MGMT - Kids / Quick and dirty on the Synthstrom Deluge

Quick and dirty creation of MGMT's Kids on the Synthstrom Deluge.
Trying to demonstrate how great and intuitive this device is for quickly turning ideas into music.
The result is a rough sketch of the song, with a very rudimentary drum part and only the basic musical elements.
Shoutout to @SynthstromAudible for making an amazing music tool, and to @audiopilz for inspiring the "funny" image jokes.
To improve for next video:
- Better lighting
- Fix camera exposure and focus
- Maybe dim the Deluge pad lights a bit to make them more visible
- Get rid of desk noise propagating through microphone boom
Parts:
0:00 Introduction
0:46 Why Deluge
2:55 Gear used
3:40 Song elements and structure
4:35 Start creating: drum track
7:29 Melody
10:58 Bass part
13:14 Break 1
16:09 Break 2
22:11 Arranger mode
23:39 Recording the arrangement
28:29 Reviewing the recorded arrangement
30:00 Tweaking the arrangement
33:45 Wrapping up
Gear used (potential affiliate links):
Synthstrom Deluge: synthstrom.com/product/deluge/
Digital audio recorder - Zoom H4n Pro: Thomann: bit.ly/3CNreRr / Amazon: amzn.to/2ZpEygk
Microphone - Shure SM57: Thomann: bit.ly/3uaG69q / Amazon: amzn.to/3ktzek1
Mic preamp - Triton Audio FETHEAD: Thomann: bit.ly/2Zn2YH7 / Amazon: amzn.to/3CEzlzC
Camera - DJI Osmo Pocket: Amazon: amzn.to/39Bf5Cd
Headphones - AudioTechnica ATH-M50X: Thomann: bit.ly/3lRPxqt / Amazon: amzn.to/3hYB1vE

[@TheRealBobHickman]

This is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. I've been struggling with my deluge, but this made it so straightforward to get great results with very few parts. Thanks for sharing!

[@dietervdw]

Very happy to hear that! Thanks!

[@nsiivola]

Excellent work, thank you! Videos like this a pure gold. While there's use for feature walkthroughs and reviews and tutorials, actually seeing how someone uses a piece of gear to DO A THING is so so valuable! Thank you!

[@mowerguy4u]

Please do more of these, amazing tutorials!

[@luvinfunvan]

That was so awesome dude, subscribed on this vid alone!

[@Luis-il5nb]

This is great, thank you so much. As a relatively new deluge owner, these videos are super useful. I hope you consider making more!

[@DieterBlomme]

Really cool to see man, awesome stuff!

[@AnimusBehemoth]

Oh my God yes, the analysis paralysis in a DAW is terrible! I just ordered my deluge and I can't wait. I struggle when I can't flow, and even the octatrack had so much friction that I can't just organically develop an idea Thanks for the insight into the workflow

[@dietervdw]

Curious how you'll like it! There's a bit of a learning curve, but I feel like you can get going with the basics pretty fast!

[@oscarduran1116]

Lots of great Deluge content out there but this is exceptional. Love how you intertwine the Deluge workflow with song structure! Subscribed and looking forward to next vid brother. Thanks for sharing and the good vibes! Paz y Bien

[@dietervdw]

Amazing to hear! Hope to make another one soon!

[@MrJackal43]

That was a great tutorial for the Deluge. Thanks.

[@Fractalfrog]

Thanks for sharing your process and Deluge LOVE

[@steveedwards4495]

Brilliant vid. Going to use this as a template for composition and also getting into the arranger more. Cheers from the UK.

[@edgarv.1603]

Well done, I've got this awesome machine for years now but I've learned a lot in this video in how to do a workflow in very good way ....hope you do some more like that.

[@wokeil]

This is my dream piece of gear. Looks and sounds so great

[@MattTerry1]

That's a great tutorial thanks. Definitely do more

[@lfoflow]

more deluge videos please!

