Record producer and sound designer Nicholas Piantedosi, known as Decap, has quietly shaped the soundscape of modern music over the past decade. His influential ‘Drums That Knock’ sample pack series, launched in 2016, has reached its 11th installment, leaving a massive footprint on tracks across multiple genres and earning high praise from peer producers like Kenny Beats.
In a recent interview, Decap opens up about his workflow, relying on Ableton Live alongside his vintage 1998 Boss SP-202 sampler. He addresses common audio challenges, such as mixing heavy bass for phone speakers, and speaks out against gear gatekeeping in the production community, insisting that great music can be made with minimal equipment as long as the creator has vision.
- Decap is the mastermind behind the widely used ‘Drums That Knock’ sample series.
- He balances modern digital tools like Ableton Live with vintage hardware gear.
- He highlights the challenge of making low-end frequencies translate well onto phone speakers.
- He strongly opposes industry gatekeeping, arguing that gear limitations don’t define talent.
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