How does the Synthstrom Deluge stack against similar devices in 2024?

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

I sold my OGDT a while ago after getting a Deluge and realising it had everything I wanted from a sampling groovebox including stereo sampling, sample kits, polyphony, sidechaining, song mode and more. I also found the OGDT track count very limiting while the Deluge had no restrictions. For my personal needs, the Deluge seemed to be the best of the sampling grooveboxes!

Now, with the release of DT2 the differences are much smaller. Apart from the lack of Polyphony it seems to fit all of my needs, but I guess I have external polys that I could sequence with the DT2 and then sample the loops.

I was wondering what other owners of the Deluge thought about the DT2 release? Has it got you thinking about making the swap or are you gonna stick with your Deluge?

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#2

as a sampling groovebox (keyword being sampling) i’d say the current mpc lineup is comparable or maybe arguably better. ive played around on my friends deluge a bit so im not an experienced user. but my time spent with it i concluded that sampling/chopping samples is really complex and convoluted on the deluge. just getting a sample recorded took me way longer to figure out than it did when i first used my octatrack for the very first time. the mpcs aren’t my favorite, and the grid on the deluge was way more fun than sequencing on the mpc. but in terms of sampling and chopping the mpcs have way more to offer imo.

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#3

Deluge is still top of the heap for looping, arranging, and sequencing. Not sure it would be my go to for sampling, but the community firmware is taking that up a notch with additions like lazy chopping. As strictly a sampler OR a synth, I’d say there are better choices today, but community contributions to the firmware seem to be closing the gap.

I don’t think I’d be compelled to change out my OLED Deluge for a DTII.

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#4

This is an interesting topic for me: back in early 2021 I purchased a Deluge and sold my original Digitakt, mostly because I thought keeping the DT would be totally redundant. Fast forward to 2023 and I bought a used Digitakt again because I just missed too much some of its features and quirks! :man_shrugging:

On paper the Deluge does everything that the Digitakt does and much more, but I think the Digitakt really excels in some areas such as sound mangling, interactivity and sparking creativity, whereas the Deluge is almost limitless in it’s approach but doesn’t really excel in any specific area… it’s also less of a happy-accident machine than the DT, in my experience.

In terms of sampling specifically, I’d say the Deluge probably still has the upper hand (live looping, lazy chopping, etc), but the difference is much more narrower now with the DT2. That being said, the MPC’s are much better in that department so if that’s your priority I would start there.

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#5

I tried really hard to love the Deluge - i owned the OG and the LED. But no matter what - samples kept crashing the units (tried various SD cards), then my SD card fell into the unit (a pain in arse to get out). The shortcuts/menu diving was cumbersome - just one of those units they keep adding functionality to and in turn makes the experience less fun. Yeah the Deluge might be king of its hill - but thats all it is - you are confined to its eco system with crap connectivity or the ability to export multi stems. The one thing i found great was its grid based midi programming but that makes it a very expensive midi sequencer when the OXI is cheaper, more powerful and a way better build quality.

#6

It’s the King of song-sketching!

Especially if you need complex melodic parts etc.

You can go from nothing, to an almost full song, very quickly and easily. Various limitations mean that progressing that to a finished track requires more thought and effort than on other devices, true.

Oxi looks good for sequencing, but of course doesn’t make any sound so doesn’t work as a sketchpad.

The Deluge’s build quality seems very high to me, never a single problem in 3 years of use!

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#7

I’ve never had a sample crash the Deluge. Maybe they weren’t in the correct format.

Yeah that happened to me. It’s not good I agree.

I had to get an overlay for mine which improved things a lot. I must admit I’d be lost without it.

I don’t think its connectivity is any less than the DT2. MIDI I/O, L/R Audio Out, Stereo Audio IN, USB MIDI. Actually not sure it has USB Audio Out and obviously no Overbridge. It does have CV & Gate out though which I used the other day to automate the Cutoff on my Model D so that’s useful.

Neither DT2 or Deluge have that ability

Personally I found the four finger button combos on the Oxi One to be way more convoluted than anything on the Deluge. It felt like you were playing twister at times. The song mode is also very limited, with only 15 song positions available which meant making anything longer than 3 minutes impossible.

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#8

Yeah i agree the song mode isnt the best on the OXI

For me there isnt a perfect groove box nor one which is best at sampling. And i dont think there will ever be one tbh

I must say the Roland SH4D does come pretty close - but obviously no sampling. But 4 synths and a drum machine in 1 unit with USB multi stem export - so so near!

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#9

At one time or another I’ve owned most of the modern sequencers (incl. Cirklon, Oxi One, Hapax, many others) and grooveboxes (Elektron original trinity, digit-trinity, Push 3, MPC, Force, etc) and here’s what stands out to me about the Deluge:

  • It’s not the absolute best sequencer, sampler, or synth but it does ALL of these things very well and in a compelling and pretty intuitive manner.

  • It’s portable and battery powered without being too small – it’s very lap or kitchen table friendly while still very playable. Other battery powered grooveboxes like Push 3 or even MPC Live II are ostensibly portable, but are heavy and bulky and/or have short battery life.

  • The OLED upgrade has made a huge difference for me in terms of remembering and absorbing short-cuts, etc

  • The community driven OS has brought lots of new features that I’m really enjoying and I think the future is really bright for this instrument

Because of it’s mix of features and capabilities plus it’s long battery life and size the Deluge is often my go to in terms of couch noodling, driving another instrument via MIDI, etc

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#10

what the heck!.. how are your sd cards falling into the units?

#11

If you put it in at an angle then it misses the runner and drops into the unit. You’ll only do it once and then you’re careful not to do it. It’s a bit of a pain to get out as all the knobs are secured with screws so you need to take them off before you can open the case.

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#12

had no idea… been lucky i guess, thanks for the heads up

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#13

I’ve only had it happen when I had the deluge tilted on a stand, making it difficult to judge the angle.

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#14

Won’t people just say their favorite one? Like I use the mpc, so the mpc is the best!! Idk… seems pointless.

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#15

…never heard of the synthstrom deluge mentioned as the king of the sampling grooveboxes…and even still?
since when was that the case ever…?..even totally subjectively, that’s quite a stretch…innit?
sorry for asking…

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#16

It’s pretty good, you should try one

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#17

Thread entropy, it always happens eventually. (Not saying it’s happened here yet).

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#18

Cant say the Deluge is known for ‘groove’ and certainly not king.

The term sampling ‘groove box’ i would associate more with the SP1200. I remember trying to use the Deluge in the same way (bit of swing, hitting record and trying to play it percussion live with its note repeat) - definitely not the same effortless and rewarding vibe/result as the SP1200. Not wanting to single the Deluge out here (same can be said for other ‘grooveboxes’). I would term the Deluge as a portable workstation than a groovebox. But it seems anyone can throw a synth in with a sampler and it instantly becomes a groovebox. Bit of a disservice to the proper ones.

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#19

I’m interested in the definition of a ‘proper’ groovebox.

#20

Groove/swing/vibe…That familiar pattern of percussion on thousands of records.

Cmon - its not a groove box. Its a workstation.

Nobody ever said wharrr i really need that Deluge ‘swing’ as a midi template for Logic.

And when i had the Rossum i could nail a loop off the bat - it would sound ‘right’ in that loose but groovy kind of way (much like the Akai MPC60). The Deluge can do many more things yes - however i certainly in no way think of it as a groove box per se