5.1 Keyboard View & Chords

Deluge has a keyboard view which is reflective of the scale and is mapped to the 16 x 8 pad grid. This means that the grid has defined note and chord placements rather than traditional piano style sequencing layout. The Deluge column steps are one semitone and the rows five semitones (a perfect fourth) apart. In layout terms Deluge is therefore more akin to a bass guitar fretboard than it is to a piano keyboard. From a grid playability perspective this makes perfect sense. Pressing a note on the grid will also highlight the equivalent notes, up and down an octave, on the grid.

Note Offset. The row step / note offset is adjustable and is saved with the song. Press Shift + turn Horizontal to adjust. Default setting is 5 but can be set to 12 for an isomorphic keyboard.

These octaves will follow a consistent pattern shape of the notes between the octaves. Chords played on a piano are shaped uniquely across the scale (for example 12 chord shapes in a minor chord for each root note). With Deluge, chords follow a consistent shape. This is known as an isomorphic layout where each chord always follows the same shape.

Example of Isomorphic Chord Shapes

More isomorphic chord examples are shown in the community quick reference guide in section 15 of this manual. The row step / note offset can also be adjusted from the default ‘5’ setting.

Isomorphic or In-Key Keyboard view

Keyboard view is selected by pressing Keyboard. Deluge has two keyboard views, isomorphic and in-key. Also a drum pad view is available for kits. Each can be switched with the kit, synth, MIDI or CV. In-Key mode removes from the display any notes / pads that are not in the scale. The default keyboard option can be set in the settings menu under the UI option. Note that if the ‘norns’ option is set to ON in the community settings, this third alternative norns style view is also presented.

Changing the keyboard view

Press Keyboard to select keyboard view. This will present the pads as an isomorphic or in-key view. The default can be set in the system setting options.
To change the view, Hold Keyboard + turn Select. The options of ‘ISOMORPHIC’ or ‘IN-KEY’ are options. Norns view is available also if set in the community settings.
In the keyboard view the scale can be changed. Hold Scale + Select to cycle through the scales available. The scales will be displayed as they are changed.
In the keyboard view the root note can be changed. Hold Scale + turn Select to cycle through the notes available. The note will be displayed while being changed.

Keyboard The keyboard view shows the grid laid out in isomorphic or in-key based on the scale and root note.

Norns view renders the grid pads with white consecutive notes representing the incoming MIDI. Velocity is also represented by the pad brightness..

The option to set the UI options and defaults for keyboard views exists in the settings menu.

Adjusting default keyboard view settings

Hold Shift + Select to open the settings menu.
turn Select and highlight the ‘DEFAULTS’ option.
Press Select to select and open the defaults sub-menu.
turn Select and highlight the ‘UI’ option.
Press Select to select and open the UI sub-menu.
turn Select and highlight the ‘KEYBOARD’ option.
Press Select to select and open the session view sub-menu.
To change the layout that is presented by default for the keyboard select ‘LAYOUT’. Press Select to open the sub-menu and turn Select to choose between ‘IN-KEY’ and the default ‘ISOMORPHIC’ options.
- ISOMORPHIC. Default start view is isomorphic when selecting the Keyboard option.
- IN-KEY. Default start view is in-key when selecting Keyboard.