1. Introduction - Retail Package
Hercules DJ Console - Page 1
- Introduction
The
music industry is one of the most profitable areas in the global
economy. Music is something that most users love to listen to and
of course dance to as well.
The evolution of computers and PCs has given many end users the chance to
practice their skills at creating and "manipulating" dance
music. When visiting a night club or bar, we all like to have our favorite
song played by the person
responsible for that task, the disc jokey (aka DJ). But professional DJ equipement
has always been rather costly, thus denying the average enthusiast
the chance of playing, mixing and scratching their favorite mp3/cd tracks...until
recently
that is.
The Hercules
DJ
Console promises
to
bring DJ mixing for PC users to another level.
- Features
Hercules describes the DJ console "...as an external portable DJ controller, multichannel USB audio and MIDI interface for desktop/laptop PCs. The product is aimed for amateur home DJs, MP3/digital music fans, Club DJs, FM/Internet radio DJs. Users can access tens of thousands of their favourite digital tracks and find any title in seconds with no need to lug around hundreds of CDs or LPs. DJ Console is also perfectly suited for use under low light conditions at parties thanks to at-a-glance LED mode indicators plus backlit and phosphorescent soft rubber keys.
Fun, easy mixing/scratching dual wheels
- Mix, scratch and control digital music in real time, from MP3s, WMAs to CDs
- Solid design with phosphorescent keys creating the perfect DJ atmosphere.
- Tactile controls give much better control on DJ mixing than PC keyboard.
Take full control of your music with the DJ Console!
- Scratch audio files and CDs
- Adjust cue points to create great loops
- Adjust BPM (Beats Per Minute) for smooth transitions between tracks
- Speed up/slow down music.
Optimised DJ sound
- Play one track for your audience while previewing another on your headphones to create seamless mixes
- Add voice-overs by lowering the music volume with the click of a button,
allowing you to talk to your "fans"
Ideal to use with all of the latest music and audio applications including: Cakewalk SONAR, SONAR 2, SONAR 3, Cakewalk Pro Audio, Guitar Tracks Pro, Home Studio, Steinberg Cubase VST, Cubase SX, Cubase SL, Cubase SE, Nuendo, Wavelab, Emagic Logic Audio, Adobe Audition, Syntrillium Cool Edit Pro, Cool Edit Pro 2, Sonic Foundry Sound Forge, Acid, Samplitude, GigaStudio, Propellerheads Reason, Ableton Live, Image Line FL Studio (Fruityloops) and other music software..."
- Package
We received the Hercules DJ Console European retail package. The
package contains the DJ CONSOLE unit (size 200x235x65 mm), a detachable
cover, non-slip footing
and shoulder strap, USB and RCA cables, two CDs (installation software & 800
music samples) and a printed installation guide. The warranty on the unit
is
2 years and the package is priced at around £169.00.
Professional users may be dissapointed that the DJ Console doesn't
come in a standard 1U rack mount format, but as Hercules explains "...Hercules
DJ Console is intended for the consumer market, not the professional market,
and the majority of consumers do not have a 1U chassis on which to fix a DJ
controller. Moreover, Hercules DJ Console is intended for mobile use (which
is why it is USB powered), and the fact that DJ Console is only 23.5cm (9¼ inches)
wide makes it much more portable than if it were in the 1U format (48cm/19
inches wide)..."
Hercules lists the PC and operating system recommendations as
follows:
- Desktop/laptop PC with Intel® Pentium II 400mHz (700mHz recommended), Athlon 500 MHz and higher or compatible
- 128MB RAM
- Windows 98SE, Me, 2000 & XP
- USB port
- Headphones or amplified speakers
- CD or DVD-ROM drive
- Microphone
- Internet connection
- 100MB hard disk space
It is advisable to visit the Hercules website and
download the latest firmware and drivers, since Hercules updates them frequently.
You should also take a look at the FAQ before proceeding with the installation
and use of your console, where you will find many answers. Among them,
is the DJ Console compatible
with the MAC: "...We are currently studying the prospect of a DJ Console
for Mac OS X, but it would not use the same hardware as the PC version..."
