Suggestion for audio shield/alternative board for percussion musical instrument

I'll check it out the board.

Fine, you do know it is a DSP not a generator so it will not synthesise sounds. Then it will only process them one sound at a time so are you going to have 32 of them?

I am looking for a standalone solution rather than the ability to connect to an external MIDI module or computer so that the instrument would be self contained with all sounds stored on board.

I think you are missing the point. What ever you do you will have to build into your instrument a sound generating board. It can be quick and easy like MIDI or is can be difficult and expensive, like anything else. At the end of the day either way you end up with a box that sound comes out of.