Hercules DJControl T10 Review: Full 10-inch motorised platters

If the only Hercules gear you know is the budget Inpulse range, you need to park that assumption straight away. The new DJControl T10 is a completely different level and pushes the boundaries with something we’ve never seen on a DJ controller before: full-size 10-inch rotating platters.

We actually first saw this way back in January at the NAMM show, where it was easily one of the most talked-about bits of gear there. That hype really spoke to the fact that there are clearly loads of DJs after a controller that gives you real vinyl feel with the price-point and usability of digital gear.

But have Hercules delivered on this hype, and when it comes to DJ gear, is bigger really better? We put it to the test to find out.

Video Review

Design and Build

As you’d imagine for something containing full size turntables, the T10 is a pretty substaintial bit of kit size-wise. At 93cm wide, it’s probably the largest controller out there and is even a fair bit bigger than most standalones (the XDJ-AZ clocks in at 89cm for example).

Looking at it, you’d expect it to weigh an absolute ton, but surprisingly it really doesn’t. At just 7.3kg, it actually weighs less than a single Technics SL-1200 MK2 turntable and comes in at over 4kg less than the Rane One.

This lightweight build does come at the expense of some of the heavy-duty build you get on gear like the Rane One, though. It’s by no means cheap feeling and we wouldn’t be too worried about gigging with it, but it doesn’t have the premium feel you get when you spend a bit more money.

Hercules have clearly designed this controller with gigging DJs in mind and there are a few handy touches that help make this more portable and practical:

• Retractable fold-out feet on the underside raise the controller to match standard venue mixers, letting you set up on almost any table in two minutes without hunching over during longer sets.
• An emergency USB-C adapter hidden underneath lets you power the unit off a standard 48W or higher laptop charger if you ever forget your main power brick at home.
• A custom UDG carry bag (available on its own for £249.99 or bundled in the £1,399.99 Gig Pack).

Decks and Motorised Platters

The 10-inch metal platters are the main attraction here. They’re a real step up from the platters you get on most decks, even on other mechanical controllers like the Rane One (which are 7.2 inches). The fact they are full-sized vinyl makes a huge difference in how they feel, and it gives you far more space for fine adjustments and proper scratching.

In real-world testing, we found that starting playback is instant, and the torque holds up well when releasing into a scratch pattern. However, if you apply heavy downward pressure on the vinyl while the motor spins, you can hear and feel the belt fighting back slightly with a subtle hum. When you’re doing faster, more aggressive spins or scratches, we also noticed a touch of platter drift over time as the software catches up. 

A lot of these concerns are down to the fact that these are belt-driven turntables. Traditionally DJs prefer direct drive, which has a better response and tends to be more reliable when you’re scratching on them. It’s not a deal breaker, and we think they mostly feel good, but it will be interesting to see how they hold up in the longer term.

For pitch control, you get nice, smooth long-throw pitch faders, a physical Key Lock, dedicated pitch range switches, and direct 33 and 45 RPM speed buttons right by the platters.

Custom Dual-Sided Vinyl and Dr. Suzuki Slipmats

It’s not just the platters that Hercules have put a lot of thought into, but also what’s on top of them. The included 10-inch vinyl records feature two distinct sides: one cut with extra backspin suited for scratching, and the other giving reduced backspin for a heavier mixing feel. Because it uses standard platter mounts, you can also use any regular 10-inch record.

The included Dr. Suzuki slipmats are double-sided as well. The regular side with the plastic slipsheet makes everything low-friction and slippery for faster scratching. If you flip the mat over, you get higher friction, which is better for more conventional mixing.

Platter LEDs and Colour Customisation

Surrounding each platter is a reactive RGB LED ring that gives clear visual feedback for play states, track download progress, track end warnings, and slip release counts. You can even adjust the platter colours and brightness directly on the hardware without needing to edit software settings on your laptop.

Mixer Section

The central mixer section is laid out in a fairly conventional battle style, with plenty of room around the upfaders and crossfader, which is a nice touch for scratch DJs, who worry about accidentally bumping something.

The channel strips feature standard three-band EQs, but Hercules made a slightly unusual design choice by placing the gain knobs off to the outer edges rather than directly on top of the EQ strips. Also, all the knobs are the same size and finish, which, combined with the layout, can make things pretty confusing at first. It’s not a huge issue, but it will throw off the muscle memory at first.

Each channel gets a dedicated Color FX knob below the EQs, with filter, reverb, dub echo, and noise sweeps. You also get a dedicated sampler volume dial alongside an FX button that lets you route Color FX straight through your sample audio.

Hercules have also brought over the Beatmatch Guide lights from their Inpulse series, which light up to show you when a track needs nudging. They made sense on the beginner gear, but on pro-level stuff like this probably won’t be used as much.

InduXfader

The real star of the mixer is Hercules’ contactless InduXfader. Because it uses electromagnetic induction rather than physical contact parts, it feels silky smooth and shouldn’t wear out over time. It’s quite similar to other high-end faders like Magvel, Mag Four, or Innofader (who actually validated the design of this model).