2. The Hardware
Hercules DJ Console - Page 2
- The Hardware
Looking at the console we notice a very orderly and organized layout but
with quite a few buttons, knobs and LEDS, so it may take quite some time
before you become familiar with their location and all their functions, especially
for novice users:
The Hercules DJ Console includes:
- 2 vinyl-style jog wheels for spinning and scratching, with finger grips
for rapid, accurate song searching or speed adjustment
- 1 crossfader for seamless mixing between the two decks
- 6 ergonomic potentiometers and bass/medium/treble controls for creative
remixing on the fly
- 2 rotary encoders and 2 sliders for tweaking volume or changing the speed
of music (pitch/master tempo) in real time
- 28 buttons to play/pause songs, speed music up or down for accurate mixing
(pitch bend), add effects, cue points (song positions) and loops on the fly,
skip through tracks backwards or forwards, rewind or fast forward and more
- A soft rubber ministick provides mouse emulation or allows for special
DJ FX control
Below are more detailed views from the console:
We can see the 2 vinyl-style jog wheels which are used for spinning and scratching,
the crossfader slider, the cue/play/next-previous tracks and auto beat buttons.
The Cue and Play/Pause buttons are backlit in orange and green,
as shown int the photo above.
At the top of the console, we can find the treble/medium/bass and volume knobs,
the pitch slider control, the FX/Cue/Loop buttons, the monitor and load buttons
and the trackball joystick control.
On the front side of the console we can see the stereo line input (2 RCA
plugs), ¼ inch
(6.35mm) stereo microphone input and ¼ inch (6.35mm) stereo headphone
output.
You can very easily attach the included shoulder strap for easy transportation:
On the rear side of the unit, you will further find the digital optical/coaxial
In/Out, MIDI In/Out, 5.1-channel output via minijack (3.5mm) or RCA plugs.
The Hercules DJ console, besides being a contoller, is also an external USB
audio interface for any PC, with 16-bit, 48kHz sampling and 24-bit ADC/DAC.
No external power supply is required,
the device being powered by either of USB1/2 ports.
3. Installation
Hercules DJ Console - Page 3
- Installation Procedure
We used the latest available driver pack (C031G) and the latest firmware (V34)
update. Our console already had the V34 firmware:
After connecting the USB cable to the PC, the hardware wizard will appear
asking for the drivers. Press cancel and run the downloaded driver pack. The
installation procedure is very straight forward:
After the installation has completed and the system reboots, a green
icon will have been added to the taskbar for the DJ Console mixer:
From the taskbar icon, we can setup the Hercules DJ Console properties.
The default audio mode is "Standard" while
Advanced and ASIO modes are also offered:
The main difference between Standard (5.1), Advanced (DJ) and ASIO modes is the headphone output management:
- In Standard/5.1 mode, the headphones use playback channels 1 and 2, which means that the user hears over the headphones what is being played on the front speakers.
- In Advanced/DJ mode, the headphones use playback channels 3 and 4 for the
DJ to:
- Play audio for the audience in stereo on channels 1 and 2.
- Get a headphone pre-listening (on channels 3 and 4) of the audio mix being prepared.
The other additional function in Advanced mode is the Talkover function
(cf point 13)
- ASIO is a driver setting created by Steinberg. With some music software
applications, channels 1 and 2 are duplicated in ASIO mode on the headphones
output, as is the case with Standard 5.1 mode. Most software that supports
ASIO will also have a WDM setting.
The DJ Console Softmapper is a powerful mapping interface allowing you to
assign keyboard shortcuts to your DJ Console's controls for keyboard
control
of audio applications (mapping of digital controls only).
The latest driver pack for the Hercules DJ offers MIDI capabilities.
Most music software incorporating MIDI control, features a "learning" mode,
allowing the user to assign specific functions to individual buttons and so
on. MIDI control makes using music software much easier and far more enjoyable
by giving users tactile control for all their favorite functions. The Hercules
DJ Console can send the following MIDI commands:
- 28 fixed MIDI messages, via the DJ Console's 28 buttons.
- 11 gradual MIDI commands, via the 6 finite rotary potentiometers (independent Treble, Medium and Bass frequency controls for each of the 2 decks), 3 sliders (2 pitch sliders and a crossfader) and the directional stick (2 MIDI commands via the X and Y axes).
- 4 MIDI velocity instructions, controlled by the rotation speed of the 2 infinite rotary potentiometers (independent volume controls) and 2 jog wheels.
