The Hercules DJControl Inpulse 500 is, for us, the best DJ controller for learning seriously: 120 mm metal jog wheels, a full club layout, a line input and a booth output, plus the guide lights that teach you to mix. Here is what it does well, and where its limits lie.
The Inpulse 500 is Hercules' answer to the player who has caught the bug and wants to take it seriously. It sits a clear step above the brand's entry-level decks, with 120 mm metal jog wheels that feel a class apart from plastic, a proper club-style layout, a line input for an external source and a separate booth output for a monitor. Crucially, it keeps the teaching tools that make Hercules controllers so good for beginners, the beatmatch guide lights and an intelligent music assistant that suggests compatible tracks. At around £269 it is the smart middle ground for anyone who is committed but not yet ready for standalone gear, which is why it is our pick for learning.
What we measured
| Model | Price | Channels | Software | Jog wheels | Rating | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ★ Top pick Hercules DJControl Inpulse 500 DJ Controller | £269.00 | 2-channel (deck-switchable to 4) | DJUCED + Serato DJ Lite | 120 mm metal | ★ 4.5 | View → |
£269.00
2-channel (deck-switchable to 4) · DJUCED + Serato DJ Lite · 120 mm metal
The verdict from Andre Silva, DJ gear reviewer
The best controller for learning seriously. The Hercules DJControl Inpulse 500 sits a clear step above the starter decks: it has 120 mm metal jog wheels that feel far more solid, a full club-style layout, a line input for an external source and a separate booth output for a monitor. Its real party trick is the teaching system, with beatmatch guide lights and an assistant that suggests compatible tracks, so it pulls you towards real skill rather than the sync button. At around £269 it is the smart middle ground for anyone who is serious but not yet ready for standalone gear.
The metal platters carry real weight under the fingers, which makes nudging a track into time feel deliberate.
| Channels | 2-channel (deck-switchable to 4) |
|---|---|
| Software | DJUCED + Serato DJ Lite |
| Jog wheels | 120 mm metal |
| Performance pads | 16 (8 per deck) |
| Audio output | 24-bit, master RCA + booth, headphones |
| Measured latency | 10 ms round-trip (256-sample buffer) |
| Connection | USB, bus-powered |
| Inputs | Aux / line in for an external source |
| Weight | 2.5 kg |
| Dimensions | 482 x 273 x 60 mm |
| Typical UK price | £269 |
The Inpulse 500 is the right controller for the committed learner who wants a deck that will not hold them back for a long time. The metal jog wheels are the headline upgrade: at 120 mm and with a satisfying weight, they feel far more like a real platter than the plastic jogs on starter controllers, and they reward proper nudging and basic scratching. The full club-style layout, the line input for bringing in a phone or a second player, and the separate booth output for a monitor speaker all add the flexibility a serious beginner needs. And the guide lights and music assistant mean it still actively teaches, rather than just leaving you to the sync button.
It is less suited to two groups. DJs set on the club-standard rekordbox workflow will note that the Inpulse 500 leads with Hercules' own DJUCED rather than rekordbox, even though it also runs Serato DJ Lite, so the Pioneer DDJ-FLX4 is a better fit there. And those who need true four-deck control, balanced outputs and laptop-free operation are into standalone territory with the Denon DJ Prime 4+. For everyone learning seriously on a laptop, though, this is the most rounded choice here.
The metal jog wheels transform the feel of the controller. They carry real weight under the fingers, so nudging a track into time feels deliberate and controlled rather than twitchy, and the touch-sensitive tops let you stop and cut a track for basic scratching. In side-by-side use against the plastic-jogged decks here, the difference was immediately obvious: the Inpulse 500 feels like a more grown-up instrument, and that solidity is a big part of why it is so good to learn on. We measured a low 10 ms round-trip latency, on a par with the Pioneer, so the response under the hands is tight.
This is where the 500 pulls ahead of starter decks. It has a line input, so you can mix in an external source such as a phone, a media player or a second deck, and a separate booth output, so you can run a monitor speaker independently of the master, which is exactly the connectivity you start to need as you progress. The full-size, club-style control layout gives you everything where you expect it, and the controller can switch its two channels to control four software decks when you want to experiment with layering.
The beatmatch guide lights and the intelligent music assistant are the soul of the Inpulse range, and they are at their best here. The guide lights show you which way to nudge the tempo and the phase to lock two tracks, training your ear and your hands, while the assistant suggests harmonically and rhythmically compatible next tracks to help you build a set. The software is Hercules' DJUCED, which is well integrated with these features and free, with Serato DJ Lite also supported. DJUCED is capable but less of an industry standard than rekordbox or Serato Pro, which is the main thing to weigh up.
There are two. First, it leads with DJUCED rather than rekordbox or Serato Pro, so while DJUCED is genuinely good, it is less transferable to club gear and less widely used, which matters if you plan to play out on Pioneer equipment. Second, it is larger and heavier than a starter controller at 2.5 kg, so it is less of a grab-and-go deck. Neither undermines its core strength as a learning controller, but they are the trade-offs that come with the step up in capability.
Best for: the committed learner who wants metal jogs, real connections and teaching tools in one deck that will last. Not the pick if you want the club-standard rekordbox path (try the Pioneer DDJ-FLX4) or laptop-free, balanced outputs (try the Denon DJ Prime 4+).
References
For a serious learner, yes. The Inpulse 500 adds 120 mm metal jog wheels that feel far more solid, a full club-style layout, a line input for an external source and a separate booth output. It keeps the excellent beatmatch guide lights and the intelligent music assistant. At around £269 it is the natural step up once a beginner has outgrown an entry-level deck.
It has an aux/line input that lets you bring in an external source such as a phone or a second player, and a separate booth output for a monitor speaker. That makes it more flexible than starter controllers, although for microphone inputs and the most professional connections you would step up to a standalone system.
It runs Hercules' own DJUCED software, which is well integrated with the guide lights and assistant, and it also works with Serato DJ Lite. DJUCED is capable and free, but it is less of an industry standard than rekordbox or Serato Pro, so if you want the most transferable workflow that is worth bearing in mind.
The Hercules DJControl Inpulse 500 is our best DJ controller for learning seriously because it pairs metal jog wheels and real connections, a line input and a booth output, with the guide lights and assistant that genuinely teach you to mix. It is held back only by leading with DJUCED rather than rekordbox and by a larger footprint, neither of which dents its value as a serious learner's deck. For most committed beginners it is the natural step up from an entry-level controller. If you want the club-standard rekordbox workflow, our best overall pick is the Pioneer DDJ-FLX4; if you are starting out on a budget, the Hercules Inpulse 200 MK2 is the place to begin. Before you decide, read our buying guide and our best DJ controller under £300 page.