Despite its massive popularity, the Piccolo Nexus sound faced criticism. Because it was a preset, it led to a saturation of beats that sounded identical. The distinct reverb tail and specific timbre became so recognizable that listeners could instantly identify the plugin, leading to a lack of sonic variety in the mainstream for a few years.
However, the legacy of the 808 Mafia Piccolo Nexus is secure. It bridged the gap between the chaotic, noisy trap of the early 2010s and the melodic, cinematic trap that followed. It proved that you didn't need to be a sound design scientist to make hits; you just needed the right melody and the right preset.
Many younger producers are confused by the term "Nexus" in this context, assuming it refers to reFX Nexus (the rompler). It does not. However, there is an ironic crossover. In 2012-2014, 808 Mafia heavily used Nexus expansion packs (specifically "Dance Drums" and "Hollywood") for their synth leads and arps. 808 mafia piccolo nexus
The "Piccolo Nexus" was the marriage of the digital synth leads from Nexus with the 808 drums from their personal libraries. TM88 famously said in an interview, "I take a Nexus synth, pitch it down, put it behind a Piccolo 808, and that’s the vibe." Thus, the "Nexus" became shorthand for the melodic element trapped in the low-end.
In the world of modern hip-hop and trap production, few tools are as ubiquitous—or as instantly recognizable—as the Piccolo expansion for the NexusROM synthesizer, popularized by the production powerhouse 808 Mafia. Despite its massive popularity, the Piccolo Nexus sound
While Nexus is often criticized by purists for being a "preset machine," the Piccolo expansion single-handedly defined the sound of melodic trap music from roughly 2013 to 2018. For many producers, it wasn't just a plugin; it was the foundation of an entire era of beats.
Do not put a limiter on your master. Put a soft clipper on the master channel. Push the volume of the Piccolo Nexus into the red until the peak flattens out. This is how Southside gets that "waveform is a brick" sound. However, the legacy of the 808 Mafia Piccolo Nexus is secure
808 Mafia rarely uses clean bass. Insert a distortion plugin. The industry secret is Decapitator (Soundtoys) or CamelCrusher (free). Set the mix to 30%. You want the distortion to live in the 1kHz to 3kHz range—the "piccolo" register. If your bass sounds like a dying chainsaw, you are close.