions of the Mandala and I admit I haven't played with it a ton, but when I have..it just blows my mind with the stuff you can do. Like many on here(I'm sure), my favourite drummer is Danny Carey, and of course, the Mandala's work perfectly for his applications. Personally, I find playing in cover bands, I have a hard time trying to inject it into my set up without being..gimmicky. I would live to use it to death..I just can't think of how while playing covers. I admit to not being very creative, so..I'm just playing on the pad, and going through all the sounds and different settings to see if anything sparks. If nothing else, it's just fun to do. Ideally, I'll get more, and figure a way to use them live, as well as just record some cool sounds and see if I can build them into a song, or something.

That being said, I'm extremely excited for the next version!! However, while we're all waiting, in the upcoming weeks/months, I will be able to purchase some used ones that someone may have for sale. So..if anyone out there is debating selling their Mandala(s) and/or Synapse, I may be willing to buy them from you!! I just need to get through this payday/bills and if anyone has any to sell..let's talk!!

Lastly, I'm wondering about the new upcoming version, and while I think it'll be (better) than previous versions, how the heck are Vince and the boys going to top that?? If you're going to be able to access a huge array of drums from pretty much every part of the head, and all the other cool things they're working on..where do you go from there?? Again, maybe my creativity and vision is really shallow so..I can't envision it getting better but regardless, I plan to get a few of the new ones when they trickle out!!

Thanks for reading everyone, and please feel free to comment. There's almost nothing worse than being passionate and excited about something and having no one to talk to about it. I'm always up for talking Mandala's!! Take care everyone!!

K
Evolved_Squatch
Posts: 8
Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2017 8:46 am

Re: Thoughts on the Mandala, and almost ready to buy more

Post by Evolved_Squatch »

First, let me say that I like this thread alot, and the forums, its great to see other people who are passionate about the same thing. I currently own 8 mandala drums and the synapse. I use all of them on my kit and foot pedals as well. I have 5 V2s and 3 mk2.9s. I don't use the mk2.9s as much as i do my v2s because I started out with the mandala drum when it had the original virtual brain, so before the V3 software.

I LOVE the simplicity of the original virtual brain software, and how it was laid out. At times its a bit buggy, but it rarely has problems. (once in a blue moon).

So what i normally do is hook up my v2s to the original virtual brain, and then hook up the mk2.9s to a second laptop devoted strictly to the v3 software. I do this to organize and separate my sounds, and it really helps when its like this. One laptop can have accessory samples, and the other can have the main samples I use.

When it comes to playing them, i have found that the mandalas open the door to the unknown when it comes to writing. I know how you feel about implementing them into a song and this can be extremely hard to do (depending on the scale, length of the sample.... so so much more). I don't normally play covers, i generally use the mandalas to find a sample i like, and build the song off of that. Its much easier for me to do it that way than to write a song and then try and make a sample fit in there. lol

As far as the new mandalas go, I'm on the waiting list, and i'm getting 2 when they come out. One of the biggest features that I have heard it will have is a new rim. So i believe there wont be a plastic rim with the screws like we have seen on the previous models. The new rim looks to be the same material made from the new playing surface, and on each rim you can assign a sound. I could be wrong about all of this, but i am fairly certain thats a major change we will see when they come out. If i was a millionaire i would throw all my money at this company to help them grow and make new mandala drums. (unfortunately i'm a college student... haha) but in the future if i win the lottery im 100% doing it.

Also, Danny Carey is my favorite drummer as well. Dudes a beast.

Cheers! -Dave
Yoshi71
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2014 6:12 pm

Re: Thoughts on the Mandala, and almost ready to buy more

Post by Yoshi71 »

Hey, thanks for the reply Dave!!

I messaged Vince during the Holiday's and asked him how the new versions were coming along. He said that they're in beta testing and Danny(Carey) is working with them on tour. I'm hopeful that if they get a passing-grade, they will be released..this year, sometime. As mentioned above, I only have the one, but when I noodle with it..it blows my mind on the possibilities with it. I honestly don't know how I can best utilize it. I don't want it to be a gimmick and just novelty thing to have fun with. I mean, I want to have fun with it, of course, but I want to USE it. I'm sure you know what I mean. :) I've been trying to come up with ideas to use it when I play covers, and it's kinda tough. I agree with you..it's much better/easier to write with it, than to try and stick it into a song(unless it's a TOOL song, of course, haha).

