I should just buy the RC-505 and get it over with. I’ve had it on my mind for years but $500 is a bit of money for a looper when I have other things that loop (iPad app, Ableton, OT, etc). But the RC-505 looks so quick and easy and fun. I had the RC-202 before but I didn’t gel with it as much as I probably would with something like the RC-505 with its dedicated faders and more tracks.
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Whoa, now I didn’t see anyone “dismissing” the sampling or synthesis capabilities of the Deluge. The OP specifically asked about its capabilities as a live looper; “live” being the operative word there.
I didn’t see any questions about sampling, arranging, or synthesis. If that were the objective, then it seems to me that the Deluge would come out on top; if simply by merit of the fact that the Octatrack technically isn’t a synth at all.
As a looper, however, it’s no contest: Octatrack all the way! 
Cheers!
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It doesn’t do much unique stuff, but it does a lot and it’s all glued together in a context where it becomes relevant for song writing, not just freaky, audio mangling mayhem. I’m currently on a review unit and have as a consequence dived deep into it, and a few tricks stuck with me -
While the physical ins and outs are very limited as far as audio goes, the internal routing allows you to monitor mono, stereo or internal audio through just the one audio in. You can also allow input without monitoring, which effectively gives you hardwired resampling. Very efficient when you got a nice thing going, want to route it through a Tonal Recall and back to record it within the Deluge.
Many samplers have quantized recording, but I can’t think of any other than the Blackbox which allows you to record limitless (well, SD card limitless) audio, no bars set or anything, and yet end on a perfect beat once you’re done. If you’re improvising something that happens to extend over time (which I usually do), but still want to make sure it ends on the beat, for sync, time stretch or whatever purpose you can think of, the Deluge does this beautifully.
The sampling tracks allow you to mix and match synthesis with samples, not just within the oscillators but the tracks themselves, which effectively lets you blend synth-like percussion with samples for layering. Since fx output are per sample track, not per kit, one sample track can be an entire song if you so prefer.
While samples are typically grouped in kits, they don’t have to be. One kit can be just one sample, and if you look at them this way, you then got polyrythm options in Pyramid and Cirklon class. When considering retrigs, nudge and off the grid recordings into this, the sequencer combined with samples is extremely powerful. Since retrigs are in effect just higher resolution steps in the sequencer, you can even fine tune them by zooming in to max level and position them exactly where you want them, instead of giving in to whatever algoritm decides what a retrigger should be.
Since a sample’s behaviour to pitch can be independent or tied to track length, you basically got an entire ambient machine right there in that parameter. Switch between the two, experiment with live track length changes, and see what happens. Sometimes, you’ll end up in places so weird, you almost wished you didn’t look there 
The wave form editing is non destructive, and since it all streams from the card, one sample can be used in the same kit to build an entire set of strange and cool things. I recorded a few bars from a Blooper and built a kit just with that recording, by simply adjusting start and end points, pitch the stuff to places it didn’t really belong and slammed a few into reverse. It didn’t sound great, but the process to get there, that was great.
And parameter locks as well as automation, of course. To create a brief little thing, duplicate it a few times in the song section, record one take with a little uneven vibrato to give an organic tape effect, another where the high pass filter touches it ever so slightly, and a third where it’s just as is, gives you three variations of the same track you can switch between as you go, live or as you’re building a song, and it remains non-destructive as well.
While the Octatrack took me to places I could rarely imagine beforehand, the Deluge takes me to places where I can actually use those kind of results and make them into a song. But I’m wired more as a builder and composer, not so much as a performance artist, so that’s my filter.
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This is a fantastic, detailed, useful post and I really appreciate it. I’m not sure where to start in responding, but you had me at:
Could you please (briefly) set out the steps needed to achieve this? Bonus points for a numbered list. I am fairly new to the device (while very experienced with synths etc), but “entire ambient machine right there” is right in my ballpark, so I am seriously intrigued. Thanks!
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I’ve considered this device, but isn’t it very thin on sample manipulation?
Great thread!
