MikeyB59

Setting up external keyboard
Setting up external controllers

These videos explained most of what I needed to know. So, it's not a USB midi issue, but a "how Deluge works" issue. In order to get a track to respond to an external keyboard, "learn + audition pads" links external keyboard or Ableton or whatever to track. Has to be reassigned each time you want to control a track. There's no universal, "record to whatever track I'm on" function. Similarly with parameter automation, only a little trickier. You have to "shift + whatever parameter you want to control specified on the grid labels," which causes pad to blink, then "learn + blinking pad with parameter you want to control".

Not an entirely intuitive process, but there it is. On to the next thing to learn here.