Setup
Licensing & software
This is a Serato DJ Lite hardware unlocked device, meaning it unlocks Serato DJ Lite when connected.
It is also a paid upgrade to Serato DJ Pro device, meaning it requires the purchase & activation of a Serato DJ Pro license, in order to be used with Serato DJ Pro.
You can try Serato DJ Pro, before making a purchase:
Please ensure you have the latest version of Serato DJ Pro installed:
Drivers & firmware
The Pioneer DJ DDJ-SB3 does not require manufacturer-specific drivers on either Windows or Mac
operating systems, and is plug-and-play with Serato DJ Pro.
On Windows, you may see some generic class drivers installed by the operating system to facilitate
communication with the device.
Overview
| # | DDJ-SB3 CONTROL | FUNCTION |
| 1 | KENSINGTON LOCK | Connect Kensington Lock |
| 2 | USB PORT | Connect a USB cable to a computer |
| 3 | MASTER OUTPUT | Master output (RCA) to speakers |
| 4 | MIC INPUT | Unbalanced microphone 1/4” / 6.5mm input |
| 5 | MIC LEVEL ADJUST |
Adjust the microphone input level |
| 6 | HEADPHONES | Connect headphones via a 1/4" audio output |
| # | DDJ-SB3 CONTROL | FUNCTION |
SHIFT |
| 1 | FX SECTION | SEE DJ-FX FOR MORE INFORMATION | - |
| 2 | KEYLOCK | Press to toggle KEYLOCK per deck | Adjust Tempo Range per deck |
| 3 | TEMPO SLIDER | Adjust tempo/pitch | Ignore tempo/pitch adjustment |
| 4 | LOAD |
Load the selected track to the deck. Press twice to instant double |
- |
| 5 | BROWSE | Library Scroll. Press to toggle between track and crate selection. | Fast library scroll. Press in for Library back |
| 6 | MASTER LEVEL | Adjust the Master output level | - |
| 7 | HEADPHONES LEVEL | Adjust the headphone output level | - |
| 8 | CUE SECTION | Press to Cue specific channel or master for headphone monitoring | - |
| 9 | DECK LAYER | Press to change the deck layer between decks 2 & 4 | - |
| 10 | PLATTER/JOG WHEEL | Control waveform within Serato DJ or bend pitch (depending on platter mode) | Fast waveform scroll or aggressive pitch bend |
| 11 | LOOP CONTROLS |
Engage autoloop, and 1/2x or 2x loop length |
Reloop/Exit loop, or adjust the in & out point of a manual loop |
| 12 | PERFORMANCE PADS | SEE PERFORMANCE PADS FOR MORE INFORMATION | - |
| 13 | CHANNEL FADER | Adjusts channel volume | Channel Fader start |
| 14 | CROSSFADER | Crossfade audio between channels | - |
| 15 | CHANNEL METER | Observe channel levels | - |
| 16 | VINYL | Toggle VINYL mode on or off | Toggle Slip mode on or off |
| 17 | PLAY/PAUSE | Toggle Play/Pause on selected deck | Stutter Play |
| 18 | CUE | Cues from temporary cue point/Set temporary cue point | Load previous track |
| 19 | SYNC | Turn SYNC on | Turn SYNC off |
| 20 | SHIFT | Used with other controls that have a SHIFT modifier function | - |
| 21 | CHANNEL EQ/TRIM/FILTER | Adjust channel EQ, level & engage channel filter (LPF/HPF) | - |
Performance Pads
The Pioneer DJ DDJ-SB3 has 8 RGB performance pads that can be used across 8 different modes.
The modes consist of:
HOT CUE mode: Pads 1-8 trigger Serato DJ Pro Cue points, and if no Cue point is present on that slot/
pad, sets a Cue point. Holding SHIFT while pressing a pad will clear the Cue point from that pad/slot.
BEAT JUMP mode: Hold SHIFT while pressing HOT CUE to enter Beat Jump mode. Pad 1 triggers a Beat
Jump left, while pad 4 Beat Jumps right. Pads 2 & 3 halve and double Beat Jump size respectively.
Pad 5 jumps to the start of the track or loads the previous track, pads 6 & 7 rewind and fast forward, and
pad 8 activates the Censor. Holding SHIFT while pressing pad 8 reverses the playback direction.
FX FADE mode: In this mode, pads 1-8 offer a variety of predefined combination FX & looping / platter
modifications. Pad 1: HPF fade 1, Pad 2: LPF fade 1, Pad 3: Loop Fade 1, Pad 4: Backspin 1, Pad 5: HPF Fade 2, Pad 6: LPF Fade 2, Pad 7: Loop Fade 2, Pad 8: Backspin 2.
ROLL mode: Hold SHIFT while pressing FX FADE to enter Loop roll mode. In this mode holding pads 1-8
activates a loop roll of varying sizes. Release the pad to exit the Loop Roll. Use the ‘Shift Autoloop range’
controls in Serato DJ Pro to change the 8 selected loop size options.
PAD SCRATCH mode: Press pads 1-8 to trigger predetermined Scratches over a Cue point. Hold SHIFT
while pressing pads 1-4 to change to a new Cue point to effect.
SLICER mode: Hold SHIFT while pressing PAD SCRATCH to enter Slicer mode. In this mode, a specified
range (or domain) is divided into eight equal sections, and these eight sliced sections are assigned to the
respective performance pads (1-8). The domain shifts as the track duration elapses.
SAMPLER mode: Press pads 1-8 to trigger samples loaded into the Serato DJ Pro Sampler. Hold SHIFT
while pressing a pad to stop the sample playback once triggered or load a sample to the respective Sampler slot if no sample is loaded.
TRANS mode: Hold SHIFT while pressing SAMPLER to enter Trans mode. Press pads 1-7 to perform a predetermined ‘transform’ cut in this mode. Pad 8 allows you to extend the duration of the transform cut to your liking (press & hold to engage and release to cease).
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:
| DDJ-SB3 CONTROL | FX FUNCTION |
SHIFT |
| FX 1 BUTTON | Slot 1 Effect On/Off | Slot 1 Select Effect |
| FX 2 BUTTON | Slot 2 Effect On/Off | Decrease Beat multiplier value |
| FX 3 BUTTON | Slot 3 Effect On/Off | Increase Beat multiplier value |
| FX LEVEL PARAMETER | Adjust FX Parameter (1-3) | - |
Looping
You can control Auto and Manual Loops within Serato DJ Pro using controls on the Pioneer DJ DDJ-SB3.
NOTE: You can also save a loop to the next available free loop slot in the software. To do this, click 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.
| DDJ-SB3 CONTROL | FUNCTION |
SHIFT |
| AUTO LOOP | Activate Autoloop | Reloop or Exit current loop |
| 1/2X | Half loop size | Edit Loop IN point |
| 2X | Double loop size | Edit Loop OUT point |
In Loop Roll pad mode, you may also control Loop sizes with the 1/2x and 2x buttons.
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.
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.