This November will see Serato release Serato DJ, a new software package aimed at controller-based DJs.

Serato has arguably overtaken the likes of Traktor as the digital DJing software of choice in recent years, but most users still prefer to use it in a traditional-leaning manner, control pads emulating the feel of vinyl turntables or CDJs.

Serato has been selling controller-based interfaces for the program for a while now – the most popular of which is Serato ITCH – but they’ve generally taken a back seat to the aforementioned vinyl and CD interfaces. This may well change with Serato DJ, however: as Resident Advisor report, “In addition to a new user interface, Serato DJ includes a number of new features aimed at controller users. The software has new audio effects from high-end plugin developer iZotope such as echo, ping pong delay, reverb and flanger. Users will also be able to incorporate and customize secondary controllers through MIDI mapping. In terms of mixing options, Serato DJ will expand the number of decks to four and the number of cue points to eight. Many popular features, like the SP-6 sample player and auto tempo matching, will make the move to the new software, and music libraries from Scratch live, ITCH, DJ Intro and iTunes will remain compatible.”

The biggest selling point for Serato DJ may be its collaboration with Pioneer: the CDJ powerhouse – whose recent XDJ-AERO leans towards controller-based DJing, with a beat sync function accompanying its CDJ-style jog-wheels –  have manufactured a fully supported controller for Serato DJ, the DDJ-SX, which comes bundled with the software. This can also be used as a standalone mixer for turntables or CDJs. Another plus: Serato ITCH users can upgrade to Serato DJ for free, while Serato DJ Intro users can upgrade for $199. The Serato website is yet to reveal the price for those fresh to the product, however.