All the tuning controls are on the front panel, with physical hardware switches for curve and reverse mode, plus a cut-lag dial that lets you trim the dead zone all the way down to 0.1 mm. The mechnical tension adjust is hidden under the front logo. All the way loose, it feels almost weightless and bounces cleanly off the end stops for lightning-fast cuts, though you can easily stiffen it up if you prefer a heavier feel.

Performance Features

The T10 isn’t just about those big, beautiful turntables. You also decent amount of proper performance features, including one all-new one that’s making it’s debut here.

You get eight RGB performance pads per deck that feel reasonably solid and responsive, with all the standard Serato modes like Hot Cues, Auto Loop, Sampler, and Pitch ‘n Time key play. Hercules have also built dedicated hardware buttons directly onto each deck for Vocal and Instrumental stem mutes.

Stem Slip

Stem Slip is easily the standout creative feature on the T10, co-developed with Serato as a launch exclusive. Rather than applying Slip mode to an entire track, it lets you slip an individual element, like a vocal, while the beat keeps running uninterrupted underneath on the exact same deck.

What makes this so good in practice is that when you grab the platter to scratch or chop the vocal, your faders only affect that vocal stem. The instrumental ignores your crossfader completely, meaning you can mess around with the vocal cuts as much as you want without ever interrupting the main beat.

You can also set a release buffer so the vocal plays out for half a beat or a full phrase before snapping right back in sync with the track. Once you get your head around all this, it’s a really fun and original trick that we could genuinely imagine using quite a bit. 

Battle FX Paddles

Sitting right above the central mixer channels are dual battle-style FX paddles for controlling Serato’s software effects suite. Flicking a paddle up locks an effect on for longer build-ups, while pulling it down gives you momentary bursts. By now, this is pretty classic for battle-style mixers, but we always love this style of effects. 

Connectivity

Take a look at the back panel of the T10 and it becomes clear that this is a bit of gear intended for professional use. You get balanced XLR and RCA master outputs, along with balanced 1/4-inch booth outputs. Crucially, the output levels match high-end club mixers, pushing out a proper +28 dBu signal on the XLR and booth connections. That means when you plug straight into a venue PA, you get a clean output without having to crank the gain.

Software-wise, the T10 gives you full licenses for both Serato DJ Pro (including the Pitch ‘n Time DJ expansion) and DJUCED PRO. For streaming, you can use Apple Music, Beatport, SoundCloud, Spotify, and TIDAL.

Digital Master Recording

The dual USB-C ports are of course handy for back-to-back sets, but there’s another use for them here. Plugging a cable straight from that second port into your smartphone lets the T10 show up as an audio input device. You can open your phone’s camera app, hit record, and film with the T10’s master audio recorded directly into the file. If you’re recording any sort of content, this makes the whole setup super simple and saves loads of time syncing and editing audio.

Is It Worth It?

The DJControl T10 is a really exciting bit of kit, and by the excited reactions we’ve already seen from the DJ community, there’s a real hunger for this. The 10-inch platters are the showstoppers and, at the end of the day, this thing is a hell of a lot of fun to mix on. The decks feel great, and the features like Stem Slip make this a great hybrid of modern and vintage performance.

But at £1,199.99 ($1,399 / €1,299), the T10 represents a major step into premium gear territory for Hercules. Crossing the £1,000 threshold brings some seriously tough competition from brands who’ve been doing this sort of thing a lot longer.

The Rane One MK2 is the standout competitor and while, at £1349 / $1499 / €1599, it’s little more money, that does come with a few upgrades. The platters may be smaller, but crucially they are direct drive, which not only feel better but also should be more reliable in the long run, especially if you’re really going to town on them.

Overall, if you really want as authentic a vinyl feel as possible, this is probably the best you’re going to get without shelling out a fortune on a full vinyl setup. 

Hercules DJControl T10: Key Specifications

Feature	Specification
Launch Price	£1,199.99 (Gig Pack with UDG bag: £1,399.99)
Release Date	24 September 2026
Platters	2 x 10″ Motorised Metal Platters (Regulated belt drive)
Vinyl & Slipmats	French double-sided vinyl + custom Dr. Suzuki dual-side slipmats
Crossfader	InduXfader (Contactless, Innofader-approved)
Crossfader Controls	Cut lag (0.1 mm to 5 mm), curve, reverse, physical weight wheel
Key Features	Stem Slip, emergency USB-C power hatch, onboard LED Colour Editor
Audio Outputs	2 x XLR Master (+28 dBu), 2 x RCA Master (+7 dBu), 2 x 1/4″ Booth (+28 dBu)
Audio Recording	Direct digital master stream via secondary USB-C port
Included Software	Serato DJ Pro (with Pitch ‘n Time DJ) & DJUCED PRO
Weight	7.3 kg (16.1 lbs)
Dimensions	95 x 35.3 x 9.5 cm (feet folded in)