4. The Software
Hercules DJ Console - Page 4
- The Software
The Hercules DJ console comes with various software applications:
- Storm DJ Edition v2.0 build 144 from Storm Music Studio, audio sequencer software
- Ots CD Scratch 1200 v1.00.021 demo
- OtsDJ demo v1.00.185 demo from Ots Audio, a virtual turntable CD player and a revolutionary MP3/CD/WAV playback system for DJs, radio stations and music lovers
- Ots Studio v1.00.016 demo
- Virtual DJ v1.08 Console Edition from Atomix Productions
There is already an update for
v1.09 SE which should be applied. The Console version will work fully (i.e.
it doesn't expire) with your Hercules DJ Console, however the sticker included
in the retail
package "Virtual DJ - Full Professional DJ Software Specifically
tailored for DJ Console", may lead many users to believe that
they will have free access to the latest versions of Virtual DJ.
Atomix Productions has already released v2.01 of Virtual DJ with many
fixes and new features, and currently, no discount is on offer for DJ Console
users
to upgrade. Hercules also doesn't offer an updated version
on their website. This means if you decide to buy the full Virtual DJ version
you would have to pay an extra €99.00. The main differences from
the Pro version are:
- Support for sound devices other than the Hercules DJ Console.
- Virtual scratching on the jog wheels (with the DJ Console version, you can scratch with the mini-stick.You must enable this function in the Virtual DJ SET menu, in the controller setting, and you can then scratch on a deck for which monitoring is enabled (headphones LED on)).
- Real-time mixing of an external sound source.
- MIDI keyboard support.
- PCDJ DAC2 and Numark DMC1 controller support.
- Support for free plug-ins.
Other than this issue, Virtual DJ is one of the best Mp3/CD mixing software
packages and users will have lots of fun using it.
There is also other software that can be used with the Hercules DJ Console:
5. USB Audio Card abilities
Hercules DJ Console - Page 5
- USB Audio Card abilities
As we said earlier, the Hercules DJ console can also be used as an external
sound card with high-level specifications:
- Sampling up to 16-bit/48KHz in WDM mode.
- 24-bit/96KHz ADC and DAC.
There are 2 sampling modes:
- WDM sampling: hardware sampling up to 16-bit/48KHz; other formats (24-bit/96KHz) are software interpolation.
- ASIO 2.0 sampling: 2 input/4 output hardware sampling at 24-bit/48KHz; 2 input/6 output at16-bit/48KHz..
According to Hercules, the ASIO 2.0 latency is between 5 and 6ms.
When using ASIO 2.0 drivers, your are restricted to using only 48KHz and
no 44KHz. Hercules explains that "...The
USB audio clock is close to 48KHz, so files sampled at 48KHz are played directly
via
USB while files sampled at 44KHz are over-sampled at 48KHz by the CPU to play
via USB, which increases the latency for 44KHz files. Considering that the
latency via USB for 44.1KHz files is not much better in ASIO 2 than in WDM
mode, while ASIO 2 has a latency benefit at 48KHz, we have determined that
WDM drivers are sufficient for 44.1KHz files..."
6. DJ Tests
Hercules DJ Console - Page 6
- DJ Tests
As we mentioned before, the bulked version of Virtual DJ is 1.08
(and with update 1.09). You can also use the newly released v2.01 Demo version,
but important
features
will not work (like previewing next songs).
For our tests we mainly used Virtual DJ v2.00 from Atomix Productions.
The full version compared with the demo, further supports:
- Jogwheel scratch
- Sound output from EACH of the decks in VDJ, giving you
the ability to connect to external mixer
- You can choose in VDJ setup or in VDJ skin (some support)
if jogwheels are to be in nudge (speed up/down) or scratch mode
In VDJ 2.xx, to make Hercules work in one-output and headphone
prelisten mode, go to the soundcard setup in VDJ, and browse all the way
to the bottom of the setup images until you see the Hercules image, then
choose it. Also, to get DUAL sound output, you need to select the 4.1 soundcard
+ external
mixer image in the soundcard setup in VDJ (only available in full version,
not demo).
After loading the Virtual DJ software, you'll see what should be a very
familiar interface which resembles your DJ console:
We will assume you are already familiar with the basic elements of DJing,
so we will simply present our thoughts after our extensive use of the VirtualDJ
+ Hercules DJ consoles, remebering however that we are not Pro DJs:-)
Positive
- The VirtualDJ software corresponds very closely
to the hardware. The crossfader not only moves on the hardware
console, but also in the
software,
while the wheels are very good for scratching.
