Hercules DJControl Inpulse T7 test – The world spins with you!

In the late ’60s and early ’70s, it was an American DJ, Francis Grasso, who not only connected two record players to the mixer invented by Rudy Bozak and developed for record players, but also made his beatmatching technique a success (i.e. when two songs play in the same rhythm, thus making the mixing smoother and more natural), on the other hand, he was the one who usually played pre-composed sets (as opposed to the audience-wish program that was common at the time), thereby bringing greater creativity and narrative compared to the programs that were common until then – and thereby creating the foundations of modern DJing. And the Hercules DJControl Inpulse T7 evokes this period in its own, modernized way: with two decks that look like real turntables and a well-tailored mixer.

Let’s start with what this controller offers to professionals – especially mobile DJs! The competition is primarily Rane One, Pioneer DDJ-REV7 and Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S4 Mk3: they offer motorized jogwheels, which add to the feel of a turntable. Let’s start with the price: the T7 seriously undercuts the Rev7, the Rane One, no different – it is roughly at the level of the S4, which means slightly more than HUF 300,000. In terms of weight, the flag is once again the T7: with its 5 kilograms, it is half as heavy as its Japanese and American counterparts, while the German one is a little lighter than it.

Cheaper, easier – where’s the trick then? In terms of inputs and outputs, the T7 provides the minimum necessary (RCA and XLR outputs, 6.3 mm jack microphone input), and in terms of software, it only comes with Serato DJ Lite in addition to Hercules’ own Djuced program (but it is also officially supported by VirtualDJ already). And the Traktor S4? The four channel! Yes, but the currently available Mk3 model is only compatible with Traktor’s own software, which, let’s face it, is a bit behind the others… So I have a light, cheap, fully equipped controller that has the necessary inputs and outputs, and although in terms of software costs may arise if someone does not choose Djuced, but at least you can now freely choose between Serato DJ Pro and VirtualDJ.

There were a few who doubted the chosen mechanism: most professional hip-hop and scratch DJs prefer direct drive motor players, because in general they can work more precisely with them. Well, although the T7 received a belt-driven mechanism, the tension and durability of the belt, as well as the precise adjustment of the engine torque, were a priority for the French – and there is no better proof of success than the enthusiasm of Mojaxx, for example.

The T7 might be even more interesting for beginners. Why? Because turntable wizardry launched hip-hop music with Kool Herc in the late ’70s, and the art of scratching with Grand Wizzard Theodore and Grandmaster Flash. I myself am a beginner with vinyls, and to my surprise, they are more difficult to deal with than static plates – at the same time, I was captivated by their special charm and challenge. I’m not sure that it’s worth starting with this right away (the Inpulse 300 or 500 might be more suitable for that), but if a DJ-padawan really wants to acquire as wide a range of technical skills as possible, then he must be able to handle these dark discs as well.

Not only does harmonizing the tempo require a slightly different method compared to traditional controllers, but also scratching: it is more difficult, but in return it somehow gives a greater experience. I was also very happy with the longer than usual tempo sliders, you can set the speed of the songs more precisely this way – and since all major software already supports the stems function, i.e. the mixing of vocals and various instruments – we also got dedicated buttons for this. And the effects can be turned on and off with a special switch: from the lower position, it jumps back to the middle when released, and from the upper position, you have to turn it back manually. And, of course, the Hercules specialty also pays its respects here: the beatmatch guide, which can help a lot in learning how to mix.

Do I need to say how impressed I am with the Hercules DJControl Inpulse T7? I can’t really fault it, but it’s okay to poke around a bit: a separate line input would have been nice, and the microphone would have been able to handle an equalizer… Well, let’s not be insatiable – it’s still great stuff!

The product shown was provided by Hercules.