Deluge vs MPC live

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

i know some vs. threads are questionable and I know the MPC was already compared to the OT, but this one is really interesting for me.
After 5 years of using the OT, I somehow like to try another “do most of it in one box” device :wink:

They seem to have a lot of things in common:

  • both can sequence other gear
  • both are sampler
  • both have built in synths
  • both have built in effects
  • both have a song mode
  • both have a looper
  • both are portable battery powered standalone devices

Although I know that this is highly subjective, I’m asking myself which of the two would be the more immediate sketch pad, song creation machine.

I tried the mpc live in a store, the pads felt very good, the touchpad very responsive (didn’t expect it to work so well, even with the piano roll) and the menues seem easy to understand and navigate.
From what I read, there are many more effetcs (maybe even too many), and they seem to be high quality.
Never tried the deluge, but here are some thoughts I have at the moment.

  • Sequencing: MPC pads are cool for fingerdrumming and playing sample slices. But I think I’d prefer the grid layout of the deluge for sequencing melodies. I like grid sequencers with built in scales.
  • portability: Deluge is smaller and lighter
  • Screen: on the first look the MPC seems easier to navigate cause of the nice touch screen. But maybe the deluge is more immediate due to clever shortcuts. Since I’m looking at the computer screen all day, I like the idea of a grid only system without screen.
  • Finishing tracks. I guess the MPC is much better here? You can open your project on the MPC software, finish it there or bounce single tracks to switch to your DAW of choice. The deluge has no multitrack audio over USB yet right? There is hope that they implement it in a future update, they seem to develop this thing constantly further.

Difficult choice :slight_smile: Both seem to be very capable standalone machines. I somehow tend to the deluge, because I wouldn’t look at a screen all the time and because it looks more portable/convenient to carry.

pro MPC: Pads, Sound quality, easier transfer to a DAW

Any comments of people who used both, is highly welcome. Thanks

EDIT: . how well do they both handle time stretching? regarding sound quality…

#2

Just a quick note: Akai added ALS export, meaning exporting your MPC project in Ableton became easier. Full disclosure: I haven’t tested this feature yet.

Apart from that, I own the MPC Live and haven’t tested the Deluge, but I’m still interested in the comparison since I asked myself the same questions a while ago :slight_smile:

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#3

I own both but tbh I’m a novice with all gear as new to this. That being said deluge is on the shelf waiting to be sold and MPC is on the desk. I wanted to love the deluge but the sample handling with the display drove me nuts. Also I could get started so quick but just as quickly got bored with the deluge, probably more a me thing. I love the company though and there continuing improvements are impressive. I don’t think you can go wrong with either.

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#4

I owned a MPC live, but I couldn’t get into it. The workflow of creating sequences on a touchscreen was not for me. I didn’t like the grid view. The pads o.t.o.h. were fantastic, if you like finger drumming.

Since a week I own a Deluge. A lot smaller, lighter. The 148 pads gives me good control, and because of the colors used a good overview of what’s going on. The support in really very good, responsive and helpfull , direct from the developers.

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#5

The Deluge is a device to ‘discover’, it is difficult to compare it to something like the MPC or a Octatrack. It must find its own place between the ‘big’ brothers.

Like (so far) :

  • It’s small and very portable, about 6 hours on battery
  • easy to get into
  • (personal) support from the developers
  • regular firmware updates (3.0 beta at this moment for test group)
  • arranger mode (song mode)
  • flexibility
  • the sequencer with great visuals
  • battery is easy to replace. (I already changed the battery for one with a bigger capacity, was about $3,-.)

Dislike :

  • lack of outputs, but for me no problem.
  • the LCD screen, oled would be better. But you get used to it.
  • FX could be better, a bit ‘middle of the road’ (Maybe buy a Zoia…)

More to come later…Hope it helps you a little.

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#6

thanks for your opinions so far

they would make a colorful partnership indeed :slightly_smiling_face:

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#7

I had the MPC and still have the Deluge and could talk for hours, but basically my experience is…

Standalone/Master usage: MPC > Deluge
Used with other gear/Slave : Deluge > MPC

The MPC really feels like a computer/iPad in my opinion, but a very capable device (very bad midi slave timing though)

The Deluge feels like a GRID instrument :wink:

Both are great though haha

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#8

hmm. I own Computer + ipad…
yeah it really looks like an ipad with pads. The touchscreen still felt pretty nice.
I guess finishing/mixing tracks in the device is where the MPC has the big advantages. More and probably better effects.

