If you had the time or the drive to do so, you could while away the hours by drumming on the steering wheel of your car, or perhaps go the full mile, and bang on the whole vehicle and make a virtual instrument. Virtuasonic opted for the latter of the two ideas and has created Drums From A Car, a sample library for Native Instruments Kontakt featuring sounds derived from an experimental music and sound design project named Music from a Car.

For this sample library, Virtuasonic played a car as if it was a musical instrument, and then recorded each unique sound (in 24-bit, 96 kHz resolution) to make playable instruments and Multis for Kontakt. All of the sounds were created by patting on the windows, punching and slapping the bumper, rubbing parts made of fabric or plastic, giving fuel, playing rhythms on the wings and on the roof, and so forth.

Additional samples were recorded to complete the sample library, and Kontakt’s sound processing capabilities were also used to alter the original samples and create new drum sounds.

Each Kontakt instrument is available in at least in three versions: as part of a Kontakt Multi (original, altered, echo), EXT (mapped on a wider zone of the keyboard to extend its possibilities), and EXT Altered (processed using some Kontakt built-in FX).

Drums From A Car includes:

• 30 Instruments and 5 Multis for Kontakt
• Up to 5 dynamics and 12 round robins
• Pre-configured, customizable FX section
• 468 Samples (97 MB) in 24-bit, 96 kHz quality
• Formats: Kontakt 3.5 (and higher) / WAV

Until the end of June 2011, Drums From A Car will be available for Kontakt 3.5 or higher (full version required) for the introductory price of 16.95 EUR (approximately $24). The regular price is 19.95 EUR (approximately $29).

For more details on Drums From A Car, visit virtuasonic.com.