Tonehammer has introduced Laundronium, a virtual instrument for Native Instruments Kontakt based on sounds sampled from a washing machine:

The idea of the washing machine as a piece of musical equipment, while not unheard of, has been fairly limited in its scope. Generally you’ll see the white cube playing a rudimentary spin cycle beat behind a mediocre guitarist who is only vaguely aware of the naturally occurring music which is constantly present in our modern human environment. The washing machine will play this beat dutifully, knowing that it isn’t respected for musical talent like its ancestor the washboard.

We spend so much less time with the modern washing machine, than the folks of previous generations did with the washboard, that we’ve become coldly detached from it. The washing machine happily does all the work, never complaining, and still we complain about laundry day. If we just took a little time to talk to our washing machines we may find out that they are quite into music. And not just Zydeco, either. As it happens, the washing machine is as far beyond the washboard in musical capabilities as it is in laundering talent.

Tonehammer has built a reputation for creating unique virtual instruments, and Laundronium is no exception.

Give the demo and walk-through audio files a listen and let us know what you think of Laundronium!

Features:

47 kontakt .nki files (open format).

1045 samples.

1.22 GB installed.

44.1 kHz stereo PCM wav format (24 bit).

Custom Convolution Reverb Impulses.

Bowed and Plucked, stringed articulations.

Finger and Mallet Tuned and Untuned Percussion Articulations.

Powerful Custom Performance, legato, FX, and arpeggiator controls.

Laundronium is $35, but is available through June 5th for US $29.