So let me ask you..using the couple of different versions, is there much of a difference between them? Also, how are you recording them?? Are you using Battery, or Abelton?? I have Garageband on my Mac, but still not quite sure how to use the two together to try and write something. Any tips?

And, how is the synapse working for you, is it working as well as you hoped?

I would love to hear stuff you've done with the Mandala's, man. Do you have any recordings, or youtube vids to check out your work?

Anyway, thanks for replying.

Take care, man!

KG
Evolved_Squatch
Posts: 8
Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2017 8:46 am

Re: Thoughts on the Mandala, and almost ready to buy more

Post by Evolved_Squatch »

Yoshi71 wrote:Hey, thanks for the reply Dave!!

I messaged Vince during the Holiday's and asked him how the new versions were coming along. He said that they're in beta testing and Danny(Carey) is working with them on tour. I'm hopeful that if they get a passing-grade, they will be released..this year, sometime. As mentioned above, I only have the one, but when I noodle with it..it blows my mind on the possibilities with it. I honestly don't know how I can best utilize it. I don't want it to be a gimmick and just novelty thing to have fun with. I mean, I want to have fun with it, of course, but I want to USE it. I'm sure you know what I mean. :) I've been trying to come up with ideas to use it when I play covers, and it's kinda tough. I agree with you..it's much better/easier to write with it, than to try and stick it into a song(unless it's a TOOL song, of course, haha).

So let me ask you..using the couple of different versions, is there much of a difference between them? Also, how are you recording them?? Are you using Battery, or Abelton?? I have Garageband on my Mac, but still not quite sure how to use the two together to try and write something. Any tips?

And, how is the synapse working for you, is it working as well as you hoped?

I would love to hear stuff you've done with the Mandala's, man. Do you have any recordings, or youtube vids to check out your work?

Anyway, thanks for replying.

Take care, man!

KG
Hey man, wow I can't believe I haven't been back on here ever since that last post! Lol

That's awesome you got in contact with Vince! What Vince said is defently true of course. I went to a Tool concert near my house a few weeks ago and saw Danny rocking the all new mandala V3 drums. They looked so epic on his kit, I gotta find you a photo and post it here.

Now as far as your questions go, I'm using the original software that came out with the V2s (I think there's a file on the website to download it for free), and of course the newer software for the mk2.9s. As far as differences go there's some issues with the original software I have been fining. For example, sometimes you will plug in all your pads and dial them in, and you'll have one that will detect a hit but won't produce a sound. I find the only way for me to get around this problem is to restart the software. This doesn't happen all the time, but when it does it's very annoying. The only reason why I love using the original software is because I'm running it off of an old PowerBook G4. So it runs very smoothly with my computer. I have tried the v3 software on it, and it's about twice as slow, and lags like hell. So that's another reason why I split the computers up. But anywho, battery/abelton is a much better choice for the mandalas in a live setting. In a recording situation I feel the mandala software would be better because the software has so much to offer in terms of fine tuning your samples, in some ways that battery or ableton may not achieve.

As far as me recording with them I haven't had a Chance to get any studio time with them yet because I am in the process of buying a Simmons SDX, so I've had to stall on buying recording equipment, etc.

But.. the synapse is a great little thing! I use the FAT drum tech pedals, but any standard trigger should work fine. The synapse is great for me because I'll put them down near my bass drums and I can do some pretty cool stuff when I switch my feet around, it just really opens the possibilitys for you, and the software is easy to navigate of course. Lol

And I'm glad you asked about recordings or videos/YouTube, because after I get my sdx and my original wavedrum I'm going to be starting my YouTube channel, which will probably be in the next 6-8 months. (Everything is just too damn expensive, lol and keep in mind, I just got out of college LOL.)

So we'll see what comes and goes in the next few months. I will post links here to any content I have when I have the chance. I'll also post a pic of my kit when I get back on here.

Cheers!
-Dave
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