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Bring the island to you

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In what might seem as a shot across the bow to reggae and world music purists everywhere (and many street performers that we've seen), the Alternate Mode panKAT MIDI steel drum percussion controller seems to be a step forward.

The car tire-sized panKAT is sure to deliver a just-like-being-there touch of island paradise to any show. Of course, it being a MIDI unit, you can turn it into just about anything you want. You want to sound like Stewart Copeland meets Neil Peart? It's all good, mon.

The panKAT's one-piece, 30- pad design features two virtual controller wheels. There are 128 sounds for use with your PC or receptor. Headphone output for private practice. The power to layer the keyboard with independent MIDI control. Special performance features including dampening, deadstroking, poly/mono modes, velocity shifting, alternate notes per pad, pitch bend on the fly, warp arpeggiator, loop control functions, and much more. Two programmable inputs used for control, or hi-hat & bass drum pedals. Plus, there are ongoing software upgrades, which means the panKAT you buy today might not be the one you have next month.

The list price for the panKAT is $2,700.00 US. For more information, visit the official Alternate Mode website, mon.