Setup
Licensing & software
This is a Serato DJ Pro hardware unlocked device, meaning it unlocks Serato DJ Pro when connected.
It is also a paid upgrade to Serato DVS device, meaning it requires the purchase & activation of a Serato DVS license, in order to use Serato DVS functionality.
Please ensure you have the latest version of Serato DJ Pro installed:
Drivers & firmware
The Roland DJ-808 requires drivers for both Windows and MacOS operating systems. Please ensure you have the latest available drivers AND firmware updates, which are vital for compatibility with Serato DJ.
These can be found on Roland’s website on the DJ-808 hardware page here: https://www.roland.com/global/products/dj-808/downloads/
Overview
|
# |
DJ-808 CONTROL | FUNCTION | SHIFT FUNCTION |
| 1 | FX 1-3 | DJ-FX slot 1-3 Effect On/Off/Adjust Slot 1-3 FX Parameter | Slot 1-3 Select Effect |
| 2 | BEATS | Adjust Beats Multiplier/Reset Beat Multiplier | - |
| 3 | TAP TEMPO | Tap to the desired FX tempo. To return to AUTO mode, press and hold. | - |
| 4 | PANEL | Toggles through Serato DJ panels | Cycle View mode |
| 5 | QUANTIZE | Enable Quantize | - |
| 6 | CHANNEL GAIN/EQ | Channel gain and EQ controls | - |
| 7 | LOAD | Load highlighted track to deck | Sort library by column |
| 8 | BACK | Toggles focus back between Library and Crate list | - |
| 9 | BROWSER | Library scroll | Fast Library scroll |
| 10 | LOAD PREPARE | Loads the highlighted track to Prepare Crate | Toggle through Serato DJ areas |
| 11 | MASTER OUTPUT | Adjusts Master volume for controller | - |
| 12 | FX ASSIGN | Assign channel to FX unit 1/2 | - |
| 13 | BOOTH MONITOR | Adjusts Booth Monitor volume | - |
| 14 | VT SECTION | SEE VT SECTION FOR MORE INFORMATION | - |
| 15 | BEATGRID ADJUST | Enable Beatgrid Adjust mode | Set Beatgrid Marker |
| 16 | BEATGRID SLIDE | Enable Beatgrid Slide mode | Clear Beatgrid |
| 17 | CENSOR | Censors playing track | Enables reverse |
| 18 | TEMPO SLIDER | Adjusts tempo/pitch | Ignore tempo/pitch adjustment |
| 19 | DOWN | Key Shift down | Toggle Pitch range down |
| 20 | KEY SYNC | Toggle Key Sync On/Off | Toggle Keylock On/Off |
| 21 | UP | Key Shift up | Toggle Pitch range up |
| 22 | LOOP CONTROLS | Loop Controls. SEE LOOPING FOR MORE INFORMATION | - |
| 23 | PARAMETER | Adjusts Parameter -/+ in performance pad modes | Adjust Parameter2 in performance pad modes |
| 24 | SYNC | Turns SYNC on | Turns SYNC off |
| 25 | CHANNEL FX KNOB | Adjust the effect selected in the CHANNEL FX section | - |
| 26 | CHANNEL FX | Select the desired channel effect | CH Fader Start |
| 27 | CROSSFADER | Crossfade audio between channel A-B | - |
| 28 | CHANNEL CUE | Cues selected channel for headphone monitoring | Keysync VT unit with selected channel. SEE VT VOICE TRANSFORMER SECTION FOR MORE INFORMATION |
| 29 | CHANNEL FADER | Channel volume | - |
| 30 | CUE | Cues from temp cue point/Set Temp Cue point | Load previous track to deck |
| 31 | PLAY/PAUSE | Toggles Play/Pause on selected deck | Stutter Play |
| 32 | PERFORMANCE PADS | SEE PERFORMANCE PADS FOR MORE INFORMATION | - |
| 33 | SHIFT | Used with other controls that have SHIFT modifier functions | - |
| 34 | DECK SELECT | Press individually for respective deck select (press both to en- gage Dual deck mode) | - |
| 35 | PLATTER/JOG WHEEL | Control waveform with Serato DJ | - |
| 36 | SLIP | Turn Slip on/off | Toggle vinyl mode |
| 37 | TR-S SECTION | SEE TR-S RHYTHM SEQUENCER FOR MORE INFORMATION | - |
