MPrinsen

Is it possible to have a cloned track using the exact same synth? So when you tweak the filter on track 1, this also affect track 2?

Because now stuff like cutoff is track specific and can be totally different.

Since the 2.0 update, midi control has been vastly improved!! Thanks for that. There is only one thing that would make it even better imo:

When deluge receives midi note data from a controller that is not assigned to any of the tracks, it should play the currently selected track (at least in track view).

This would make it so much easier to use one keyboard to record multiple instruments one after the other.

Just select the track, hit record, hit record again, select the next track, hit record, etc.

Really useful for live performances when you'd like to loop record and overdub live.

Obviously, when a controller is linked to a specific track, it is "locked" and should only and always play that track (untill it is unlinked again), just like how it works now.

There are some other threads about this topic, but they all cover a slightly different or smaller subject, so I decided to post a new topic with exactly how I think would be the perfect midi implementation.

Global midi control
The most important thing (for me) would be: any incoming midi notes (+ velocity/aftertouch/pitchbend) which are NOT linked to a specific track, should automatically control the selected track. This makes it much easier to use one midi keyboard to play/record notes of multiple tracks one after the other.
Currently you have to link a keyboard to a specific track, then play/record notes, and then remove the link and link it to another track to play/record the notes for that track, etc. Or you have to link the same keyboard with multiple channel to multiple tracks and switch the midi channel on the keyboard every time, but this limits you to 16 tracks/instruments and also is a hassle to do.
I am actually a little surprised this is not working this way already, since most sequencers and almost every DAW that I know handle imcoming midi notes like this.

Different types of linking controllers
Then I propose a separation of various types of assignments of midi controllers:

• Song specific "static" assignment: this is how it works now, which creates a link between a hardware controller and a specific parameter or the notes of a specific track. The assigned notes/pads/knobs/faders will always control the same notes/parameters of the specific track, no matter which track you have selected.

• "Generic" control assignment: this lets you set a generic link between a hardware controller and a specific type of instrument/midi output channel. It will only work when a track is selected of the same type of instrument or midi output channel. This way, you can set a link once, but then use it to control various tracks with the same instrument. For example: when set to the cutoff frequency of a track with an internal synth, it will control the cutoff frequency of the selected track, when this track contains the Deluge synth. When you select another track of another Deluge synth, the the same knob will now control the cutoff of thát synth.
  This should also work on midi channels, where the output channel is the same. This way, you can set the same knob of a midi controller to both the cutoff of the internal synth AND the cutoff of a multiple hardware synths. Then the same knob will always control the cutoff of the selected synth, no matter whether this is the internal synth or a hardware synth.
  This would allow you to setup a midi controller like BCR2000 to be a dedicated Deluge synth controller, with all parameters linked to a knob. Then you just select a synth track, and use the BCR2000 to program your patch.

Synth control: recording/looping hardware knob/fader movement
For midi tracks controlling hardware synths, it would be nice to have a setting called something like "Synth Control", so the hardware synth also controls the midi track.
This would automatically map the note data of the same incoming midi channel as the output midi channel set in the track (so it is like a 'static' assignment), but also let you record any incoming midi CC data coming from the same midi channel as the output channel number. The recordings will be stored in the track and will then also be sent back to the hardware synth when played back. This allows you to record the "motion" of a synth and then loop this, without first having to assign a control of the hardware synth to a knob on the Deluge and then assign the knob of the Deluge to a parameter of the hardware synth.
This would greatly improve recording automation on the fly/during a performance. Just when you think: lets record the sweeping of that knob, you just hit the record-buttong, and it records the CC data and then just loops it by sending it back.

Let me know what you guys think of the above suggestions and please add your own ideas

It would be nice if there was a snapshot feature that "sets" all parameters and mute states to the current value, so you can then tweak all knobs and go wild during a performance and then with the press of 1 button everything goes back to "normal" (the snapshot).