- The Hercules DJ Console can handle almost all Virtual DJ
functions, except for beatlock.
- The cue/stop buttons on the console work much like
on real CD players, which most Pro DJs will like.
- The build quality of the console is good, although Pro
users may wish for a metal instead of plastic case.
- The sound production from the DJ Console is very good.
Negative
- The joystick is slow and while it can even be used to
browse folders, we would reccomend using a normal mouse instead.
- The two jogwheels are too close to the play/cue buttons
and the crossfader. This might cause problems with accidental scratching
of tracks while crossfading. For continued use,
we advise turning the jogs off.
- The headphone output volume is weak, especially when music is very loud.
7. Hardware Tests - Page 1
Hercules DJ Console - Page 7
- Hardware Tests
In order to measure the output quality of the DJ Console, we used the RightMark
Audio Analyzer v5.44. The software can produce and analyze the DJ console in/out
circuits giving us an idea of what to expect. For our tests we used the RCA/Digital/Coxial
in-out jacks with external loopback (line-out - line-in).
All the RightMark Audio Analyzer results can be downloaded for RCA, Digital, Coaxial.
16Bit 44 Khz
Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: |
+0.04, -0.05 |
Excellent |
Noise level, dB (A): |
-94.3 |
Very good |
Dynamic range, dB (A): |
93.7 |
Very good |
THD, %: |
0.0086 |
Very good |
IMD, %: |
0.013 |
Very good |
Stereo crosstalk, dB: |
-94.8 |
Excellent |
IMD at 10 kHz, %: |
0.012 |
Very good |
General performance: Very good
Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: |
+0.00, -0.00 |
Excellent |
Noise level, dB (A): |
-96.0 |
Excellent |
Dynamic range, dB (A): |
95.5 |
Excellent |
THD, %: |
0.0048 |
Very good |
IMD, %: |
0.011 |
Very good |
Stereo crosstalk, dB: |
-97.1 |
Excellent |
IMD at 10 kHz, %: |
0.0099 |
Very good |
General performance: Excellent
Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: |
+0.00, -0.00 |
Excellent |
Noise level, dB (A): |
-95.7 |
Excellent |
Dynamic range, dB (A): |
95.5 |
Excellent |
THD, %: |
0.0048 |
Very good |
IMD, %: |
0.011 |
Very good |
Stereo crosstalk, dB: |
-97.5 |
Excellent |
IMD at 10 kHz, %: |
0.010 |
Very good |
General performance: Excellent
The results as RightMark Audio Analyzer v5.44 reported were excellent for Digital/Coaxial and very good for RCA outputs.
16bit-48Khz
Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: |
+0.04, -0.05 |
Excellent |
Noise level, dB (A): |
-95.4 |
Excellent |
Dynamic range, dB (A): |
95.3 |
Excellent |
THD, %: |
0.0072 |
Very good |
IMD, %: |
0.0083 |
Very good |
Stereo crosstalk, dB: |
-94.7 |
Excellent |
IMD at 10 kHz, %: |
0.0088 |
Very good |
General performance: Excellent
Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: |
+0.00, -0.00 |
Excellent |
Noise level, dB (A): |
-98.1 |
Excellent |
Dynamic range, dB (A): |
98.0 |
Excellent |
THD, %: |
0.0003 |
Excellent |
IMD, %: |
0.0037 |
Excellent |
Stereo crosstalk, dB: |
-98.5 |
Excellent |
IMD at 10 kHz, %: |
0.0040 |
Excellent |
General performance: Excellent
Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: |
+0.00, -0.00 |
Excellent |
Noise level, dB (A): |
-98.1 |
Excellent |
Dynamic range, dB (A): |
98.1 |
Excellent |
THD, %: |
0.0003 |
Excellent |
IMD, %: |
0.0037 |
Excellent |
Stereo crosstalk, dB: |
-99.5 |
Excellent |
IMD at 10 kHz, %: |
0.0040 |
Excellent |
General performance: Excellent
At 48 Khz, the performance was very good providing excellent results
8. Hardware Tests - Page 2
Hercules DJ Console - Page 8
24bit-48Khz
Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: |
+0.04, -0.05 |
Excellent |
Noise level, dB (A): |
-95.4 |
Excellent |
Dynamic range, dB (A): |
95.3 |
Excellent |
THD, %: |