|
# |
FUNCTION |
| 1 | DC INPUT |
| 2 | POWER ON/OFF SWITCH |
| 3 | MIC SENSITIVITY |
| 4 | MIC INPUT |
| 5 | MASTER OUTPUT 1 & 2 |
| 6 | BOOTH OUTPUT |
| 7 | RCA INPUT/CHANNEL 2 & 4 |
| 8 | PHONO GROUND TERMINAL |
| 9 | RCA INPUT/CHANNEL 1 & 3 |
| 10 | MIDI OUT |
| 11 | USB HOST |
| 12 | PC PORT (USB) |
| 13 | HEADPHONE OUTPUTS |
| 14 | HEADPHONE LEVEL |
| 15 | HEADPHONE MIX |
| 16 | HEADPHONE MONO SPLIT/STEREO SWITCH |
| 17 | INPUT SELECT |
| 18 | CROSSFADER ASSIGN |
| 19 | CROSSFADER CURVE ADJUST |
| 20 | CHANNEL FADER CURVE ADJUST |
Looping
You have up to 8 loops per track in Serato DJ Pro, and the choice between either manual or auto loops. You can also halve or double the loop length in either manual or auto modes.
|
DJ-808 CONTROL |
FUNCTION | SHIFT |
| AUTOLOOP | Autoloop On/Off | Activate selected loop |
| 1/2X | Halve Loop Length | Loop Shift Left |
| 2X | Double Loop Length | Loop Shift Right |
| IN | Set loop in point (Loop not active)/Adjust loop in point (Loop active) | Saved Loop slot select |
| OUT | Set loop out point (Loop in point set)/Adjust loop out point (Loop active) | Loop Exit (Loop active)/ Reloop (Loop not active) |
NOTE: You can also save a loop to the next available free loop slot in the software. To do this, click the + icon (pictured below) on an available loop slot. Your loops are saved to the file and recalled the next time it is loaded. They are not lost if the file is moved or renamed.
DVS
When a Serato DVS license is purchased and activated, this paid upgrade to Serato DVS device allows you to use connected turntables, media players or CD players to control Serato DJ Pro using NoiseMap™ Control Tone.
NOTE: Serato DVS is only available once the Serato DVS expansion pack has been activated in the Expansions window, under the My Account drop-down. Make sure Vinyl / CDJ Control is then checked in the Expansion Packs tab of the Setup screen.
Find our more about Serato DVS:
NOTE: Due to the configuration of the controller, DVS control is only available through channels 1 and 2. Channels 3 and 4 are reserved for THRU mode & USB.
Flip
Flip is an Expansion Pack for Serato DJ Pro. Flip controls are only available once the Expansion pack has been purchased and activated. The Expansion pack can be bought via Serato.com -https://serato.com/dj/pro/expansions
Please check out our Flip User Guide for more information on using Flip.
In Hot Cue performance pad mode the Left and Right Parameter buttons are used to record and trigger Flips.
|
DJ-808 CONTROL |
FLIP FUNCTION | SHIFT |
| Left Parameter button | Starts the recording of a new Flip | Turns Flip Loop on/off |
| Right Parameter button | Starts the current Flip / re-trigger Flip | Turns current Flip On/Off |
Press Hot Cue mode twice to enter Flip performance pad mode. Pressing pads 1-6 in will trigger saved Flips, pressing SHIFT + pads 1-6 will turn saved Flips on/off. Pressing an empty Flip slot will save any active Flip to that slot.
DJ-FX
The FX panel button is displayed in the top left area of the main Serato DJ Pro screen, click on this to toggle the DJ-FX panel.
With the DJ-FX panel open, you have control of two DJ-FX units, and if your hardware supports it, Channel FX, which can be applied to tracks played through your connected Serato DJ-hardware.
Both DJ-FX & Channel FX can be controlled with your mouse, by using dedicated controls on your hardware (where available), or by MIDI mapping controls to the respective software functions.