[@michaelh8854]

love the step by step songbuilding for this cover. im going to try to recreate and build on it!

[@devlintube9610]

Thanks, I learnt loads ✌️👍

[@jonw.939]

Easily one of the best Deluge videos I've seen. More please!

[@dietervdw]

Aw man. You made me blush.

[@mmmSandwiches]

Ditto! More of these song recreations please

[@Harmen85]

WAUW thanks you so much! A song i like and full of tips and tricks i didn't know about. So i'm definitely going to make this on my Deluge together with this tut. You're question: some more of these? Oh yeah! That would be great! Cheers!

[@jayboyd]

Yes, please! More of this! I just got my Deluuuuuuuuge this week and your video was so helpful. Thank you.

[@dietervdw]

So great to hear, ok I'm gonna make another one 😁

[@jayboyd]

@@dietervdw Oh man, that is great. I was just listening to The Killers trying to figure out a track to tackle. They might be too guitar heavy, but I do love them. Some Hot Chip or Gunship would be excellent, too.

[@dietervdw]

@@jayboyd Well I haven't really experimented a lot with using the Deluge more as a sampler or recording / arranger tool, so that's a really good idea! I have some other ideas too, but will definitely give it a shot!

[@adamdalpozzo]

This was great! Please make more Deluge videos! Thank you!

[@sebaandrada]

🙌

[@scubacopelite]

Great tutorial and very clear steps shown. Thanks and please make more breakdowns of songs :)

[@dietervdw]

Really nice to hear! I had a lot of fun doing this, so I think I'll make more of these videos! If you have any song requests, let me know!

[@GuidoGautsch]

​@@dietervdwmaybe some LCD Soundsystem?

[@fulltang1]

One of the easiest to follow demonstration utilizing full song structure all the way through the arranger mode. Great stuff. Would love to see a similar tutorial utilizing some 4.0 features

[@dietervdw]

Still need to play around with the new firmware, I'm very curious!

[@AdamsBrew78]

Very well done tutorial. I need to work a lot on learning how to properly arrange full songs and this type of video is very instructive to that end. I have dozens of absolute bangers that run for a max of maybe 16 bars, that I work on for a day or two. Then the next time inspiration hits, I knock out something new instead of ever shaping any of my prior material into a song.

[@dietervdw]

Haha you and me both. I either do spacy jams that are not suited for publication, or covers.

[@richardharris9708]

I love how you wiped the entire song while trying to make a new synth. The UX has a lot of problems. New synth is shift+synth even though there is a button labelled "NEW" This was a great tutorial on how to make a song though, thanks! Really inspiring

[@dietervdw]

Yeah, that was a bit of a bummer 😁 . Luckily I only did the drumtrack yet, otherwise that would have been really annoyig. I think the UX is mostly pretty intuitive, but there's a few shortcuts you need to know (or know to avoid!). It would be nice to have to confirm before wiping the song, that seems like a great feature. Thanks for watching!

[@thetourle]

That was fun and helpful especially showing creating a white instance at the end to create an independent edited clip. Anyway, now you must stop flying your drone! and give us another deluge video please lol

[@dietervdw]

Haha I know I've been procrastinating 🙈. So many ideas, so little time! I'll try to make something quick and dirty soon!

[@pedrol8234]

Cool, can you make more videos like this?

[@SanplerVarondaro]

excelente video saludos

[@ratstarsmusic2163]

I think this instrument is amazing. The only thing I would like for there to be is a way to see the entire pattern in a daw or something. Does anyone know about something like that?

[@XtianApi]

Subscribed I'd say definitely turn the lights down a good bit for filming. It'll be much easier for us to see color differences. For anyone who doesn't know, shift, learn turn up-down knob down.

[@michaelmoog1]

the very first complete song from start to finish, awesome!!! thanks!!! but I have questions, possible to chat?

