The new Serato Controller Mode delivers numerous powerful and seamless interaction features:
Controls primary navigation, track-load and playback workflow from a single SC5000 Prime unit
SC5000 on-board HD touchscreen shows Serato track collection, waveform overview and vital DJ performance data
Addresses and controls up to 4 Serato DJ ādecksā using just one SC5000
SC5000 performance trigger pads enable expressive manipulation of standard Serato DJ pad modes.
X1800 Prime mixer acts as Serato DJ audio interface, introduces DVS to DJs with the Serato DJ and DVS Licenses (sold separately) offering a full hardware DJ mixing experience
The Pioneer DDJ SX doesnāt require a license to use Serato DJ. The Licence is the hardware i.e You can plug your SX into any computer in the world and it will activate Serato DJ. Its the same as having the Denon MCX8000/7000. They are āSerato DJ readyā out of the box.
The Denon X1800 on the other hand requires that you purchase a the Serato DJ licence bundle known as the Serato Club Kit (i think its a combination of Serato DJ licence and the DVS plug in).
Iām not sure if one needs both licenses (SDJ and DVS kit) if you have no intention of plugging in turntables to your mixer
Most noteworthy, if your computer doesnāt have enough free USB inputs for your SC5000s, youāll need to invest in a USB hub, theyāre relatively inexpensive. Just make sure you purchase an external (AC) powered hub, not bus-powered.
Correct, seems itās not possible on this level of integration (both SDJ and Traktor donāt have it when used with third party hardware).
Denon will probably want to āreserveā that feature for the eventual Engine Prime linking.
No, if you want to use just the SC5000+X1800 with SDJ you can purchase just the standalone SDJ licence, not the whole Club Kit (standalone+DVS)
Serato works as described. You loose some functionality vs standalone, this is to be expected.
Only other thing I noticed is that the unit power cycles switching between standalone mode to controller mode.
So I suppose thatās why two decks is essential. Switch one before the other if one needs to toggle between Serato and USB/SD
Otherwise Iām pretty chuffed with this my luxury purchase.
I spent more time using it in standalone though using an old 500gb USB 2.0 hard drive I formatted in exfat. itās giving me butterflies. Iāve got one or two questions regarding prime and beat gridding. I will ask them in the relevant threads.
Using the sc5000 as a controller is the audio passed through the player as or would you need a serato ready or upgrade ready mixer for audio? I have the Rane serato soundcard so would I need to have that connected to the mixer for audio?
Audio isnāt passed through the player. Itās generated within a suitable Serato supported mixer/audio interface (the X1800 in our āPrimeā instance). Your Rane soundcard should be fine