This post somehow involved AI. It could have been copyediting, creating an image, or penning the whole thing in unsupervised fashion. As you know, interesting things may happen. Just like in real life. You have been warned.
Diving into DeepMEE was like stepping into a sonic fog—crafting ambient/dub techno with nothing but hardware, locked into the moody key of F# minor and tempos between 113 and 126 BPM. Inspired by the likes of Yagya, Monolake, DeepChord, and Fluxion, this project was about proving a concept: could a hardware-only setup deliver the warm, dubby textures I love through live jams and recordings? Spoiler: it did, with a few surprises along the way.
Crafting the Sound
Building the sound for DeepMEE felt like sculpting with familiar tools. I leaned heavily on gear like the Access Virus B for deep basslines and sharp stabs, the Behringer DeepMind for lush, evolving pads, and the Elektron Analog Rytm for crisp, dubby percussion. The process was surprisingly smooth, largely because the gear was chosen with care early on. Instead of designing patches from scratch, I tweaked factory presets—Virus B’s A125 for bass, DeepMind’s B84 for pads—which saved time and nailed the vibe. It wasn’t about perfection but proving the setup could deliver that warm, atmospheric techno sound.
That said, not everything clicked perfectly. The Eventide Eclipse, my go-to for effects, didn’t quite deliver the massive reverb and delay washes I wanted for seamless transitions. An H8000 or H9000 might’ve handled that better, but the Eclipse still brought enough depth to keep the dub techno aesthetic alive. This was a proof of concept, not a polished album, so I embraced the imperfections as part of the journey.
Performing Live
Performing with DeepMEE was like remixing a live set on the fly. The 36-minute miniset I recorded for YouTube was a highlight, blending sequences with different tempos and textures. Transitions worked, but they took longer than I’d like without a detailed, rehearsed plan. The Akai MPC One drove the sequences, while the Analog Rytm’s scenes added variety—like a “Hardsound” scene with punchy kicks and snares or a sparse one with dialed-back hi-hats. Next time, I’d pre-plan patch changes and track structures more to streamline the flow, especially since dub techno thrives on reworking familiar elements rather than spontaneous composition.
Compared to past setups, DeepMEE was its own beast. I’ve played everything from solo piano to chaotic 208HP modular rigs and even trombone with real-time loop processing. This setup was less intuitive than sitting at a piano, where every note is at your fingertips, but it felt more manageable than, say, coding an algorave (not that I’ve tried). The hardware gave me tactile control, but the MPC’s limitations—like its looper only outputting to channels 1 and 2—meant I had to think ahead more than I expected.
Creative Spark
The hardware-only approach was a double-edged sword: it sparked creativity by forcing me to work within constraints, but it also threw up roadblocks. The setup let sounds evolve naturally, with happy accidents popping up in jams. Monolake’s influence shone through in the way I played with tempo shifts and moved from sparse field-recording-like textures to dense, minimal beats. Fluxion’s non-four-on-the-floor rhythms were a bigger inspiration, pushing me to craft techno that felt alive without leaning on a standard kick drum pulse. Yagya’s moody warmth was a touchstone, but Monolake and Fluxion shaped the performances most.
Still, the MPC’s software—version 3+—was a bit of a buzzkill. Its rigid track structure hindered my flow, and the looper’s output limitation felt like an unnecessary hurdle for such a flexible machine. These quirks forced me to adapt, which sometimes led to creative solutions but often just slowed me down. Despite that, the setup’s constraints pushed me to focus on the music’s core, letting the gear’s character shine through.
Hurdles and Wins
- AI Brainmelt: The biggest headache wasn’t the gear—it was working with AI. Early on, its limited context window caused what I call “brainmelt,” derailing documentation and costing me a day’s work—twice. Sorting out mitigation strategies ate up time, but it taught me how to structure AI interactions better. I’d say the AI owes me a coffee for that!
- Stereo-to-Mono Mishap: During the miniset recording, I botched the audio setup—three mistakes in a row—and lost the right channel. At first, I was gutted, thinking I’d ruined half the mix. But listening back, the mono result sounded raw and authentic, maybe even truer to dub techno’s gritty roots than my usual stereo obsession. It was a happy accident that reframed how I think about mixing for this genre.
- Gear Wins: Hardware issues, like bass gain problems or tempo glitches with the Eclipse, were manageable. Years of experience and a solid gear collection—Virus, DeepMind, BiG SiX—helped me troubleshoot quickly, keeping the focus on the music.
Personal Takeaways
DeepMEE was as much about the music as it was about learning to work with AI. Navigating its quirks—like the brainmelt chaos—taught me how to structure tasks and manage expectations in a tech-heavy creative process. The setup itself delivered the moody, dubby techno I love, with Monolake’s dynamic shifts and Fluxion’s subtle rhythms woven into my own style. The mono mishap was a reminder that sometimes mistakes lead to better art. This project met its goal: proving a hardware-only setup could capture the ambient/dub techno vibe while being fun to perform. It wasn’t perfect, but it didn’t need to be.
Looking Ahead
DeepMEE proved that a hardware-only setup can deliver soulful dub techno with room for growth. I’m excited to revisit this setup for future projects—maybe a full album—keeping the F# minor heart and dubby textures intact. The process showed me what’s possible when you lean into limitations, and I’m already dreaming up ways to refine the live workflow for even smoother jams.