Phase now works natively with rekordbox in HID mode: a single USB cable, instant recognition, and a set of new features built into the software. The update is free for every Phase owner.

In this article, we break down what HID actually is, what it changes compared to a classic DVS setup, and why it is the best way to use Phase with rekordbox.

Already spinning with Phase? Your gear hides a few features most owners never find: check out these secret Phase tricks and see how many you already knew.

What is HID?

HID (Human Interface Device) is a communication protocol that lets two devices talk to each other directly over USB. It carries more precise data, faster, than other standard connections, which makes it the reference protocol when timing and accuracy matter.

If you have ever played on CDJs connected to a laptop, you have already used HID: it is the protocol they rely on to control DJ software, and there is a reason the club standard runs on it.

With this new integration, Phase uses HID to connect to rekordbox through a single USB cable. Plug in your Receiver, and your Phase gets its own dedicated deck mode inside the software, along with features designed specifically for it.

There is no need for a full audio setup with RCA cables anymore, and you get access to the new features on top.

Why use Phase in HID with rekordbox?

Switching to HID is not a small tweak. Here is what it actually changes when you play:

1. A simpler setup. This is the fastest and most convenient way to use Phase. Plug your Receiver into your laptop via USB, rekordbox recognizes it instantly, and you are ready to play in about a minute. There is no audio routing to configure and nothing to wire behind the mixer, whether you are practicing at home or taking over a booth between two sets. And if you prefer your classic DVS setup via RCA, it remains fully supported.

2. A performance upgrade. In a DVS setup, your turntable movements travel as an analog timecode signal: through RCA cables, into an interface, then converted and decoded by the software. Every step adds a bit of latency and a bit of noise. In HID, none of that happens: Phase sends pure digital position data straight to rekordbox. The result is the lowest latency you can get with Phase, rock-solid tracking, and a response that follows every micro-movement, from the softest drag to the fastest crab. It is the same reason CDJs run on HID: when precision matters, a direct connection wins.

3. Exclusive features, built into rekordbox. Once Phase is detected, everything below activates automatically:

• Assign any Remote to any deck. Each jog panel in rekordbox gets a new WIRELESS option in its DVS mode menu, with WIRELESS (A) and WIRELESS (B) matching the two Remotes on your Receiver. Any Remote can control any jog panel, including decks 3 and 4 in a 4-deck setup.
• Battery level, on the jog panel. The battery level of each Remote shows directly in the rekordbox interface, right where you are already looking. Your eyes stay on your mix, not on Phase Manager.
• Track end warning. When your track gets close to its end, the LED strip on the Remote starts blinking. No more glancing at the waveform mid-scratch.
• Track loaded animation. Load a new track on a deck, and the corresponding Remote plays a quick LED fill animation to confirm it. A small detail that keeps your flow going in a dark booth.
• Emergency INT mode. And if anything unexpected happens, switch the deck to internal mode and the music keeps playing.

How to set up Phase with rekordbox in HID

The integration is already live on Phase Essential, as a free update. And since we build our integrations with the future in mind, the work is already done on Phase Pro: it will support rekordbox in HID from day one when it launches.

The setup takes about a minute: update your firmware via Phase Manager, update rekordbox, plug in your Receiver, and assign your Remotes. Everything is detected automatically, and you are ready to play.

This video walks you through all of it, requirements included:

Prefer it in written form? Head to the Phase setup page for rekordbox.