While the deluge people are chatting, what would you recommend as a midi controller for performance? I guess a launchcontrol xl would gring it close to a tr8s style jamming machine…
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No worries, mate happen to have the Deluge right in front of me, so here’s how you go about it -
First, make yerself a nice cup of coffee or tea, whatever your preference, cause you’re worth it.
Then, bring out the Dellie and switch in on. For clarity’s sake, let’s just go with an empty project.
You’ll be in the Clip view now, in synth mode. But we don’t wanna be there right now. So press Shift + Kit, and you’ll new face a clean, empty sample kit.
Browse to a sample of your liking. One with some length is preferable, but it doesn’t have to be minutes. But say at least four bars, just to make this interesting. The more texture it contains, the more you’ll enjoy what comes next. But really, a straight forward drum loop will work if you just want to get on with it.
Load the sample and place it on the sequencer as is. Time stretch it by going to Shift + Mode and select Stretch.
Start the sequencer and listen to your sample go. If you got it right so far, it stretches in relation to the BPM now.
Now, as the sequencer is running, reach for Shift + Pitch / Speed, at the very far left on the Deluge grid. You’ll be able to select between Linear and Independent. Notice the sample behaves very differently, depending on the two. Just toggle back and forth, listen to what’s going on.
To make it more interesting, go for Shift + Transpose. Pitch the sample up and down, both in Linear and Independent mode. It bends and stretches very differently depending on your selection here.
As you keep messing with this, also adjust the tempo. Go for more dramatic changes, 20 to 30 bpm of difference, just to tell what’s clearly going on.
Now, you got three parameters that all relate to each other but greatly influence mood, texture and atmosphere depending on how you work them.
I guess it goes without saying, but I’m saying it anyway, that slapping on reverb on this as well as delay, perhaps even not locking it to tempo, adds even more mystery to it all. And then when you hear something you like, create an audio track, resample it and do it all over again
I’m finding that if you use the filters at all, the 12db or 24db work better for samples. The Drive filter is best left to the synths, it tends to overdrive the samples quite easily (as the name would imply and saturation, distortion and the likes is one of the Deluge’s weakest points.
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Don’t fuel the GAS…i just canceled a Tracker Order…
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(calling the publisher to cancel my review)
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Is a Blackbox easier to use as a Live Looper in comparison?
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“A writer writes, always.”
-Billy Crystal
Throw Momma From the Train
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More defined, perhaps. But easier, no. None of them are primarily best in show at this, I’d say.
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I will give this a whirl today and report back.
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Thank you!
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For reference, here’s a track I made with the Deluge, making use of its internal microphone for field recording sampling as I was walking along the piers whereI I live. Synths are Deluge’s own, and a few of them I resampled back into the Dellie through a Tonal Recall or processed through a Blooper and then back again into the Deluge.
No mastering, all done on the Deluge and recorded straight into my Zoom H1n.
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Really great track btw . Something very gently magical about it. I’m purposefully looking out for your stuff on soundcloud now . You should look to pull some stuff together for an album.
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Oh man, thank you. Your words make such a difference. I really appreciate you listening and taking the time to say something about it. I’m at a cross roads now, I need to at least for the moment decide if I’m going to head into more funky territory and explore my club side more, or proceed with the lush and ambient stuff. I know there’s room for both, but not right now, not at the same time.
So people just sitting down and writing a few words on how they feel about what one does, really helps to clear the mind. Again, thank you.
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I’m no expert but…
How about trying to do both? An orb, fsol, come John Hopkins Daniel Avery type vibe ???
I’d imagine your ambient work would give great samples and textures for clubbier stuff . Have you checked out the whole “Love from outer space” club vibe , never more than 120 bpm , sometimes known a a drug chug lol .
Anyway keep doing what your doing as it’s sounding good
Totally agree with that. Being torn apart for years between ambient-type and dancing-type music, I decided a few weeks ago to stop struggling with this dilemna and mixing both in a single track. Received my Deluge at this moment, and the way this amazing piece of gear works helped me to follow the “dancing-ambient” way (and the wonderful “boards of deluge” packs ) I will put this track here if some of you are interested.
Anyway, @circuitghost , after listening to your beautiful “Piers”, I think you could totally make a version with some bass and beats, the result would be probably amazing
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