This should also work for external synths etc. So when you set a snapshot and after that send midi cc to an external synth (or tweak the synth's own knob) the deluge should first remever the initial value and add this to the snapshot, so it can go back to that value when you reload the snapshot.

A similar feature is on the Maschine Jam and MK3 btw.

For synths and drum machines with a keybed or pads to trigger its own sound(s), you can assign their keybed/pads to the Deluge midi track and record & loop by playing their own keys/pads.

This works nice, but there is 1 problem: the Deluge sends the incoming signal immediately back to the synth/drum machine. This means, every key/pad you press will trigger its note twice (with a very time between them).
For pads/leads etc you won't really notice this, but for short/percussive sounds, you will.
Now some synths have a feature to disconnect its own keybed/pads to the internal sound engine ("Local Off", or similar), so every note will only be triggered once by the Deluge. But not all of them have this feature.

My suggestion: an option to activate "anti echo", in the settings of a midi track. With this setting activated, received notes (midi in) on this midi track are not transmitted to midi out, but they still can be recorded.

When you set a note's velocity in the piano roll, Deluge should remember the value and set this as the value for the next notes.
Also: if you press and hold an already placed note, it should show its velocity and then adopt this value for the next notes.

This allows you to set the velocity only once for multiple notes (and maybe add a little variation later). This would save a lot of time.

I think this feature would be really easy to implement and is also similar to the workflow of most DAWs and other sequencers, so almost everybody should be immediately familiar with it.

I think I didn't make myself clear.

Let me rewrite my question with an example:

1) I create a synth track and add some notes.
2) I clone this track
3) I start playback in song mode
4) I hold one of the pads of the 1st track and tweak the cutoff from 100% to 50%
5) I press the launch pad of the 2nd track, so it starts playing after the 1st track is finished
6) Now the synth cutoff is back at 100%!
7) Now I press the launch pad of the 1st track again, so it starts playing after the 2nd track is finished
8) Now the cutoff is back at 50%

Conclusion: the cutoff is determined by the track, not the synth.

Please note: I did NOT record the automation.

For some reason, it appears each track has its own synth, or at least its own values for some of the parameters (like cutoff and resonance).

I did notice though, that when I change some of the deeper parameters, these DO affect the synth on both tracks.

With the new AKAI Pro Force, I think this would be an even more important feature for the Deluge in order to not lose potential buyers.

Tbh, if the Force was there before I bought the Deluge, I would probably buy the Force, purely because of it using the full grid to launch clips.
Also, it seems to allow for multiple launch modes (instant, oneshot, synced to beat/bar etc), which in my opinion is also pretty important and basic features for a sequencer/groovebox made for live jamming.

I still have hope for the Deluge to implement these features in a future update though. Has Rohan made any comments on this yet?

+1

I’d like to have pgm change receive option for integrating DAW projects with it as well. So when I open up a DAW project, it will send a pgm change to the Deluge, which in turn will send pgm changes to all my external gear upon loaded. This will make total recall much more easily.

I was just about to create a new topic to suggest this.

I would have called it "Track launch view", not to replace the current song mode, but to add an alternative view mode.

I am not familiar with Ableton, but with FL Studio and they also have a comparable view in the playlist when in Performance mode.

It would be nice to be able to zoom in/out, so you can make kind of a hybrid of the current song view and the suggested new mode. With this function you can make the width of every track for example 2 or 4 pads and you see the pads blinking for left to right like a cursor when that track is playing.

It would be nice if you could freely assign where you want each track, so everybody is happy (x/y discussion).
As a default, I would place every instrument (sound/kit/midi/cv channel) on the X axis and every different pattern on the Y axis, as you usually don't make that many patterns. And even if you do, you can just scroll down to see those patterns, but you still want to see all other instruments. Also, when scrolling down, only the instruments with more than 8 patterns should scroll down, the rest stays there. On this way, you keep as many tracks/patterns in the same view.