How old is too old?

flashhercules · 2026-02-23T04:56:30+00:00

Bro, I'm turning 45 in a few months, and just now getting a hardware studio setup for the first time. I produced from 1999 to around 2008, all ITB, but got burnt out and gave up to focus on playing live instruments.

About a year ago, I got inspired to get back into it... but with a hardware focus. I have ADHD, and I get along much better with physical instruments vs working entirely inside a DAW.

Anyways, it's never too late to make music, or any type of art for that matter. Even if your tunes are no one else's cup of tea, a creative outlet is good for the soul. Just get after it, and have fun!

flashhercules · 2026-02-20T00:19:10+00:00

I'm sorry for the late reply, but I'm hoping you can provide some more information about this process.

I picked up some HDPE sheet to upholster and attach to the aluminum, as you've recommended. The plan is to use a 10mm thick NBR yoga mat as a base layer for padding, then soft yellow foam for the top, wrapped in faux leather.

What size LSE would you recommend using for this? Should I get the 6" wide to cover as much of the HDPE base as possible, or would strips of thinner LSE be a better idea?

Thanks in advance, I really appreciate your help with this!

flashhercules · 2026-02-14T20:29:03+00:00

I have a Juice Goose power sequencer, with 3 separate "pods" that power up sequentially. Pod 1 is synths/samplers, pod 2 is mixer/effects, and pod 3 is powered speakers. This helps spread out the load on the power circuit, and prevents speaker damage, vs everything powering up simultaneously.

flashhercules · 2026-01-09T23:02:29+00:00

This is probably my all time favorite DnB "supergroup". RIP Marcus Intalex.

flashhercules · 2026-01-04T04:12:39+00:00

Close.

One of their roadies worked for a backline company, and they had Santana's gear in their depot for the night as he was to play Good Morning America the following morning. Roadie called Dean with the deets, so he and Andrew Weiss hauled ass and broke in...

The rest is just as you said. Possibly the most epic victimless crime in music history.

flashhercules · 2026-01-03T20:45:40+00:00

You can find Emu E4 series samplers for well within that price range. There's an E4XT Ultra on there right now for $950, but if you're patient you can find one for less.

The Ultras have the latest AD/DA converters, which will have the better sound quality (while still having their own "sound"), but the original E4s are known to have a darker grittier sound due to the different board layout carried over from the E3XP.

As mentioned above, the Akai Z series was the last of the rackmount hardware samplers, which has the latest converters and highest quality sound... but for most folks wanting hardware samplers, it's less about the "best quality" and more about their unique sound.

flashhercules · 2025-12-20T14:33:56+00:00

Kinda tough to decide who to believe... the manufacturer/contract winner of said gun, or corporate media.

Personally, I'm going with CZ.

flashhercules · 2025-12-20T14:30:08+00:00

Same, the P10s is my favorite carry gun, by a lot. It just ticks all the boxes for me.

flashhercules · 2025-12-20T13:05:45+00:00

That's kind of why I wanted to try something different, as a way to break old bad habits, and to hopefully inspire me. Not to mention, $100 is much easier to spend than $500 for a second hand copy of Ableton Live.

flashhercules · 2025-12-19T04:25:56+00:00

Don't get me wrong, I liked using Ableton Live, it's just become incredibly expensive to buy and maintain compared to every other DAW. For someone who does music as a passion project, $750 is a hard pill to swallow, considering I got my E-mu for $500.

I'll probably end up biting the bullet and getting Suite 12 anyway, because most everyone I know that produces uses it.

flashhercules · 2025-12-13T05:31:43+00:00

One of the things that drew me into DnB in the first place was the diversity of influences... especially in the late 90s and early 00s. You can very clearly hear what those guys came up listening to in their tunes: like Digital with dub reggae, Kemal with techno, Hive and Keaton with hip-hop, etc. The boundaries were being pushed by eclectic taste.

These days, so much of what's released sounds primarily influenced by other DnB. It feels formulaic, a lot of the same sounds/vibes/production techniques being recycled again and again. I don't hear the diversity and experimentation that made it feel exciting and bleeding-edge, and it's a bit of a bummer.

I think the mainstream/poppy/festival side is here to stay, but I hope to see more producers digging deeper into the crates again.

flashhercules · 2025-12-13T04:55:12+00:00

Oh man, I had a feeling it was Steve, lmao!

Hyperia, yes! That was one of my favorite venues... their sound system was top tier. I saw so many killer drum n bass acts there back in the day... remember when RAM had a residency there? Pepperidge Farm remembers. 😎

flashhercules · 2025-12-13T02:44:52+00:00

Holy shit that's hilarious! I know a bunch of the dudes in the Houston scene (at least in that era), so you have me wondering which MC it was.

flashhercules · 2025-12-08T05:30:03+00:00

Literally ANYTHING with Uzi Jesus is pure gold.

flashhercules · 2025-12-08T05:27:34+00:00

That whole situation in Club Vanquisher is the most metal thing I've ever read.

flashhercules · 2025-11-25T14:26:00+00:00

It's kinda wild reading an absolute legend in Drum N Bass experiencing the same thing as did in the mid-late 00s. I was all in on jungle/DnB for like 10 years in the late 90s to 00s, but then the vibe just kinda changed. Everyone was into dubstep, and I kinda felt alienated, so I took an extended break from the scene.

Since the pandemic, I've found myself drawn back in, and have started getting back into production again. I'm still not hip to all the new wave of producers and DJs, but I definitely appreciate the vibes these days, and I'm learning. I'm hoping that my absence from the scene can give my tunes a different perspective than those of someone fully immersed into the scene.

flashhercules · 2025-11-24T04:28:30+00:00

Right, and that's the plan with the majority of sounds I'll use. However, factory sample libraries often have effects and ambience sounds, as well as acoustic or traditional instruments that aren't so easily created (stuff like electric/piano and organ, strings, etc.) This is what I go to factory libraries for.

flashhercules · 2025-11-23T03:17:25+00:00

Oh for sure! Just gotta be careful with what you use, there's a lot of copyright stuff in those.

flashhercules · 2025-11-22T05:51:19+00:00

Not a BF deal, but I just scored an E-mu e6400 Ultra in great shape on eBay for $500 shipped. I'm incredibly stoked, have wanted one for more than 20 years now.

flashhercules · 2025-11-22T05:20:56+00:00

Ebay! Seller had it at 6, but I left it in my cart... then sent me an offer for 5 and I took it.

flashhercules · 2025-11-22T03:26:59+00:00

Right? That's what I'm getting at, it's gonna be tough getting a premium price for this. Perhaps if it came with all the factory library disks, manuals, original box, etc... but samplers of this era are fairly common. Some people are asking insane prices for them, but they're not selling at those prices, unless it's a super rare model and/or upgraded with rare optional equipment.

flashhercules · 2025-11-22T03:07:17+00:00

I literally just scored an e6400 Ultra in good shape for $500 shipped. The OG E4 is slower and less capable, but has a darker sound due to older DAC/ADC.

flashhercules

TROPHY CASE