The DDJ-1000 and DDJ-1000SRT share the same hardware, with the DDJ-1000 built for rekordbox and the DDJ-1000SRT built for Serato DJ Pro, and Pioneer DJ has discontinued both. If you are buying new, buy the DDJ-FLX10, which replaced them and runs both programs; buy either one used only if it matches the software you already play.
Which one to buy
- Buying new: the DDJ-FLX10. Pioneer DJ's controller catalogue lists the DDJ-1000 and DDJ-1000SRT as archived in every region except Australia. When the FLX10 launched in March 2023, Digital DJ Tips called it a direct replacement for both. It unlocks rekordbox and Serato DJ Pro free, so you don't have to choose. The DDJ-1000 vs DDJ-FLX10 comparison covers what it adds.
- You play rekordbox, and a used unit is clearly cheaper: the DDJ-1000. rekordbox still lists it as a Hardware Unlock controller.
- You play Serato DJ Pro, and a used unit is clearly cheaper: the DDJ-1000SRT. It unlocks Serato DJ Pro free when plugged in, per Serato's page for it.
- You want something current for Serato or for any software: the best Serato controllers and the best DJ controllers are picked by situation.
Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX10
A 4-channel rekordbox and Serato controller with hardware stems; dearer than the DDJ-1000 and dense with features.
DDJ-1000 and DDJ-1000SRT compared
| DDJ-1000 | DDJ-1000SRT | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Discontinued (archived by Pioneer DJ outside Australia) | Discontinued (archived by Pioneer DJ outside Australia) |
| Released | January 2018 | August 2019 |
| Software | rekordbox (Hardware Unlock); VirtualDJ with a paid licence | Serato DJ Pro, unlocked free |
| DVS | rekordbox, with a Core plan or above | Serato DVS expansion, a paid upgrade |
| Jog wheel displays | Colour LCD: BPM, waveform, playback position, or Hot Cue and Loop points | Colour LCD: playback time, BPM, playback position and more |
| Pad modes | Hot Cues, Pad FX, Beat Jump, Sampler, Keyboard Mode, Beat Loop, Key Shift | Hot Cues, Rolls, Slicer, Sampler, Pitch Play and other Serato DJ Pro modes |
| Effects | 14 Beat FX; Sound Color FX: Pitch, Filter, Dub Echo, Noise | 14 Beat FX; Sound Color FX: Pitch, Filter, Dub Echo, Noise |
| Crossfader | MAGVEL FADER | MAGVEL FADER |
| Channel inputs | 2 line, 2 line/phono (RCA) | 2 line, 2 line/phono (RCA) |
| Mic inputs | 2 (one XLR/1/4" TRS combo, one 1/4" TRS) | 2 (one XLR/1/4" TRS combo, one 1/4" TRS) |
| Master outputs | XLR and RCA | XLR and RCA |
| Booth output | 1/4" TRS | 1/4" TRS |
| Headphones | 1/4" and 3.5 mm | 1/4" and 3.5 mm |
| USB to computer | 2 x USB Type-B | 2 x USB Type-B |
| Size (W x D x H) | 708 x 361.4 x 73.4 mm | 708 x 361.4 x 73.4 mm |
| Weight | 6.0 kg | 6.0 kg |
Sources: Pioneer DJ's archived product pages for the DDJ-1000 and DDJ-1000SRT, their quick start manuals (DDJ-1000, DDJ-1000SRT) for specifications, Pioneer DJ's controller catalogue for status and release dates, Serato's DDJ-1000SRT page and rekordbox's Hardware Unlock list.
What actually differs
- The software, and that is the whole decision. Pioneer DJ's manual describes the DDJ-1000SRT as designed specifically for Serato DJ Pro, and Serato DJ Pro runs on it with no licence key or subscription. It is as native to Serato as the DDJ-1000 is to rekordbox. Neither crosses over: the DDJ-1000SRT isn't on rekordbox's Hardware Unlock list, and Serato has no hardware page for the DDJ-1000. Choose the one that matches the software you already use; see what rekordbox is, what Serato DJ is and Serato DJ or rekordbox.
- The pads and jog screens follow the software. The pad modes are labelled for each program's features, and the jog screens show what that program sends. Pioneer DJ lists waveform and loop points among what the DDJ-1000's screens can show; the DDJ-1000SRT's product page lists the lack of either on its screens as a drawback.
- The hardware is the same. Both quick start manuals give the same inputs, outputs, size and weight, and both have the same MAGVEL FADER crossfader, 14 Beat FX and four Sound Color FX. Both have two USB ports, so two DJs can connect laptops and change over without stopping the music.
- Serato Studio is separate. It is Serato's production software for making beats, sold on its own and as part of Serato DJ Suite, and it doesn't need Serato DJ Pro, per Serato's Studio page. Neither controller is needed for it. See the Serato Studio review.
If you're also looking at a used DDJ-SX3
The DDJ-SX3 is the other four-channel Pioneer DJ controller for Serato DJ Pro, and it is discontinued too: Pioneer DJ's catalogue lists it as archived in every region. It unlocks Serato DJ Pro free and came with Serato's Pitch 'n Time DJ and Flip expansions, per Serato's DDJ-SX3 page. It suits a mobile DJ more than a club DJ: Pioneer DJ's DDJ-SX3 page lists three mic inputs, each with a 3-band EQ, low-cut filter, compressor and reverb, and two USB ports for connecting two computers. Its jog wheels show lit cue point markers and a cue countdown rather than a screen, and its Sound Color FX are Filter, Echo, Jet and Noise, alongside Serato DJ Pro's own effects. The DDJ-1000SRT has full-size jog wheels with screens and a mixer section modelled on Pioneer DJ's DJM club mixers, with its own Beat FX, so it is the closer match if you plan to move on to club players and mixers. For mic-heavy work, see what a mobile DJ is.
Buying either one used
Play a track on all four decks and from both USB ports, move every fader, knob and the crossfader, press every pad, and check both jog screens light and both mic inputs work. Make sure the power adapter is included, as neither runs without it. The DDJ-1000SRT came with a voucher for a Serato DJ Pro expansion pack that, per its manual, can't be reissued, so a used unit is unlikely to bring that expansion with it. Both are archived, so don't expect new features for either.
How this comparison is made
Every specification, software and status detail on this page comes from Pioneer DJ's archived product pages, manuals and catalogue, and from Serato's and rekordbox's own pages, read on 12 October 2026 and linked where they are used. Neither controller has a compiled review record on this site because both are discontinued. We haven't tested either controller. The methodology explains how the site works.
