Please confirm that in Djuced Settings > Audio, headphones are assigned to Outputs 3&4 as hereafter This beginner controller has its own dedicated TRS microphone input, as well as a TRRS 3.5mm aux input and stereo input. The only criticism about the controls I have is the fact that the VU meters and pads are not very bright. They’ll be fine most of the time indoors or in dark parties, but playing outdoors or in very bright rooms, you’re going to struggle to see them. With the pads, some colours are fine, but some are definitely hard to see under those circumstances. Probably it’s because the unit has to take all its power from the computer. You can accomplish a lot of the same things with this control as you could with much more expensive hardware mixer. While this device is definitely strong enough to hold up to use by a mid-level professional, it’s also got beginners in mind, thanks to functionality like an AI assistant and beat match guide.

Most of the Hercules DJ Controller doesn’t require drivers to work both on Windows and macOS systems. The performance pads also get a lot of great functionality on the Hercules Inpulse 500 when you’re using DJUCED. There are tons of hot cue, loop, sampler, slicer, and tone play options to experiment with, and you can tap into things like Slip mode with ease. Some more notable points about DJUCED: I liked the way the waveforms split when you’re in Slip mode (like they do on the Denon DJ Prime gear, for instance), and the Beat Align functions work here, too, to help with manual beatmixing.The buttons change the filter knobs to control a given effect within Djuiced and Serato, with the exception being the FX4 button. When FX4 is activated, the knobs will change the beat divisions of the effects within Serato. A strange concept to grasp at first but preferable to having to use a mouse or keyboard. Outputs Quite solidly built, has practically every output and input type you may possibly want from DJ hardware of that price range and even a bit more (and you can`t state the same about any other controller for that price), and pretty much every feature you expect from a controller of that gauge. It even has a mic input with basic EQ function for it. NI Traktor Kontrol S3, S4 MK3, S2 MK3, S5, S4 MK2, S2 MK2, Maschine Studio, Komplete Kontrol A25, Komplete Kontrol S25 Just like the Numark, the larger space has allowed for a more spaced out layout. The layout, paired with the great rubber-coated buttons have helped create a premium feeling for what is still quite a cheap controller. The addition of a metal faceplate on the mixer improves both the image and durability of the controller. This section is a lot more extensive and detailed than you might expect from similar controllers, at such a low budget price point. However, the lighting might be a problem yet again here, because the LEDs don’t hold up well to bright environments.

Certain functions like Slip and Quantize are only available with DJUCED, and there’s no support for Serato Lite.

The two large filter controls on the Inpulse 500 control a High/Low pass filter until the DJ selects one of the four effect buttons. These effect buttons sit inside the two knobs and remind us of the Mixer FX found on Traktor controllers. The filter knobs are just that – filters – unless one of the little FX buttons is pressed. When that is the case, FX1, FX2 and FX3 turn on Serato DJ Lite’s three effects consecutively and the Filter knob controls the effect – you have to select the effect you want with the mouse pointer on the screen, though. The performance pads on the Hercules Inpulse 500 are rubber and feature a hot cue, slicer, loop, and sampler mode option on the top. The software you pair your controller with will have a direct impact on the function.