[@dietervdw]

Sure! Message on facebook maybe? facebook.com/dietervdw/ Or whatever messaging platform you prefer... Love your name 😁

[@Yuqiqiqi]

I've done this kind of stuff for years, kids mgmt was one I love doing to this day, so seeing someone else doing it made my day. (Also the 3 note was wrong but it really grew on me. Made it unique) well done

[@dietervdw]

Somebody else pointed out that I got the melody wrong, but I still haven't spotted it myself 🙈. I just played it from (my very fallable) memory. Thanks for the compliment! I intend to (try to) cover some more songs in the future!

[@DrNikitaMD]

Great idea! At least some musical use for deluge)

[@dietervdw]

Yeah people who like melodies and progressions seems to be rare in the synth / sequencer world 😬

[@brutallyremastered4255]

Watching this again after a year now that I own a Deluge: you really know your way around! I can get exciting ideas happening very fast but seeing the whole canvas and making an arrangement as you do still escapes me which is really frustrating because I’m a dummkopf. I wish you’d make more!

[@dietervdw]

Just look into the “record into arrangement” function! Then just perform the song by turning on or off different clips, and you’ll have your basic song structure down. And then you can still tweak it afterwards, love this thing! Making another one is on the schedule, but life happens 🙈. Might have some free time soon, maybe :)

[@brutallyremastered4255]

@@dietervdw Thank you for the helpful reply. I will certainly do this. I guess the problem is trying to get over the one drum loop trap and creating a type of time change… Please do make more!

[@dietervdw]

@@brutallyremastered4255 That’s why I like the Deluge so much. So many sequencers lock you down to one 16-bar loop, but the Deluge allows you to make large compositions ❤️

[@Tazanthro]

is that thing top center some kind of crazy dovetail wood piece?

[@dietervdw]

It's some kind of wooden puzzle! It breaks apart in 9 pieces and it's quite the challenge getting it back together. I thought it was a peculiar comment and then saw your channel title 😁. Here's a picture taken apart: photos.app.goo.gl/zbYL13JQxmLUb85b7 Would love to see how they made that.

[@Tazanthro]

@@dietervdw im all about music, wood, and really anything "art"

[@livelifeimprovisationallim8314]

I miss my Deluge.. police took it.

[@dietervdw]

Yes because it is criminally good and horribly addictive and you'll neglect you partner and children and sell your furniture for FX units. They mean the best for you.

[@GuidoGautsch]

Subbed! Noticed you never made another one of these - time for a sequel? 😊

[@dietervdw]

I just can’t seem to keep up with the excruciating pace of production that is expected of contemporary content creators 😂 . Jk ofcourse :) . I just had the screen replaced so eager to play around with it a bit more! Although I seem to end up making mostly very dystopian dissonant trippy jams, not a big audience for that I fear 🙈

[@GuidoGautsch]

​@@dietervdwhaha 😆 you gotta feed the machine, man. Appease the Mighty Algo! I'm in for anything, trippy distopian seems pretty fitting to current times. But yeah, what I like about this one is the fact that you're playing a cover, i.e. everyone already knows the result, bit not how to get there, so getting pointers on how to achieve specific, desirable outcomes is actually super handy. Hope you have at least another one in you 😊

[@michaelh8854]

The song is in key of a major

[@dietervdw]

My prep game was weak

[@michaelh8854]

@@dietervdw if you did that all from memory that’s impressive!

[@livelifeimprovisationallim8314]

U Flemish?

[@dietervdw]

Yup!

[@user-th6rh8zp3t]

you got the main melody wrong

[@dietervdw]

Yeah somebody else pointed that out 😁 . 🤷‍♂️

[@brutallyremastered4255]

That is one deeply annoying tune but a great Vid'.

[@777wisdom7]

Too much talking

[@brawndothethirstmutilator9848]

Too much commenting.

[@brutallyremastered4255]

@@brawndothethirstmutilator9848 Touché