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DJ Tech Reviews

Pioneer DJ DDJ-SP1

A Serato DJ Pro pad and FX add-on for mixer and DVS setups; discontinued, and it has no transport buttons.

Pioneer DJ DDJ-SP1 at an angle

Photos: Pioneer DJ / AlphaTheta Corporation

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83%

of 6 reviews recommend it

See reviews
Best for
Serato DVS or CDJ DJs whose mixer lacks pads and effect controls.
Skip it if
You want play and cue buttons, colour-coded pads, or a unit that unlocks Serato.

The Internet’s Opinion

From 6 professional reviews: a fair amount of evidence.

Five of six professional reviews recommend it as a sturdy add-on that gives mixer and DVS setups hands-on control of Serato's pads, effects and Serato Video. Reviewers repeatedly note the missing transport buttons, blue-only pads and a high price for a unit that does not unlock Serato DJ; no owner reviews could be read.

5 recommend1 mixed0 avoid

What people praise

  • Solid, durable build with a metal top plate
  • Hands-on control of Serato's pads, loops and slicer for mixer and DVS setups
  • Controls Serato Video as well as audio
Show 2 more
  • Firm, velocity-sensitive pads
  • Works as a MIDI controller with other software

What to know first

  • Expensive for an add-on that does not unlock Serato DJ
  • No play, cue or other transport buttons
  • Pads light only in blue, not RGB
See the 6 reviews behind this

6 professional reviews (5 recommend, 1 mixed, 0 avoid; 1 on YouTube); no owner reviews read (Thomann and Guitar Center no longer list it)Compiled 2026-10-10How this is compiled

Video reviews

  • CrossfaderAug 2020Mixed

    It was so nearly perfect! - Pioneer DDJ-SP1 Tried & Tested

    It was so nearly perfect! - Pioneer DDJ-SP1 Tried & Tested

    CrossfaderAug 2020Mixed

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
September 2013
Status
Discontinued
Replaced by
DDJ-XP2

Works with

  • Serato DJ ProNeeds Serato hardware

    An Official Serato Accessory, plug-and-play with Serato DJ Pro when Serato DJ Pro hardware is connected; it does not unlock Serato DJ Pro on its own. Manufacturer spec sheet (Serato), checked 2026-10-12

  • Serato StemsReplaces a pad mode

    Serato lists direct control of Serato Stems through its 'Replace Pad Mode with Stems' function. Manufacturer spec sheet (Serato), checked 2026-10-12

  • Serato VideoVoucher in the box

    A Serato Video mode on the unit controls video FX and transitions, and the box held a Serato Video voucher that cannot be reissued. Manufacturer spec sheet (Pioneer DJ (operating instructions)), checked 2026-10-12

  • VirtualDJPaid licence

    VirtualDJ publishes a DDJ-SP1 setup guide; using it needs a Pro Infinity, Pro Subscription or Plus DDJ-SP1 controller licence. Manufacturer spec sheet (VirtualDJ), checked 2026-10-12

  • Other DJ softwareMIDI mapping

    The unit sends MIDI over USB; switch it to the non-Serato setting in utilities mode and configure the other software's MIDI settings. Manufacturer spec sheet (Pioneer DJ (operating instructions)), checked 2026-10-12

You’ll also need

  • A Serato mixer or controllerNot in the box

    It has no audio connections and needs a separate Serato DJ-certified mixer (such as the DJM-900SRT) or controller (such as the DDJ-S1). The box holds the unit, a USB cable, the operating instructions and the Serato Video voucher. Manufacturer spec sheet (Pioneer DJ (operating instructions)), checked 2026-10-12

  • Two USB 2.0 portsNo USB hubs

    The computer needs one USB 2.0 port for the DDJ-SP1 and another for the Serato mixer or controller; USB hubs cannot be used. Manufacturer spec sheet (Pioneer DJ (operating instructions)), checked 2026-10-12

Key specs

Decks
4 (two deck sections with deck 3/4 switching)
Software
Serato DJ Pro (Official Serato Accessory); other software by MIDI mapping
Standalone
No (USB add-on controller; needs a Serato DJ mixer or controller)
Outputs
None (USB MIDI only)
Performance pads
16 velocity-sensitive pads, 8 per deck, seven pad modes
Weight
1.4 kg
All 11 specifications
Power
DC 5 V, 500 mA over USB
Effects
2 FX units, each with 3 parameter knobs, a BEATS knob and TAP; controls Serato DJ Pro FX
Sampler
Sampler volume fader; 6 Serato sampler slots
USB
1 × USB Type-B (USB hubs not supported)
Dimensions
328 × 47.4 × 178.7 mm (W × H × D)

11 of 11 figures sourced; hover one for its source

Our take

Tony AllenWritten from the sources on this page, not from a loan unit.

Five of six professional reviews recommend it as a sturdy add-on that brings Serato DJ Pro's pads, effects and Serato Video control to a mixer or DVS setup. Three note the missing play and cue buttons, three the blue-only pads, and four its price for a unit that does not unlock Serato DJ. No owner reviews could be read. Pioneer DJ has archived it: buy one used, or look at the DDJ-XP2.

What it is

Status, October 2026: discontinued. Pioneer DJ's DDJ-XP2, launched in October 2019 for both Serato DJ Pro and rekordbox, is its successor.

What it is

The DDJ-SP1 is an add-on controller for Serato DJ from Pioneer DJ, announced in September 2013 alongside the DJM-900SRT mixer (Pioneer DJ product page). It is not a full controller: it has no jog wheels, mixer, play buttons or audio connections, and it does not unlock Serato DJ Pro. It sits beside a Serato-enabled mixer such as the DJM-900SRT, or a Serato controller, and takes over the software features those lack.

The layout carries over the effects and performance-pad sections of Pioneer DJ's DDJ-SX controller. Each side has an effects unit with three parameter knobs, a BEATS knob and a TAP button for Serato DJ Pro's FX, plus Sync, Slip and Censor buttons and an auto loop knob. Below sit eight velocity-sensitive pads per deck with seven modes: Hot Cue, Roll, Slicer, Sampler, Hot Loop, Auto Loop and Manual Loop. Deck switching reaches all four decks, and the centre holds a browse knob, load buttons and a sampler volume fader.

Serato lists it as an Official Serato Accessory, and it can now control Serato Stems through a replaced pad mode. A Serato Video mode controls video FX and transitions, and the box included a Serato Video voucher. The unit also sends MIDI, and VirtualDJ supports it with a paid licence.

It takes its power from a single USB Type-B port, weighs 1.4 kg and measures 328 x 47.4 x 178.7 mm. The box holds the unit, a USB cable, the operating instructions and the voucher.

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