Hercules DJ Console Mk2 review

Want to DJ on your laptop or PC?

Simple! Plug the Hercules into a spare USB socket and it takes over sound card duties. Load up the supplied Virtual DJ software and it provides two virtual 'decks', which you can use to play any music you have stored on your hard disk. You can even connect your vinyl turntables and mix between records, CDs and MP3s.

The unit has an array of inputs, outputs, buttons, dials and sliders. The controls allow you to stop and start tracks playing, adjust their playback speed, alter volume levels and set cue points, so you can quickly find important sections of the tracks you are using. For example, where the drumbeat kicks in. A central, horizontal slider called a 'crossfader' lets you fade between the two virtual 'decks'. Two little jog-dials let you 'scratch' the tracks you're playing back and forth. This replicates mixing on vinyl turntables where you can physically grab the record, or keep two tracks from drifting out of sync with each other by giving the record platter a gentle prod with your finger. A headphone socket and input selector at the front of the unit lets you select which deck you want to hear, so that you can easily cue up the next track.

The Virtual DJ software supplied is adequate for learning the basics of DJing. Its range of sound-warping effects and beat-mangling utilities are fun to play with and it's clearly laid out too, but we found setting up cue points a bit frustrating at times.

Mixing other music was reasonably intuitive and we soon got the hang of it, but there are other physical niggles. The crossfader was a little cramped for our chubby fingers and we often found ourselves accidentally nudging the dials and ruining a good mix - annoying.

For the money, the DJ Console provides a decent sound card, a control surface, audio inputs for turntables and some reasonable software. We weren't too keen on the Virtual DJ software, but you can use other software, such as the cheap and excellent DjDecks (www.djdecks.be).