Learn more about how to use DJ-FX & Channel FX:
|
DJ-808 CONTROL |
FX FUNCTION | SHIFT |
| ON (Button 1) | Slot 1 Effect On/Off | Slot 1 Select Effect |
| ON (Button 2) | Slot 2 Effect On/Off | Slot 2 Select Effect |
| ON (Button 3) | Slot 3 Effect On/Off | Slot 3 Select Effect |
| FX KNOB 1 | Adjust Slot 1 FX Parameter | - |
| FX KNOB 2 | Adjust Slot 2 FX Parameter | - |
| FX KNOB 3 | Adjust Slot 3 FX Parameter | - |
| TAP | Tap to the desired FX tempo. To return to AUTO mode, press and hold |
- |
| BEATS |
Rotate to adjust the Beats Multiplier Press to reset to a Beats Multiplier value of 1 |
- |
Performance Pads
The Roland DJ-808 RGB performance pads have 13 different modes you can select. The first four modes are (from left-to-right); Hot Cue, Roll, TR and Sampler.
The second four modes are (from left-to-right); Cue Loop, Slicer, Pattern and Velocity Sampler and can be activated by pressing the performance pad mode button with SHIFT held down. A second Slicer mode (Slicer 2) can be activated by pressing the Slicer performance pad mode button twice while SHIFT is held down.
The third four modes are (from left-to-right); Saved Flip, Saved Loop, TR Velocity, and Pitch Play, and can be activated by pressing the performance pad mode buttons a second time.
Hot Cue mode: When pressing pads 1-8 you can add up to 8 Cue Points. Holding SHIFT and pressing buttons 1-8 will delete the Cue Points.
Cue Loop mode: Press pads 1-8 will play a Loop Roll from the Cue point position. Press the pad again to deactivate the Cue Loop. Press the performance pad while holding SHIFT to retrigger the Cue Loop. The dedicated loop controls also work in Cue Loop mode.
Saved Flip mode: Pressing pads 1-8 will trigger saved Flips, pressing SHIFT + pads 1-8 will turn saved Flips on/off. Pressing an empty Flip slot will save any Flip (that is being recorded) to that slot.
Roll mode: When holding buttons 1-8 you can activate a loop roll. Releasing the pad will disengage the loop roll.
Slicer mode: A shifting, specified range (or domain) is divided into eight equal sections, and these eight sliced sections are assigned to the respective performance pads.
Slicer 2 mode: Same as above, but a fixed Slicer domain or “loop”.
Controls are the same in both Slicer modes: Use PARAMETER-/+ to set the quantization for the slicer function. The quantization can be set in four ways: 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 and 1. Hold SHIFT + PARAMETER-/+ to set the domain. The domain can be set to one of six settings: 2 beats, 4 beats, 8 beats, 16 beats, 32 beats or 64 beats.
Saved Loop mode: Pads 1-8 will trigger saved loops. Holding SHIFT and pressing a pad in Save Loop mode will re-trigger the Saved Loop.
TR mode: Pressing pads 1-4 will trigger the BD, SD, CH, and OH sounds from the TR-S section. Pads 5-8, while held, will trigger a pre-determined pattern (for BD/SD/CH and OH sounds, from the TR-S section). The PARAMETER-/+ buttons will cycle 4 different pre-determined patterns.
TR Velocity mode: The same as TR mode above, but pads use velocity message to determine volume of TR-S sounds triggered.
Pattern mode: Pressing pads lets you choose up to 16 sequenced patterns from the TR-S section. Pads 1-8 can be accessed just bey pressing the pads and 9-16 by holding SHIFT and pressing a pad. The pad will flash until the next sequence and then go solid to indicate the newly chosen pattern has started. Patterns are retained after a power cycle of the DJ-808, and can be recorded using the INST REC function of the TR-S section.
Sampler mode: Pads 1-8 trigger samples loaded in your Sample Banks. Use PARAMETER-/+ buttons to cycle through Sample Banks. Press SHIFT + PARAMTER-/+ to cycle through Sampler output options.
Pitch Play mode: Pads 1-8 play Cue points over variable pitch ranges. See the ‘Pitch Play’ section for more information.
Sampler Velocity mode: When enabled the Sampler sample slot volume will now be velocity sensitive when played using the performance pads.
Pitch Play
There are 3 key ranges to choose from, and the following tables show the pitched key ranges (in Semitones) while using the 8 performance pads in Pitch Play mode.
The root keypad (0) is always lit white, which will play the cue point at its regular pitch.
