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Aspiring Deluge owner questions : Vocoder ? Auto-Tune ? Auto-Sample ? Advanced sample navigation ?

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jayneuraljayneural ParisPosts: 4
edited January 2022 in Deluge Help

Hi to the community, I'm not yet user of the Deluge but I'm seriously looking into buying it and this is the reason I decided to join the forums. Already tested Akai MPC, 1010music Blackbox, NI M+, Roland MV-1 and TE OP-1/Z (yes I'm a fan of groove boxes).

Before taking my decision, I that I have a few questions :

1. Does it have a Vocoder ? I don't see it on the specs or reviews, but I've learned you can use the input as OSC modulation source and then modulate it with note input. Is there a trick to actually emulate a Vocoder effect with that ?

2. Does it have Auto-Tune ? Same here, I don't see it listed on the features list or reviews, but I notice there is key/scale quantization and pitch detection/shifting for the samples, so I was wondering if there is also a trick to emulate auto-tune type effect from the input, or if Synthstom has any plans to make use of the existing quantization and pitch detection algorithms in order to bring this feature. That would be crazy

3. Does-it Auto-Sample ? I do see we have support for multi-sample presets through .WAV file folders. But... Can the unit create multi-samples itself ? (auto-sample feature such as what we can see on the MPC, Blackbox as well as just announced to be coming on the Maschine+)

4. How is user sample library navigation ? Tried to decrypt a bit through the manual and videos on the Internet but I wonder how deep we can go into a user samples folder structure and if we can search samples (by using the pad grid as querty keyboard). Also, does this accept large sdcards such as the 1TB one I'm using with my Blackbox ?

I think you got it, these are not only questions but also wishes at the same time in case the feature doesn't exist yet.

I'm especially interested in vocal processing features as you can see because I believe that most genres of music (including electronic) need at least a bit of vocals as it makes music sound more alive and I realize the Deluge is not focused on a specific genre of music anyway.

I see that the input is a stereo jack but I guess we can easily connect a splitter and connect a dynamic microphone or use the internal microphone. A similar accessory to what Arturia did on the Microfreak. Here it would be a gooseneck mic that would also provide access to the 2nd input mono input.

Thank you for your inputs, looking forward to discover the community and soon the Deluge itself if I do jump on board.

Post edited by jayneural on

Comments

  • 2
    HeptagenHeptagen Posts: 277
    edited January 2022

    Hey, I hope I can help :)
    1. There's no vocoder. The osc trick is nice but it works different to a vocoder: It just puts out what you put in, but pitched. Note C3 is the base note, so the unaltered input gets put out. If you hold C3 E3 and G3, what you put in will be tuned to a major chord. But keep in mind that you have to have very stable pitch, because
    2. it doesn't have autotune. No plans in that regard are known. The pitch detection feedback doesn't alter the sample content in a way autotune would, it just repitches the whole sample to make it match the normal pitches used in western music.
    3. No auto-sample. I guess you could manually create a bunch of samples, move them into one folder and then make a multisample instrument out of it, but it is far from autosampling and you'd need a computer for moving the files anyway.
    4. There's no limit (that I know of) for depth of folder structure. You can search for samples by typing on the keyboard, but only in the current folder you're in, not the ones deeper down. As far as I know it does accept big SD cards, but I think the performance of scrolling through the files and folders might be a bit slower - I could be wrong though, I haven't tested that.

    I'll be upfront: The deluge is not a good choice for vocal processing, unfortunately. Besides the points already mentioned, it doesn't have a traditional compressor/limiter and eq. I tried some vocal stuff, but the vocals pretty much go through the deluge unaltered. If I were to make a serious song on it, I'd process the vocals on the computer.

    The inputs can easily be split the way you describe it: when choosing the input source, you can select between left, right and stereo.

    If you've already tried the MPC (One? Live?), what were you missing that you hope to find in the deluge? If it is what I think it is, maybe the akai force would be the better choice for you? I think it has pretty much everything you're asking for. ;) (-> example of vocal processing on force)

    Post edited by Heptagen on
    Ian_Jorgensen
  • 0
    jayneuraljayneural ParisPosts: 4
    edited January 2022

    Many thanks for your very clear answers Heptagen.

    Regarding vocal processing, I hope Synthstrom will consider adding some features, I think they aren’t too far from a vocoder thing, auto-tune would be fun too. No idea how hard it is to code but for sure it looks like they’ve got a very good dev team so I keep hopes ;)

    I do still have the MPC, it’s the Live II which I chose because of its battery and speaker. I love it, however it’s way too big for me to take it with me on travel. That’s one of the reasons I’m interested in the Deluge. The other reason being the very clever UI and the arrangement/song mode that not many groove boxes seem to have nailed as of now.

    Btw, was also wondering two other things :

    1. I understand this has Fx at the sample, track and song level. Do the song level FX allow a bit of mastering right from the unit ? Can we cumulate a compressor, saturation, EQ at the master song level ?

    2. Is there separate stems export per track ?

    Thanks.

    Post edited by jayneural on
  • 1
    HeptagenHeptagen Posts: 277

    I am hoping for vocal fx too :) But I don't hold my breath. By the way synthstrom said that new users should only buy the deluge for what it is now not for what they hope it will be in the future and I think thats the best way to live with it.
    Their dev team is literally just the one dude who came up with the whole thing (Rohan Hill).

    Okay yeah in terms of portability you can't beat the deluge, not even a laptop can (if you also consider usability on your lap). Oh you should know that the lit pads are hard to see in sunlight.

    1. You have a LPF and HPF as well as high shelf eq and low shelf eq for samples, clips, synths and on master level. So it is a bit restricted. I take it as a challenge to try to get the best result I can with the limited tools available. Not only is that very good training but it also makes me think in ways I otherwise wouldn't (-> creative limitation). All in all I'd say the tools on the deluge can bring you about 80% of the way a normal mixdown can. Mastering is not possible on the deluge (though my professor once said that a perfect mix makes mastering unneccessary, so there's that. :wink: )
    2. There's no real stem export. The usual workaround is to single each track and resample it / record it through the outputs. If you want to use the sidechain you have to remember to also activate the track triggering the sidechain, but turning the samples volume all the way down.
      (Stem export is way up there on my wishlist, because all the little things and fx I am missing can be done with my computer. This would make switching from creative mode on the deluge to working mode on the computer way easier.)
  • 0
    jayneuraljayneural ParisPosts: 4
    edited January 2022

    Thanks, yes I know that rule of buying based only on the existing features, but I always tend to have hopes and expectations post-purchase ;) That’s why I ask questions and make my requests even before buying this time.

    I’m not that surprised of the “one developer” team. Kinda similar to the 1010music team. It’s crazy what a good developer can pull-out when passionate and focused on a product. Sometimes way more than big Corps.

    Yes stem export would be a must. Even if it had to be multi-pass because of CPU limitations, it would at least avoid us the hassle of resampling tracks one by one.

    Post edited by jayneural on
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