To understand the nexus, you have to go back to B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast) by Rick Ross. Lex Luger used a tight, almost metallic 808 that had no tail. That was the proto-Nexus. When 808 Mafia split from Luger, Southside took that aggression and ran it through a digital meat grinder.
The music production scene is constantly evolving, with new artists and producers pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation. 808 Mafia and their latest creation, Piccolo Nexus, are at the forefront of this movement, providing producers with the tools and inspiration they need to create something new and exciting. If you're looking to stay ahead of the curve and create music that's truly innovative, then Piccolo Nexus is an essential tool for your toolkit.
: It is a high-pitched, piercing woodwind-style lead (mimicking a piccolo flute) with a sharp attack. Mixing Tip
Nexus presets are designed to be "ready to go out of the box," though producers often apply heavy EQ to prevent them from overpowering other elements in a mix. 808 Mafia’s Influence
This distinct, piercing whistle helped sound designers and producers like Southside, TM88, and Pyrex Whippa craft the eerie, cinematic, and high-energy atmospheres that dominated the Billboard charts. What is the "Piccolo" Preset in reFX Nexus? 808 mafia piccolo nexus
Use a distorted, long-decay 808 (like the Spinz or Metro Boomin 808) to anchor the low end.
You need a Piccolo sample. Do not use a standard Zay 808. Find a "Spinz 808" pitched up +3 semitones, or a "Tris 808" layered with a kick drum that has a click at 4kHz. The sample should last less than 400ms.
In the modern landscape of hip-hop production, few sounds are as instantly recognizable as the dark, atmospheric, and aggressive textures created by 808 Mafia. Founded by Lex Luger and Southside, this production collective revolutionized trap music, bringing a cinematic, orchestral, and often distorted vibe to the forefront.
In the world of trap production, the sound is a legendary reference to the dark, orchestral, and atmospheric style popularized by the production collective 808 Mafia (founded by producers like Southside and Lex Luger ). Specifically, this often refers to a particular flute or piccolo-like preset found in reFX Nexus that has become a staple for creating their signature "dark" melodies. The "Piccolo" Sound in Nexus To understand the nexus, you have to go back to B
As Southside once tweeted (now deleted): "If you can't feel the nexus in your chest, delete the track."
Cut out the low-end frequencies entirely (everything below 200Hz) to leave room for your 808s and kick. If the top end is too harsh or piercing, use a dynamic EQ to tame the frequencies between 4kHz and 6kHz.
To train your ears, listen to these tracks with studio monitors or subwoofers. Note how the Piccolo Nexus operates differently in each:
is renowned for being a "ROMpler"—a ROM-based sampler that provides an enormous library of high-quality sounds that are relatively light on CPU. For 808 Mafia-style production, this workflow is ideal. That was the proto-Nexus
To understand the weight of the name "808 Mafia," you have to go back to the early 2010s in Atlanta, Georgia, when a seismic shift was happening in hip-hop. In 2010, rapper Waka Flocka Flame envisioned creating a production team composed of his most frequent collaborators . The result was a formalized collective of beatmakers who would define the aggressive, synth-heavy sound of trap music for the next decade. The group's name pays homage to the legendary Roland TR-808 drum machine, the source of the deep, booming kick drums and iconic bass tones that form the backbone of their sound .
Minor keys, dissonant notes, and eerie soundscapes. Orchestral Hits: Brass, strings, and church bells. Sub-bass: Heavily distorted 808s that drive the track.
: Because the sound has high resonance in the mid-high range, producers often EQ out harsh frequencies to prevent it from "clashing" with heavy 808 basslines.