Use the Parameter Left & Right buttons to move the Key Range up or down.
In Pitch Play mode, pressing a pad will pitch the currently selected cue point up or down the following ranges:
Up Range: (Up 7 Semitones)
| +4 | +5 | +6 | +7 |
| 0 | +1 | +2 | +3 |
Middle Range: (Up 3/Down 4 Semitones)
| 0 | +1 | +2 | +3 |
| -4 | -3 | -2 | -1 |
Down Range: (Down 7 Semitones)
| -3 | -2 | -1 | 0 |
| -7 | -6 | -5 | -4 |
When Pitch Play mode is first enabled, the middle range is selected. Pitch Play mode will default back to the middle range if a new track is loaded. The selected range is recalled if another pad mode is selected, then
the user switches back to Pitch Play mode.
Pitch Play can only pitch one Cue point at a time. To change the selected Cue, hold the SHIFT button and press a performance pad where the cue point you want to select would be (as shown in the HOT CUE performance pad mode).
While holding SHIFT, press the corresponding performance pad for:
| Cue 1 | Cue 2 | Cue 3 | Cue 4 |
| Cue 5 | Cue 6 | Cue 7 | Cue 8 |
The selected cue point defaults to Cue Point 1 on track load, even if instant doubled. A new cue point will be created if a pad with no cue point is selected. Deleting a cue point is not possible in Pitch Play mode.
NOTE: Pitch Play mode is available once the Pitch 'n Time DJ Expansion Pack has been activated in the Expansions window, under the My Account drop-down. Then ensure Pitch 'n Time DJ is checked in the Expansion Pack tab of the Setup screen.
Holding SHIFT and pressing the SAMPLER performance pad mode on the DJ-808 will enable Pitch Play mode.
Beat Jump
To activate Beat Jump, open the Setup screen, navigate to the DJ preferences tab and turn on “Show Beat Jump Controls”.
When you close the Setup screen, you will see Beat Jump controls underneath the existing Auto Loop values on each deck. Checking this box will turn on Beat Jump features in the deck area and let you control Beat Jump from your supported Serato DJ Pro hardware.
When the Beat Jump option is enabled, performance pad modes AUTO LOOP or ROLL mode (where applicable) will use the bottom row of 4 pads (pads 5-8) as Beat Jump controls. This is designed to mirror the change in the deck Auto Loop area (from 8 Auto Loop sizes to 4 Auto Loop sizes + Beat Jump controls).
MIDI
The MIDI feature in Serato DJ Pro allows you to remap Serato DJ Pro software functions to your primary Serato controller, interface or mixer. You can also assign controls to a secondary MIDI controller to further enhance your performance.
For more information on MIDI mapping with Serato DJ Pro, click here.
To remap your supported Serato device, open the SETUP screen and click the MIDI tab. If your Serato device supports hardware remapping, it will appear in the MIDI DEVICES list.
Select your connected device from the MIDI DEVICES list and check the Allow Serato Hardware Remapping option.
Once checked, the MIDI assign button at the top of the main Serato DJ Pro interface will become available for you to start remapping.
You can save, edit or delete MIDI presets in the MIDI tab of the SETUP screen. Clicking Restore Defaults will erase any custom mappings for all connected devices and revert their functions back to default.
TR-S Rhythm Sequencer
The TR-S built-into the DJ-808 is designed to be used with Serato DJ and can be synchronised with the virtual decks in Serato DJ. It can also be used to sequence samples from Serato DJ’s built-in Sampler.
Simply press any of the steps in the 16-step sequencer, causing them to light up in red, which indicates the step has been activated. The first step in the beat will be highlighted in blue, which will change depending on the pattern scale chosen. A green light cycling through the sequence will show the step currently playing.