Deluge looks more interesting/inspiring on the first sight

#9

Nobody talks about akai the force…

#10

too huge for me :upside_down_face:

#11

I want to like the deluge so much, as it’s workflow seems to check most of the boxes I have- the dynamic way of putting a track together seems superb.

But the sound from it is really uninspiring from what I’ve heard.

I want to want the MPC but it really does look like an iPad and my love for that style of workflow is intermittent- mostly not though.

Given that you’re starting to get into iPad composition- I reckon you’re going to be leaning towards the MPC. It would probably be useful!

Let me know how you get along with whichever you get

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#12

Delugenauts sure enjoy electronauts :+1:

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#13

The Deluge will do loops of different lengths unlimited with the new firmware 3.0. I was looking at a Pigtronix infinty as not many loopers can do this. So if got one i’d be saving myself the cost of a Deluge almost.

#14

You can use the pads to step sequence on the MPC Live, so it’s not necessarily a touch screen affair only…but I agree, sequencing on a touch screen kind of sucks, at least when jamming live.

I’ve set up my setup to not have to do that. A Keystep goes into one of the USB Ins of my MPC Live. I play melodic and harmonic sequences on that and use the MPC as a Midi recorder. For rhythmic content, I just use the fabulous pads on the device.

I want to like the step sequencer, but being spoiled in this regard by the Elektron boxes, it doesn’t quite satisfy.

The effects on it are def too many, because they duplicate…there’s the legacy Akai plugins there and then you have a whole bunch of AiR plugins as well which sound much better than the Akai ones. But even if one limits oneself to only the AiR plugins, it’s still a lot of them.

4 plugin slots per program, no slots per track, four FX Returns with four insert slots respectively as well as Submixes which can hold up to four plugins as well. So if you want to go mad on fx, you could equip a Program with four Fx, send that to a submix equipped with four inserts, and send that on to a Return Track equipped with yet another four plugins…I believe you can even insert plugins on a per pad basis (in a Program), so there’s yet another layer of fx depth…aiaiaiai.

In terms of using the MPC as a sampler, it’s quite awesome. Sampling, trimming, chopping, processing a sample is fairly straight forward and especially when it comes to chopping, the touchscreen comes in mightily handy. I also love the Pad Tap function in the sampler, which allows me to slice my vocals onto paps in real time as I record them…so I can sing a line and immediately move on to flipping & finger drumming its parts/chops…noice.

The MPC Live’s been behaving so far as midi slave to my Octatrack, albeit the Play Start button doesn’t work/works weirdly in this setup, so I just trigger play for all gear from the Octatrack.

Automation works really well since firmware 2.6 and you can get creative with it, be that in production or on the fly.

Re Deluge, never used one but what I like about it is the grid, very immediate I’d say. If anything though I see the Deluge more in a live setup than a production setup…for production I would think the MPC is the better choice between the two.

Hope this helps.

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#15

I’ve had both. Came back to the Octatrack every time, tho.

The MPC and the Deluge are great, but they’re to me just different ways to approach something in a fundamentally traditional way, when it comes down to it.

The Octatrack does everything differently and as a consequence, takes you to those kind of places.

I hear great songs made on both the MPC and the Live. But the songs that stick, they come from Elektron’s eight track wonder.

Stick with it. Enjoy the fact that you got five years of skill on it. That’s worth more than any piece of new equipment out there.

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#16

for sure. I‘ll never sell it. It‘s my most used piece of equipment and I do all my livesets on it.

Just wanted to try something different.
and these two machines look very interesting

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#17

thanks, very insightful :slightly_smiling_face:

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#18

For me, akai mpc live was super efficiënt
I loved the songs i made (and i usually don’t)
But mpc didnt inspire me
Not like elektron does, elektron brings me to unknown territory

#19

yes, hmmm. the synth sounds seem to be a bit underwhelming. The sequencer seems to be to coolest part, but for that alone, it’s quite a lot of money.
With the MPC, it could be too close to IPAD experience. Don’t know. Maybe I should just really stick to goold ol’ OT :slight_smile:

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#20

For me personally. I love the mpc live as much as my octatracck.
Both very different, both flawed, although the mpc live is still under active development.
To compare the mpc to an iPad is strange to me. I hate using an iPad, but have completed many tracks on the mpc live since buying it. The mpc live is an instrument.
If you want to mangle audio and embrace happy accidents the octatracck rules.
If you want to record lots of external drums and synths and then chop up the audio and sequence it, the mpc live is unbeatable.
Deluge looks great , probably more of an all in one groove on than either of the other two, but that’s conjecture . But the mpc live is an amazing bit of kit

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