Roland just released a weird little riff on an acoustic handpan
Synthesizer giant Roland just announced a fairly bizarre contraption. The Mood Pan is the company's digital take on an acoustic handpan. For the uninitiated, a handpan is a version of the steelpan instrument that's been popular in Trinidad and Tobago since the 1930s. It's widely considered to be the only truly new acoustic instrument invented in the 20th century. However, handpans and steelpans take serious skill to play. Roland's Mood Pan is much easier to play, thanks to clearly visible pads