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Denon HC5000 Getting Started Guide

Serato ITCH is the software interface specifically designed for seamless integration with your Denon HC5000 hardware. However, like most hardware and software connections you may encounter some anomalies with their setup and the way they communicate with each other.

Even if you are an experienced user, it is a good idea to check the basics before looking further.

Ensure you are running the latest version of ITCH from here, or by going into the setup screen and clicking the ‘check for updates’ button.

It is always recommended that you read the manual as it will help you to better understand the programs and troubleshoot tricky situations. If possible take the manual and this troubleshoot guide with you to your gigs.
. You can also download the latest user manual from here.

ITCH also contains Tooltips. To enable click on the ? icon at the top of your screen to provide a dialog box describing ITCH software features when you place your mouse over it.

HC5000 BASICS

The Denon DN-HC5000 is a portable digital DJ device for use in mobile entertainment or club installations. It is intended for use with an external DJ mixer. You can control functions within ITCH from the HC5000 control surface.

The HC5000 isn't USB powered and will need to be plugged into a spare socket to be powered. If the unit is receiving power the unit’s lights will be illuminated.

For the HC5000 to communicate with the ITCH software, you will need to connect a USB cable from your laptop to the HC5000.

Keep your HC5000 and cables away from any power source (power strip) or speaker driver as these can cause interference.

Check you have set up the HC5000 as shown in the manual. If you can't hear any sound, make sure you follow the setup instructions step for step, sometimes unplugging and starting from scratch can solve any issues you have.

USB CONNECTION

Ensure that your HC5000 is receiving an adequate USB signal. If it isn't you'll encounter USB dropouts and audible glitches while playing. If this happens, try the following steps:

  • Always plug directly into the computer’s USB port, not a hub.
  • Ensure USB drivers are up to date for your machine. These can usually be found on your laptop manufacturer’s website.
  • Check that you are using a ‘good’ USB port. (If you are using a Macbook Pro, this can be the left port or if there are two USB ports on the left or with a Macbook this will be the port furthest away from the screen.)
  • Otherwise try all ports until you find one which works best.

ITCH PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION


To ensure ITCH runs smoothly on your laptop, follow these steps:

  • Switch off Bluetooth.
  • Disable any Anti-Virus software.
  • Switch off wireless network and unplug any wired network connections.
  • Switch off screen saver and set sleep mode to 'never'.
  • Make sure your hard drive doesn't have a sleep mode selected.
  • Ensure you have ample room left on your hard drive (this is approximately a minimum of 10% of your hard drive capacity - both internal and external).
  • Close down any other software, including antivirus software or the like.
  • Calibrate your USB buffer setting. Start with the USB buffer slider at the hard right position, and slowly move it as far to the left as you can before you notice any audio interruptions or loss of performance. Ideally you will want the lowest buffer setting possible.