Deluge 2 with a screen would be good
all in all you said it a month agoā¦
this circle running thing really nails it when it comes to the wide range of possibilities within the deluge compared to other groove boxesā¦
I have my OT accompanied by the deluge and do all the sampling stuff on the OT and trigger stuff like my Koma Field Kit or any PO machine with the deluge and record the output of them into the OR for further mangling.
When I sample stuff into the deluge I do different things, like doing sidechaining and other effects on a signalā¦ or do a chord on a mono synth 
As both have probability it is a nice thing for me to do almost everything on one pattern with a lot of change in themā¦
Right now I feel this is more a powerful combination. I would not want to have one of them to replace the otherā¦
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No, I agree, comparing the two is relevant and yet not.
If youāre a one box kind of guy, it really comes down to whatās most important to you. A flexible environment with synthesis, sampling and recording, or a specialised sampler not only in terms of features, but in character as well. The one canāt replace the other, not in terms of features, not in where it will take you.
But if youāre not a one box kind of a guy, but still want a minimal rig, the Deluge and the Octatrack together is close to impossible to beat.
is this possible in times of almost everyday a new toy on the horizon to be one box guy?..
that takes a truckload full of discipline
which brings me to
R.I.P - R. Lee Ermey
He was the only one being able to cure from this endless loop of buying and selling stuffā¦
Never the less, I know what you mean, and if I had to choose I would only keep my trusty OTā¦ Which is a box full of surprises since 2,5 years to meā¦
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I havenāt bought any gear since 2014, still learning and practicing the stuff I have to make the most of itā¦
Iāve never sold any of it eitherā¦
I have more than one piece of gear, but new stuff doesnāt ever interest me or make me want itā¦
Itās not that hardā¦ 
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Is there an ideal setup on the octatrack which complements the deluge well?
I find the deluge pretty easy to get around and really enjoy the easy saving of tracks and ideas.
-Thatās where the octatrack always looses me. I figure out how to do something and have it forgotten by the time I get back to using it.
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Memory muscle is your friend :). I hear you though. Its not immediate.
Not as a default, Iād say. Both instruments are so unique that all musicians Iāve come across that use them (yes, Iāve met a few Delugers out in the wild as well), use them so differently.
When I had the Octatrack, I used it mostly as a glorified seven track recorder studio (I always kept the eight one for master effects). I usually recorded longer samples, between 4 to 16 bars, and then layered them into tracks which I then warped into oblivion.
If Iād had an OT and a Deluge today, Iād probably use them like this. Build something solid in Deluge, long or short, record the parts separately into the OT, rebuild the structure there but as soon as it takes you somewhere else, go with it. It always will, it always did.
The one enabler for more in this workflow, is that I always knew what I wanted to do when I approached the Octatrack like this. I already had a song in my head, and was free to immediately get into how I could transform it into something else with the Octatrack, not bothering so much about basic structure and pacing, since Iād already figured that out beforehand, from whatever source I was recording from.
Andreas said it regarding using OT and Deluge together.
Thatās pretty much how I use them - Deluge is the main construction site, and OT is primarily used for master FX and for sampling pieces from the Deluge for mixing and mangling as well as transitions, balancing their different strengths.
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OMG!
"Deluge 2.0 firmware update tease.
See and hear it at Superbooth, Berlin, May 3rd-5th 2018
Estimated release, June 2018
New features include (among others):
ARRANGER
We believe this to be the most powerful and flexible song arranging mode of any modern hardware sequencer.
VIRTUAL-ANALOG SYNTH ENGINE IMPROVEMENTS
New analog-modelled filter ādriveā and oscillator types are a significant addition to the Delugeās already feature-rich synth engine.
MEMORY MANAGEMENT IMPROVED 30-FOLD
You read that right - since firmware V1.2.0 added the streaming of all samples directly from the SD card, the Delugeās 64MB RAM chip has for the most part been sitting unutilized. With firmware V2.0, this memory is shared with the Delugeās general functions, making around 30x more working memory available for your song and its tracks, synths, notes and parameter automation.
CPU EFFICIENCY
Major overhaul of Delugeās audio and synth engine for significantly improved CPU efficiency (by 30-50%)."
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The OT fx are famously bad. Like digitech 90ās multiFX guitar pedal bad. Unusable in my opinion. I used outboard FX back in my OT days.
Dear lord. Iām feeling that old familiar pull again.
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Those are the magnetic forces of boundless love 
Seriously though - 30 fold?!?
Holy crapnoodle
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Ok, opinion The effects are not sooo badā¦
They are pretty good if you want to reach beyond standard useā¦ And the ability to P lock them is great.
Concerning the announcement for the deluge: The speed and effort Rohan puts into those updates is close to a miracle and puts other companies (yes, you elektron are meant) and developers to shame.
Right now I own the deluge for its sequencer and not so much for the internal sounds. But there is already potential in them and the update might make it even betterā¦
And not to forget that there is a great wireless file and structure editor from Jamie Fenton called Downrush that now has Kit editing in its latest update.
Both OT and Deluge are great machines with different concepts on being used and they make a great team
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Also, 90s Digitech guitar multiFX are great.
Iād take an Alesis Wedge over a Strymon Big Sky any day of the week.
I use the reverb in the OT a lot more than my OTO BAM because right now itās a more useful tool for what I want to achieve. I also use an 80s Digitech rack delay I paid $20 for far more often than my Space Echo (for electronic music; for guitar itās real tape or nothing for me). On the other hand, the OTās compressor is one of the most disappointing compressors Iāve ever heard, but plenty of people find it really usable.
āQualityā in this context is entirely subjective.
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Decent FX that can be endlessly modulated and plocked and crossfaded. Most FX donāt even have MIDI.
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Apparently!
Didnāt like Digitech Gsp, Iād prefer a Bigsky. 
I really like OTās filters, comb filters, delay. I prefer A4 reverb but I like Dark reverb with synths.
I like the compressor too.
As @xidnpnlss said, plocks, crossfader and lfos make Otās fx very interesting, Lofi for example.
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I hate old Digitech effects on guitar but on synths, especially digital synths, ESPECIALLY digital drum machines, they have a quality I like.
Iām talking about early 90s though, late 90s and newer not so much.
My personal mantra is āthere is no such thing as bad reverb.ā Every reverb is good in some way, as long as it doesnāt hum. Picked up an Audio Centron TFX-1 (looks like an off-brand nanoverb clone, but makes a Nanoverb sound like a high-end Lexicon) for $12 last year and I use it all the time.
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Thanks for taking the time, much appreciated!
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No problem, mateš
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