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.
Please ensure you have the latest version of Serato DJ Lite installed:
You can also try Serato DJ Pro, before making a purchase:
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 Lite.
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 Lite 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 5 different modes.
These consist of:
HOT CUE mode: Pads 1-4 trigger Serato DJ Lite 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. Pads 5-8 are transport controls as follows: Previous track, Rewind, Fast forward, Censor & Reverse playback.
FX FADE mode: In this mode, pads 1-8 offer a variety of predefined combination FX & looping / platter modification. 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.
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.
SAMPLER mode: Press pads 1-4 to trigger samples loaded into the Serato DJ Lite 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. Pads 5-8 are transport controls as follows: Previous track, Rewind, Fast forward, Censor & Reverse playback.
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 Lite 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 or by using dedicated controls on your hardware (where available).
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 Lite 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 |
Help
Show Tooltips
Click on the Help button in the upper right-hand corner of Serato DJ Lite, then Show Tooltips to enable Tooltips. Tooltips provide a handy way to learn the various features of Serato DJ Lite.
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 Lite, 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 Lite, then Watch Tutorials to launch
your default internet browser and watch tutorials to help you get familiar with Serato DJ Lite.
Get Support
Click on the Help button in the upper right-hand corner of Serato DJ Lite, then Get Support to launch your default internet browser and navigate to the Serato DJ Lite knowledge base, where you can find helpful articles and guides on Serato DJ Lite. Alternatively, type keywords in the Search Help box to search the Serato DJ Lite knowledge base for specific, related topics.