Hercules Inpulse 500 thoughts

So I decided on a Hercules Inpulse 500, then of course I come across a lot of reviews and it's extremely well liked.
$300 w/new headphones and a new cord for in/out depending on how you connect it.

It has an aux input and a mic input - so I think I can go without a mixer now.
It's physically bigger than my last controller. good, and bad for table space and gear box.
It lights up!! So I won't have to watch my laptop for clipping/volume.
MUCH easier to mix in my phone/second laptop with the aux input than using the mixer.

VDJ 2021 just saw it and it works.
My old laptop w/ VD7 (win 7..2021 won't run on it I believe) won't run the 500, but the 200, 300 are listed. Oh well, not an issue as it's the lighting/backup and i've used phone out on it forever.

No time today to hook up speaker and truly play, but I can do that tomorrow morning and have a better idea of all it can do. It will definitely improve my world!

got to play a bit - had to dl drivers for the backup win 7 laptop, but it's working on that and the win 10 unit, mic works great, headphones seem plenty loud and more options for output than my last mixer...I can get a cue in one ear and the other deck or master in the other ear..gonna take some playing to get used to it.
Last deck for cue points I had to use the laptop, this has 4 buttons and they light up if a cue is set. MUCH nicer!!

Oh, the 'surround' of the mic vol and aux input light up - green is good, yellow you're starting to clip and red, well, way too hot. Loving this feature! In the pic, left deck, the green circle is the aux input light showing a signal coming in.

and without needing a mixer setup is faster, fewer cords to carry, more space on my table. Win Win WIn!

Had a videographer, once, ask for output for his sound..sorry dude, no can do now unless you can get it from my speaker's out!

Next, ,which was planned anyway, is to go thru my whole setup for everything (ceremony, wireless speakers, subs, etc) and verify what cords I have and need and they're in the right place.

and it's got white lighting under it...

naw, face down on the floor under my road box is fine