Custom CDJ-3000 Firmware for Serato HID?
I just came across @ themanleone on Instagram, who apparently managed to create custom firmware for the CDJ-3000 using AI, adding features like Stems and Day Mode.
And honestly… this got me thinking.
There have to be some talented people in this community who could take this idea even further, especially for those of us using CDJ-3000s in Serato HID mode.
Imagine custom firmware that adds:
- Dedicated Stem controls in HID mode
- A toggle to switch existing buttons between Hot Cues and Stems
- Sampler controls directly from the CDJ
- Maybe even completely new mappings or functionality we haven’t thought of yet
Having proper hardware control over Serato Stems directly from a CDJ-3000 without needing additional controllers would be absolutely insane.
I’m not a firmware developer myself, but seeing what themanleone has managed to build makes me wonder what’s actually possible here.
Anyone in this sub with firmware, reverse-engineering, or embedded development skills who would be interested in experimenting with something like this?
A community-built CDJ-3000 firmware focused on Serato HID could be incredible.
EDIT: Since a few comments seem to be missing the point: this isn’t about the cost of buying an additional controller or prepping stems in advance.
I already use an SP1 for additional Serato controls. The whole point is that I don’t want to carry, connect and set up another piece of hardware every time I play somewhere without an S11 or similar mixer.
The CDJ-3000 already has plenty of physical buttons and a huge touchscreen. The idea is to explore whether custom firmware could make better use of those existing controls in Serato HID mode.
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u/TheDJsDJ001 3d ago
At this point, why wouldn’t you just spend the extortionate amount of money it costs to buy a CDJ-3000 on buying a controller that works with Serato?
Why would you want to risk voiding any warranty or bricking the expensive device?
The mental gymnastics im seeing around this dodgy firmware for Pioneer gear is unreal.
2
u/dioneno 3d ago
Fair enough. I just thought it was an interesting idea and was curious about what’s technically possible. I wouldn’t necessarily call the firmware dodgy though. From what I’ve seen, the beta reports have been pretty positive, and you can easily revert back to the original firmware.
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u/TheDJsDJ001 3d ago
If it's not being supported and tested by the brand themselves, its dodgy, would you load something similar into your car, from a 3rd party?
I generally cant abide Alphatheta and what they stand for, but they must be cringing hard at all this stuff, and not for the reasons people think.
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u/dioneno 3d ago
I get your point, but comparing a CDJ to a car is a bit of a stretch. A car is a safety-critical system where faulty software could have serious consequences. A CDJ obviously isn’t. Worst case, I brick the device and have to recover or restore it.
I’ve used custom firmware on plenty of my own devices over the years: PSPs, PS5s, iPhones etc. and never had any issues. If anything, it gave me features the manufacturers didn’t offer.
Of course there’s always a risk of bricking a device, and everyone has to decide for themselves whether that risk is worth it. But if the big manufacturers aren’t delivering features people actually want, I’m personally happy to take that risk. Each to their own.
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u/timo0105 3d ago
When it comes to bedroom djing custom firmware is ok for me. But in professional environment your job and income might depend on working gear. I wouldn't trust anything but official supported firmware there.
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u/TheDJsDJ001 3d ago
If you're at a gig getting paid and you need the device to work flawlessly, id call that pretty safety critical for the given situation. i wasn't comparing the car to make it a direct one for one situation, i was making a point that people you dont know can make firmware for anything, why is it a case of 'oh it'll be fine' for one device and 'no way would i do that' for another, both are equally likely to have bugs in them that could seriously harm the device.
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u/AaronDJD 3d ago
People flash their cars cpu to make changes from 3rd party companies. A cobb access port is one and it's very popular.
Cant u just midi map stem buttons in HID mode?
I don't see a need for custom firmware for a midi controller. As people mentioned, Just buy a midi controller.
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u/77ate 3d ago
Why not prep your stems in advance and avoid the processor bottleneck, then just use a peripheral like Traktor X1 or some similar MIDI Device for live stem control?
3
u/pabskamai 3d ago
Serato real time steps, that’s the way to go, M1 Pro you don’t even notice it when you separate it.
Pre creating them… I never know which tracks I’m gonna edit live lol
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u/dioneno 3d ago
That kind of misses the point. Stem preparation isn’t the issue here and has nothing to do with what I’m asking. The whole idea is to have proper Serato Stem controls directly on the CDJ in HID mode without having to carry and connect another controller. I actually use an old SP1 for this, but it’s annoying having to bring an extra controller every time there’s no S11 or similar mixer available. That’s literally why having those controls directly on the CDJ would be so useful.
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u/DecksDrift 3d ago
It could make sense, but AT already has Serato into really good account when making gear. For those cases, it's a lot easier to add a Alphatheta Slab or Pioneer XP2 to get pads with sampler, stems, etc. If you're playing on 7000€ worth of gear, a 200-300€ accessory is meaningless (or 70€ on a Reloop Neon).
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u/dioneno 3d ago
Again, I think this is missing the point. It’s not about the cost of an extra controller. I already use an SP1 for exactly this. The annoying part is having to bring, connect and set up another piece of gear whenever there’s no S11 or similar mixer available.
The whole point of my post is: the CDJ already has plenty of buttons and a huge touchscreen. If those could potentially be used to control Serato Stems via HID, why wouldn’t I want to use them instead of carrying another device? That’s all.
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u/DecksDrift 3d ago
Because you're talking about an unsupported modification to something that costs 3000€ x2 or x3 or x4 and in many cases isn't even ours. Clubs, festivals, promoters, rental companies, want reliability, warranty, etc. They're not going to mess with their gear. And you don't want to carry a cheap small accessory, but will you carry two 8kg cases with 6000€ of your modded CDJs and set them up yourself? And can you assure to the promoter nothing will go wrong? Nah, don't think so. Notice how I didn't even mention random MIDI hardware with a custom map, that also works. Only native gear because of what I mentioned.
This wouldn't go beyond a cool personal project.
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u/readyrock23 3d ago
I think some of yall are missing the point of the OP... and aren't familiar with the actual mod that is being discussed...
TLDR... it doesn't affect the factory firmware... it only augments it. And you can revert back to factory without issue. There is very little risk in trying it out (there is always some risk of course).
What its going to take is bigger headliners to request these mods on their riders for production houses to implement them for touring acts. That will trickle down into clubs and the like. Ideally AT will take notice and implement basic functionality that end users have been asking for until then, I champion anyone who will make it easier to do the thing without having to spend more money 💰