|
# |
DJ-808 CONTROL | FUNCTION | SHIFT FUNCTION |
| 1 | DISPLAY | Shows value for settings adjustments | - |
| 2 | SCALE | Selects timing for step value | - |
| 3 | TRIM | Adjusts volume of selected TR-S instrument | - |
| 4 | ATTACK | Adjusts strength of attack for BD sound, or snare rattle of SD sound | - |
| 5 | TR-REC | Lets you step-record a pattern | Lets you record a pattern using the performance pads. SEE PERFORMANCE PADS FOR MORE INFORMATION |
| 6 | FX1/2 | Turns on FX (1 or 2) for the TR-S section. SEE DJ-FX FOR MORE INFORMATION | - |
| 7 | TR INSTRUMENTS | Selects instruments BD, SD, CH, or OH | Selects TR-909, TR-808, TR-707, or TR-606 instruments |
| 8 | SERATO SAMPLER 1-4 | Selects Serato Sampler slots 1-4 as instruments | Selects Serato Sampler banks A, B, C or D |
| 9 | SERATO SAMPLER 5-8 | Selects Serato Sampler slots 5-8 as instruments | - |
| 10 | ACCENT | Press ACC (Accent), then press a step in the sequence to im- plement an accent on that step | - |
| 11 | CLEAR | Deletes the content recorded by TR-REC for a specific instru- ment or deletes the pattern | - |
| 12 | TR-S MIXER | Adjusts output level of TR-S instruments | - |
| 13 | STEP SEQUENCER | Enable steps in the sequencer, or select patterns/instruments | - |
| 14 | START/STOP | Plays or Stops the pattern | Retriggers the pattern |
| 15 | SHIFT | Used with other buttons that have SHIFT modifiers | - |
| 16 | PATTERN | Lets you select rhythm patterns 1-16. Hold while repeatedly pressing Serato Sampler slot buttons 1-8 to cycle through the 3 sample play modes for each slot | - |
| 17 | DECAY | Adjusts Decay of BD, SD, OH, or CH instruments | - |
| 18 | TUNE | Adjuts tuning (pitch) of selected BD, SD, OH, or CH instruments | - |
| 19 | SYNC | Synchronises tempo of TR-S with Serato DJ | - |
| 20 | SHUFFLE | Adjuts shuffle or rhythmic swing | - |
| 21 | VALUE | Changes the value of tempo, scale or shuffle settings | - |
VT Voice Transformer
The VT unit built-into the DJ-808 can be used to effect voice input via a connected microphone, similar to a vocoder.
If AUTO PITCH is enabled, you can synchronise the key with Serato DJ decks, by holding SHIFT while pressing PFL CUE button on the respective channel (labeled as KEY VT).
While holding SHIFT the PFL CUE button that is currently set to key-sync, will flash.
Without AUTO PITCH enabled, controls on the VT unit will operate independently of Serato DJ.
|
# |
VT CONTROL | FUNCTION |
| 1 | MIC SWITCH | Turns mic input on, off, or selects ducking |
| 2 | MIC GAIN & EQ | Adjusts mic output gain, low and high frequency of mic input |
| 3 | MIC PITCH/FORMANT/ REVERB | Adjusts pitch, formant, and reverb of mic input |
| 4 | AUTO PITCH | Toggles Auto Pitch |
AIRA Link
The DJ-808 is capable of tempo synchronising with Roland AIRA-Link capable hardware, via it’s TR-S section, and by proxy Serato DJ.
Up to three compatible devices can be connected via the USB host, or via the MIDI OUT ports on the back of the DJ-808.
Help
Show Tooltips
Click on the Help button in the upper right-hand corner of Serato DJ Pro, then Show Tooltips to enable Tooltips. Tooltips provide a handy way to learn the various features of Serato DJ Pro.
Move the mouse over a section of the software to bring up a context-sensitive tooltip that describes the feature.
Click on the Help button again to turn off Tooltips.
Show Shortcut Keys
Click on the Help button in the upper right-hand corner of Serato DJ Pro, then click Show Shortcut Keys to launch a pop-up window displaying shortcut keyboard combinations.
These shortcuts can help you perform various actions quickly, such as triggering specific deck functions, controlling playback, or navigating the library.
Watch Tutorials
Click on the Help button in the upper right-hand corner of Serato DJ Pro, then Watch Tutorials to launch
your default internet browser and watch tutorials to help you get familiar with Serato DJ Pro.
Get Support
Click on the Help button in the upper right-hand corner of Serato DJ Pro, then Get Support to launch your default internet browser and navigate to the Serato DJ Pro knowledge base, where you can find helpful articles and guides on Serato DJ Pro. Alternatively, type keywords in the Search Help box to search the Serato DJ Pro knowledge base for specific, related topics.