Hercules has always played a part in helping people learn how to DJ with the beginner-friendly DJ controllers. Now, the company seems to step their game up with the introduction of the Inpulse series.
The Inpulse 200 is a smaller version of the 300. There are fewer pads (8 compared to 12), and the EQ section is limited to a high and low two-band EQ. Regardless, the controller still comes with a ton of features:
- Two decks
- Integrated built-in audio interface
- Works with DJUCED software
- 2x RCA Output
- 3.5mm Headphone Output
- Vinyl feeling with touch detection on the jogwheels
- Four pads x four modes (including hot cue, roll, FX, and sampler)
- Loop in/loop out keys
- Rotary encoder, two load keys, and assistant key
- One filter, two EQ, one gain knob, and one volume fader/deck
First Impressions
Right out of the box, you can just feel just how lightweight and compact the controller is. The whole controller is plastic but it’s sturdy. It doesn’t feel cheap or something that you can break easily. At the same time, the jogwheels are also made of plastic but they, too, feel solid. The jogwheels, knobs, and faders feel a bit stiff—which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The stiffness gives you greater control and accuracy to correctly matching the beats.
The controller comes with a 1/8″ headphone jack on the front, and RCA master outputs and a USB jack for connecting your laptop in the rear. The controller also comes with a braided USB cable—which is an absolute godsend over the generic plastic cables. The design of the controller is fantastic as well. It slightly resembles Pioneer’s DDJ-400 sleek layout and design.
Beatmatching Guide
The Inpulse 200 works with the latest version of DJUCED—which includes a bevy of features that’ll help you start your career/hobby as a DJ. Easily, the most useful feature for any beginner DJ is the Beatmatch Guide. On the controller, you’ll find lights below the jogwheels and next to the tempo fader. Let’s say you’re playing a song that you didn’t start on time. The “beat align” lights will turn on in the direction that you need to turn the jogwheel towards. Once you’re in sync then the lights will turn off.
At the same time, if the tempo for the song you’re mixing in is off then the lights next to the tempo fader will turn on. Simply slide the fader up and down (depending on the direction of the light) until the light disappears. However, this feature isn’t as useful since you can basically look at DJUCED and match the BPM number to the song that’s already playing. The Beatmatch Guide is definitely easy to follow and useful for those of us who haven’t grasped the concept of tempo and beatmatching. Luckily, once everything becomes second-nature then you can turn these functions off on the controller.
Intelligent Music Assistant
Easily the most important and best feature available on the Inpulse 200 is the Intelligent Music Assistant. This feature is able to give you song suggestions based on what you have playing currently and what songs you have in your DJUCED library. So once you press the assistant button, the assistant will provide you with real-time song suggestions based on popular songs around the world and songs based on your energy level.
Some of the awesome song mash-ups I’ve discovered from the assistant are:
- Zedd – I Want You to Know vs. Run-DMC – It’s Tricky
- Timmy Trumpet – Freaks vs. Usher – More
- Steve Aoki – Rave vs. The Hit Co. – September 99
- Martin Garrix – Like I Do vs. Katy Perry – California Gurls
The energy level is set by the knob atop the controller. The colored lights around the knob indicate what energy level you’re at. Blue is slow-tempo and red is more high-energy. The use of the energy level and the music assistant opens up so many mixing ideas that you’ve probably never even thought of. It’s so incredibly helpful for both novice and intermediate DJs.
DJ Academy
If you’re learning to DJ for the very first time then watching the DJ Academy videos are an absolute must-watch. However, it doesn’t go too in-depth into the fundamentals of DJing. The videos are primarily used to learn the inner workings of DJUCED and your controller. Also, the videos will teach you how to mix the most basic of beats. However, if you’re trying to mix songs together, it’s a bit of trial and error.
At the same time, the videos won’t teach you a portion of the controller. The EQ and FX knobs are a big part of mixing, but they’re not covered in the videos. So if you’re a novice who has dabbled in DJing before, you may want to watch the videos to see how DJUCED works. Otherwise, you may have to watch other tutorial videos to better grasp the concept of DJing.
Conclusion
The Hercules DJControl Inpulse 200 is easily one of the most advanced and extensive beginner DJ controllers out on the market. In fact, the only controller to really beat it is its brother, the Inpulse 300. Not only that but the $120 price tag is an extremely affordable price for those who want to learn about DJing without spending an exuberant amount of money. Because of its price tag, advanced features, and beginner-friendly tutorials, the DJControl Inpulse 200 is highly recommended.
Rating: 5/5 atoms
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