0.0072 |
Very good |
IMD, %: |
0.0082 |
Very good |
Stereo crosstalk, dB: |
-94.6 |
Excellent |
IMD at 10 kHz, %: |
0.0089 |
Very good |
General performance: Excellent
Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: |
+0.00, -0.00 |
Excellent |
Noise level, dB (A): |
-98.1 |
Excellent |
Dynamic range, dB (A): |
98.0 |
Excellent |
THD, %: |
0.0003 |
Excellent |
IMD, %: |
0.0037 |
Excellent |
Stereo crosstalk, dB: |
-99.9 |
Excellent |
IMD at 10 kHz, %: |
0.0040 |
Excellent |
General performance: Excellent
Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: |
+0.00, -0.00 |
Excellent |
Noise level, dB (A): |
-98.1 |
Excellent |
Dynamic range, dB (A): |
98.1 |
Excellent |
THD, %: |
0.0003 |
Excellent |
IMD, %: |
0.0037 |
Excellent |
Stereo crosstalk, dB: |
-98.8 |
Excellent |
IMD at 10 kHz, %: |
0.0040 |
Excellent |
General performance: Excellent
24bits are not a problem for the Hercules DJ Console and the results are again excellent!
24bit-96Khz
Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: |
+0.04, -0.05 |
Excellent |
Noise level, dB (A): |
-98.7 |
Excellent |
Dynamic range, dB (A): |
96.3 |
Excellent |
THD, %: |
0.0073 |
Very good |
IMD, %: |
0.0083 |
Very good |
Stereo crosstalk, dB: |
-94.9 |
Excellent |
IMD at 10 kHz, %: |
0.0100 |
Very good |
General performance: Excellent
Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: |
+0.00, -0.00 |
Excellent |
Noise level, dB (A): |
-149.1 |
Excellent |
Dynamic range, dB (A): |
101.6 |
Excellent |
THD, %: |
0.0022 |
Excellent |
IMD, %: |
0.0049 |
Excellent |
Stereo crosstalk, dB: |
-148.9 |
Excellent |
IMD at 10 kHz, %: |
0.0068 |
Excellent |
General performance: Excellent
Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: |
+0.00, -0.00 |
Excellent |
Noise level, dB (A): |
-149.2 |
Excellent |
Dynamic range, dB (A): |
101.5 |
Excellent |
THD, %: |
0.0022 |
Excellent |
IMD, %: |
0.0049 |
Excellent |
Stereo crosstalk, dB: |
-149.3 |
Excellent |
IMD at 10 kHz, %: |
0.0068 |
Excellent |
General performance: Excellent
At the highest mode (24/96), the Hercules DJ Console performed as before with excellent results. Very good results for an external soundcard!
Gaming Performance
Unfortunaly, the Hercules DJ Console drivers don't support hardware EAX
extensions, only with software emulation, meaning you will see a drop in
performance with
new games.
9. Conclusion
Hercules DJ Console - Page 9
- Conclusion
Without a doubt, the Hercules DJ Console will become a favorite "toy" for
users who wish to take their first steps in the DJ world. Since
the device is low priced, it is reasonable that some desired features are not
present (e.g. solid metal construction)
but after all, it is aimed at amateur/middle range users. Pro users
will also find the console useful :-)
The
Hercules DJ Console is a hardware device, meaning without the correct software
support, it won't work perfectly. This is where users will be pleased,
since almost all Mp3/CD DJing software supports the Hercules DJ console, and
as in
our case, VirtualDJ became our favourite software, and it may well become
yours. A drawback is that VirtualDJ has already reached version 2.2,
while Hercules offers 1.09. Users
would
have
to thus pay the
full amount to get the complete version of VirtualDJ 2.xx, something that will
not make you too happy...We hope that this will be addressed by Hercules.
Lastly, let's not forget that the Hercules DJ console is an external soundcard
with 5.1 external output, Coaxial/Digital in/out and of course microphone that
will cover all users needs. The performance of the Hercules DJ Console when
tested with the RighMark Audio
Analyzer was excellent in all tests.
Overall, we feel that the Hercules DJ console is a great product (but with
room for improvements), that most buyers will enjoy using.