I guess with just a numeric LED the big pain must be finding your stuff.
It makes me lean a little more to the Ableton/Push route, but not much. Outside the box is so much better.
So with the multisampling, does that mean it has the concept of “zones”? Can it do drum kits, or even advanced drum racks like Ableton?
You can definitely do kits. So with a kit instead of each note being pitched, each is its own instrument (there are ways of doing this with fully-synthesized kits as well, but its not as easy as with samples). Every track can be a “synth” (one of the synth engines or a pitched sample / multisample, or recording), kit (sample or synth based drum-rack sort of) midi, or cv channel.
For zones, I had to check the manual, but this is straight from the source
MULTisamples. Select this by pressing down on the select knob. The Deluge will proceed to import all the samples in the folder, automatically detecting their pitch and setting up their corresponding note-ranges for you. This will work whether you have a separate sample for every single note, or a smaller selection of samples and notes, in which case the Deluge will set up ranges with bounds halfway between neighbouring samples’ pitches.
You can also manually edit and set up multisample note ranges. When selecting a range (e.g. after pressing the “browse” shortcut), the existing ranges may be flicked through by turning the select knob. They will display in the format of “A2-D2”, meaning that the range covers the notes A2 to D2, inclusive of those notes. Sharps are represented with a “.”, and “BOT” and “TOP” are used to mean that the range applies all the way to the bottom or the top.
To edit a note range’s bounds, turn the ◄► knob to select either the lower or upper bound (it will blink). Then turn the select knob to edit it. The corresponding boundary of the neighbouring range will be moved as well to accommodate the change.
To insert a new range, hold the shift button and turn the select knob clockwise or anticlockwise to create a new range above or below the currently selected one, respectively. And to delete the currently selected range, press the save/delete button.
manual
I’ve been away from it for a bit, but heading back, worth going to the source for some answers about the sequencer itself too (I think I might just be spending a few hours reminding myself how awesome this thing is tonight)
SEQUENCER
- Piano-roll-style sequencing on 128 full RGB pads (16×8) with scrolling and zooming
- Launch, mute and interact with tracks live
- Arranger view, to sequence your instrument parts into a longer composition, and work with audio clips similarly to a DAW
- Sequencing limited only by device RAM (over 2 million notes)
- Resolution can be set as high as 6144th-notes
- Simultaneously output separate sequences to all 16 MIDI channels, 2 CV / gate channels and 2 additional gate outputs, in addition to internal synthesizers / samples (limited only by CPU)
- CC control and sequencing on all 16 MIDI channels
- Probability and iteration based step / note conditions
- Undo / redo note and parameter automation editing and recording. Number of undo steps limited only by RAM
- Advanced syncing capabilities. Non-standard time signatures supported, polymetric
- Adjustable swing
- Horizontal pattern shift and note nudge, and note repeat
- MIDI program change and bank select messages may be output
Anyway, enough of me pasting giant quotes on this. It’s a cool tool, might be a good fit. And yes, finding your stuff is another pain point. I know with 4.0 a folder system was added to make viewing via that four character display a bit easier, but it’s one of the things you just have to know going in.
I think that your workflow will mostly define, what would be the best hardware sequencer in the market … really
Long story short … I seem to have been in an similar situation. Coming from live playing I wanted something to catch my ideas without the need to use a computer.
Now I own a couple of different sequencers, from experimental modular stuff, typical old school analogue machines, Technostyle like step-sequencers, The Elektrons, Trackers, and linear sequencers of the MPC lines.
There are machines, which are more about to program the events one by one, some, which support live recording, and some which even support live jamming on the sequencer.
For my live playing I need to use not quantizing linear sequencers, for other things I prefer the Elektrons and - so called - matrix sequencers like the OXI. I’ve never found that all-in-one solution, but a mix of my favorite sequencers, which I even combine, is now MPC, OXI, Elektrons … and I use them for very different workflow situations … 