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DJ Tech Reviews

Hercules DJControl Inpulse 500

A full-size two-deck Serato and DJUCED controller with mic and aux inputs; the effects section is its weak spot.

Hercules DJControl Inpulse 500 at an angle

Photos: Hercules

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8 of 8 professional reviews recommend it4.7/5 from 238 Thomann owners
Best for
Beginners and budget mobile DJs who want room to grow and play small gigs.
Skip it if
You lean heavily on effects, or often play outdoors in daylight.

The Internet’s Opinion

From 8 professional reviews and 39 owner reviews: a fair amount of evidence.

All eight professional reviews recommend it, and owners agree it is solid, good value and easy to learn on, with room to play small gigs. The repeated reservations are an effects section where the filter and effects share controls, pads and meters that are dim in bright light, short tempo faders and, from a few owners, software glitches and knobs wearing after a year or more.

8 recommend0 mixed0 avoid

What people praise

  • Easy to set up and learn on
  • Features of dearer controllers at its price
  • Solid, well-finished build with a metal backing plate
Show 4 more
  • Beatmatch Guide lights teach manual beatmatching
  • Mic and aux inputs with their own level and EQ or filter controls
  • Large, touch-sensitive jog wheels
  • Fold-out feet raise it to mixer height

What to know first

  • Effects section is limited: filter and effects share controls, and one effect at a time
  • Pads, cue buttons and meters are dim in bright rooms or daylight
  • Short tempo faders that are easy to knock
Show 3 more
  • Serato DJ Lite holds it back; Serato DJ Pro is a paid upgrade
  • Software or driver trouble: DJUCED bugs, VirtualDJ glitches, ASIO conflicts
  • Knobs or buttons wear or lose calibration after a year or more

Owner ratings, as the retailers publish them

  • Thomann4.7/5from 238 ratings · read Oct 15, 2026
  • Guitar Center5.0/5from 2 ratings · read Oct 15, 2026
See the 8 reviews behind this

8 professional reviews (8 recommend, 0 mixed, 0 avoid); 39 owner reviews read at Thomann (37) and Guitar Center (2)Compiled 2026-10-11How this is compiled

Video reviews

  • Passionate DJMar 2025Recommends

    Hercules DJControl Inpulse 500 Review | Budget DJ Controller

  • DJ BarrJan 2021Recommends

    Hercules DJ DJControl Inpulse 500 Review: Pro Features at a Budget Price, but there is a problem...

Plays from YouTube when you press play. Picked from the reviews counted above, including one that disagrees where there is one.

Prices

Before you buy

Released
June 2020
Status
Current

Works with

  • Serato DJ LiteFree

    Plugging the controller in unlocks Serato DJ Lite for free Manufacturer spec sheet (Serato), checked 2026-10-11

  • Serato DJ ProPaid licence

    The box includes a Serato DJ Lite licence only; Serato DJ Pro runs as a trial until a licence is bought, and the controller's Slip and Quantize modes work only in Pro Manufacturer spec sheet (Hercules), checked 2026-10-11

  • DJUCEDFree, included

    A DJUCED licence is included; the controller works in DJUCED without drivers on Windows and macOS Manufacturer spec sheet (Hercules), checked 2026-10-11

  • VirtualDJPaid licence

    Needs a VirtualDJ Pro Infinity or Pro Subscription licence; without one the controller works for 10 minutes each time VirtualDJ is restarted Manufacturer spec sheet (VirtualDJ), checked 2026-10-11

  • Streaming servicesVia DJ software

    Mixes tracks streamed from Apple Music, Beatport, Beatsource, SoundCloud, Spotify and TIDAL through the supported DJ software, as well as files on the computer Manufacturer spec sheet (Hercules), checked 2026-10-11

You’ll also need

  • Powered speakersNot in the box

    The master output is 2 x RCA plus 2 x 1/4" (6.35 mm) jack for active speakers; multimedia speakers need a dual RCA to 3.5 mm cable, which is not included Manufacturer spec sheet (Hercules), checked 2026-10-11

  • Headphones3.5 or 6.35 mm

    The front panel has both a 1/8" (3.5 mm) mini-jack and a 1/4" (6.35 mm) headphone output Manufacturer spec sheet (Hercules), checked 2026-10-11

  • A computer with a full-power USB portUSB-powered

    The controller is powered over USB; the box holds the controller, a USB cable, a quick start guide and warranty information. For USB-C or Thunderbolt 3, Hercules advises an adapter that passes full power, a dock with its own power supply, or a USB-C to USB-B cable Manufacturer spec sheet (Hercules), checked 2026-10-11

Key specs

Decks
2
Software
Serato DJ Lite and DJUCED licenses included
Standalone
No (USB MIDI controller for Serato DJ Lite and DJUCED)
Outputs
Master: 2 x 1/4 in jack + 2 x RCA; headphones: 1/8 in mini-jack + 1/4 in jack
Performance pads
16 RGB (8 per deck, 8 modes)
Jog wheel diameter
5.5 in
All 12 specifications
Weight
3.2 kg (7 lb)
Power
Powered via USB
Audio interface
Built-in, 24-bit / 44.1 kHz, AKM Velvet Sound DSP
Inputs
Aux: 2 x RCA + 1/8 in mini-jack; mic: balanced 1/4 in jack
USB
USB Type B
Dimensions
54.2 x 29.6 x 7 cm (21.3 x 11.7 x 2.8 in)

12 of 12 figures sourced; hover one for its source

Our take

Dex JonesWritten from the sources on this page, not from a loan unit.

All eight professional reviews recommend it, and owners at Thomann repeat why: a solid build, good value, and Beatmatch Guide lights that help beginners learn. The reservation raised most (nine sources) is the effects section, where the filter and effects share controls; five reviews also find the pads and meters dim in bright light. Three owners report knobs or buttons wearing after a year or more. Buy it as a first controller to grow into; look elsewhere if effects matter.

What it is

Status, October 2026: current. Hercules still lists it.

What it is

The DJControl Inpulse 500 is a two-deck USB DJ controller from Hercules, announced on 11 June 2020 (Hercules announcement). Hercules aimed it at DJs moving from home practice to their first paid gigs. It has a metal top plate, four fold-out feet that lift it to 8 cm, and a backlit base (Hercules product page).

It runs on a computer, not on its own. The box includes licences for Serato DJ Lite and Hercules' own DJUCED; Serato DJ Pro is a paid upgrade, and the deck Slip and Quantize modes work only in DJUCED and Serato DJ Pro. VirtualDJ supports it with a Pro licence. Through the software it can mix tracks streamed from services such as Beatport, Beatsource, SoundCloud and TIDAL.

Each deck has a 5.5-inch capacitive jog wheel, Vinyl, Slip and Quantize buttons, and eight RGB pads with eight modes, including hot cue, loop, slicer and sampler. Beatmatch Guide lights on the jog wheels and tempo faders show which way to adjust tempo and phase. The mixer has a three-band EQ and a combined filter and effects control per channel, nine-step channel meters and a three-position crossfader curve switch.

A hardware mixer handles the inputs without the software: a balanced 1/4" mic input with its own level and two-band EQ, and an aux input on RCA or 3.5 mm with its own level and filter. The built-in 24-bit/44.1 kHz audio interface has master outputs on RCA and 1/4" jack and headphone outputs on 1/4" and 3.5 mm. It is powered over USB, measures 54.2 x 29.6 x 7 cm and weighs 3.2 kg. The box holds the controller, a fabric-covered USB cable, the software licences and a quick start guide with warranty card.

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