The Deluge groovebox, sampler, and synth open-source since SB 23, now got a first community firmware update with tons of new features.
New products are published. Depending on success and budget, developers will provide updates for these in the next few years. This is the usual way—different Synthstrom Audible. At Superbooth 23, the New Zealand-based company made the code of its Deluge grid-based groovebox, sampler, and synth open-source.
It is an exciting move. This gives other developers the opportunity to incorporate new ideas into Deluge. In addition, they separate from the urge to provide constant updates. This way, they can focus on more hardware production and development. This was a little over half a year ago, and the first result of this big move is out now. The first open-source community firmware update for the Deluge.
Deluge Open-Source Community Firmware
The first firmware update, created with the developer community’s help, upgrades the Deluge in many sections.
Let’s start with the sound engine. The first open-source firmware expands the filter section with new LPF/HPF state variable filters, including SVF notch and SVF bandpass options. Neat, you can now configure the filter routing via the sound editor menu.
There are also all-new creative algorithms for the multi-FX section: stereo chorus, a granular FX (grain FX), a wavefold distortion, a quantized stutter, and a master compressor. So granular is now also part of the Deluge. Great to see.
The sound engine also benefits from higher modulation resolution and comes with wilder LFO shapes (random walk, and sample & hold). Plus, you get new sync modes (triples, dotted).
Then, the sampler engine also features manual slicing options, aka lazy chopping. I’m pretty sure future updates will help the engine even more. You can also load synth presets now into kits.
More New Features
A big highlight of the new Deluge open-source firmware is a new grid (session) view. In this mode, each pad becomes a clip and each column an instrument. So you get a new way of composing.
Other new features are:
- automation view
- drum keyboard view
- probability by row
- quantize & humanize
- norns layout
- display gold encoder values
- quick scroll
- sticky shift
- adjust metronome volume
- batch delete kit rows
- send and receive SYSEX messages
- …
Here is an interesting talk about the open-source move
First Impression
An excellent first output of the open-source move from Deluge groovebox. I’m excited to see where the community takes Deluge in the next updates.
The new Deluge open-source community firmware update is available now as a free download for existing users. Deluge is available now for $1399 USD + import and tax.
More information here: Synthstrom Audible
The new feature list is huge. Will take all of the Xmas hols to get through. Some nice little workflow touches too. Deluge future is bright. Love this thing, has given owners a lot more than we paid for. Great Company.