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-400 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-400 CONTROL | FUNCTION |
| 1 | KENSINGTON LOCK | Connect Kensington Lock to secure the device |
| 2 | USB PORT | Connect a USB cable to a computer |
| 3 | MASTER OUTPUT | Master output (RCA) to speakers |
| 4 | MIC INPUT & LEVEL | Connect microphone via TRS. Turn to adjust the microphone input volume |
| 5 | HEADPHONES | Connect headphones via a 1/8" audio output |
| # | DDJ-400 CONTROL | FUNCTION |
SHIFT |
| 1 | IN |
Set Loop in point Long Press to activate a 4-beat loop |
- |
| 2 | OUT | Set Loop out point | - |
| 3 | RELOOP / EXIT | Press to exit loop/trigger reloop | Press to toggle loop active/ inactive |
| 4 | 1/2X | Halve Active Loop / Select Previous Loop Slot | - |
| 5 | 2X | Double Active Loop / Select Next Loop Slot | - |
| 6 | HEADPHONES (SECTION) |
Adjust headphone level, and adjust headphone cue/master mix | - |
| 7 | CHANNEL EQ | Adjust the HI, MID & LOW frequency per channel | - |
| 8 | LOAD |
Load selected track to the corresponding deck Double click to instant double |
Sort by BPM (left load) Library back (right load) |
| 9 | BROWSE | Turn to scroll library |
Library Back (Press) Fast library scroll (Twist) |
| 10 | FILTER |
Applys the selected Channel FX |
- |
| 11 | TRIM | Adjust channel input gain | - |
| 12 | MASTER LEVEL | Adjust master output volume | - |
| 13 | SYNC |
Turn SYNC on Long press to turn SYNC off |
Adjust Tempo Range |
| 14 | TEMPO SLIDER | Adjust tempo/pitch | - |
| 15 | PERFORMANCE PADS (SECTION) |
SEE PERFORMANCE PADS FOR MORE INFORMATION | - |
| 16 | BEAT FX (SECTION) | SEE FX SECTION FOR MORE INFORMATION | - |
| 17 | CHANNEL CUE | Toggle channel cue for headphone monitoring | Tap Tempo |
| 18 | CROSSFADER | Crossfade audio between channels | |
| 19 | CHANNEL FADER | Adjusts channel volume | - |
| 20 | PLAY/PAUSE | Toggle Play/Pause on selected deck | Stutter Play |
| 21 | CUE | Cue from temporary cue point/Set temporary cue point | Previous Track |
| 22 | SHIFT | Used with other controls that have a SHIFT modifier function | - |
| 23 | JOG WHEEL | Turn jog to bend pitch, or control waveform within Serato DJ in vinyl mode | Platter Skip |
Performance Pads
The Pioneer DJ DDJ-400 comes with 8 performance pads, that can be used across 6 different performance pad modes.
In Serato DJ Lite, in all pad modes, pad 5 loads the previous track, pads 6 and 7 rewind and fast-forward the playing track, and pad 8 performs the Censor function.
Holding SHIFT while pressing Censor toggles reverse playback for the playing track.
The first 4 modes can be triggered by pressing the performance pad mode button once:
HOT CUE mode: Press HOTCUES once, to enter this mode. Pressing pads 1-4 will add Cue Points or trigger existing ones. Holding SHIFT and pressing pads 1-4 will delete the Cue Points.
BEAT LOOP mode: Pads 1-4 trigger an Auto Loop of varying sizes. Press the same pad for a second time to exit an Auto Loop.
BEAT JUMP mode: Press pads 1 and 4 perform Beat Jump left & right respectively, while pads 2 & 3 halve and double the Beat Jump size.
SAMPLER mode: Press pads 1-4 in this mode to trigger samples loaded into the Serato DJ Lite Sampler.
Holding SHIFT while pressing a Pad will stop a currently playing Sampler slot or load a new sample if it is empty.
The second 2 modes can be triggered by holding the SHIFT button while pressing the performance pad mode button once:
PAD FX 1 mode: Press the BEAT LOOP mode button while holding SHIFT to enter Pad FX 1 mode. This mode allows the user to trigger quick and powerful preconfigured FX in an intuitive manner. Pads 1-4 can be pressed and held to apply FX and consist of Echo, Flanger, Reverb, and Repeater.
LOOP ROLL mode: Press the PAD FX2 mode button while holding SHIFT to enter Loop Roll mode. Holding Pads 1-4 activates a loop roll of varying sizes. Release the pad to exit the Loop Roll.
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-400 CONTROL | FX FUNCTION |
SHIFT |
| TIME/PARAMETER | Press left or right to adjust Beats Multiplier value |
Reset Tap Tempo value (Left) Set Tap Tempo value (Right) |
| FX SELECT |
Press to cycle forward FX Slot 1 FX Unit 1 selection |
Cycle backwards FX Unit 1 selection |
| 1 / 2 / MASTER | Move the slider to assign FX Unit 1 output to either Deck 1, 2, or Master |
- |
| LEVEL/DEPTH |
Turn to adjust the level/depth of FX Slot 1 FX Unit 1 |
- |
| FX ON / OFF |
Turn FX on/off of FX Slot 1 FX Unit 1 |
- |
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.