Phase Now Works Natively with rekordbox: Single-Cable Wireless DVS Is Finally Here

This is the update turntable DJs on rekordbox have been requesting on Pioneer DJ's own forums since 2019. Phase, the wireless DVS system from French company MWM, has offered single-cable HID integration with Serato for a while. rekordbox users, meanwhile, had to run the Phase Receiver's outputs into their mixer with RCA cables and let rekordbox read an emulated timecode signal. It worked, but it gave up half the elegance of a wireless system. In July 2026, AlphaTheta and MWM closed that gap: rekordbox 7.2.16 talks to Phase directly over USB.

What Phase is, in 30 seconds

The Phase Essential is a two-part system: two small Remotes that sit on your turntable spindles and spin with the record, and a Receiver that reads their motion wirelessly. Instead of a needle tracking timecode vinyl, the Remotes capture platter rotation directly and translate it into control data for your DJ software. Worn styluses, skipping needles, bass rumble, and feedback at loud gigs stop being your problem. You keep the feel of real vinyl on real decks, minus the fragility.

What actually changed with HID mode

Before this update, using Phase with rekordbox meant Receiver outputs into the mixer's phono/line inputs, rekordbox DVS decoding an analog timecode signal, and cables you had hoped to eliminate. With HID mode, the Receiver sends position data straight to rekordbox as digital messages. According to Phase, that shortens the signal path and cuts latency compared with routing through analog timecode and an audio interface. Phase co-founder Cedric Verge said the integration "exceeded our own expectations in terms of precision and feel."

The new integration also brings features the old timecode route could never do:

• Deck assignment from the Remote: choose which of rekordbox's four decks each Remote controls, including decks 3 and 4. Add an additional Phase Remote and a two-turntable setup can juggle four decks.
• Battery levels on the jog panel: rekordbox displays each Remote's charge right in the software.
• End-of-track warning: the Remote's LED strip blinks as a track runs out.
• Track-load animation: a quick LED animation confirms a new track loaded.
• Emergency internal mode: if the connection ever drops, playback keeps going instead of going silent.

What you need

Setup takes about a minute

1. Update your Phase Essential to firmware 9 or later in the Phase Manager app, and update rekordbox to 7.2.16 or newer.
2. Open rekordbox and plug the Phase Receiver into your laptop via USB. Phase is detected automatically.
3. Assign each Remote to a deck on the jog panels (WIR mode).
4. Lift the Remotes out of their docks and let them calibrate on a flat, still surface until the LED goes solid, then drop them on your spindles and play.

Two tips from the trenches: on macOS, grant rekordbox microphone permission or the Remotes may not respond, and if calibration feels off, run a manual calibration with the pitch fader at 0%.

A real-world example: the battle setup this update fixes

Here is the exact scenario DJs kept describing in those forum threads. You are a scratch DJ or open-format club DJ. Your entire library, cue points, and playlists live in rekordbox because that is what the clubs you play run on their CDJs. But at home and at battles you play turntables through a DJM-S11. Until now you had two bad options: maintain a duplicate library in Serato just to get Phase's single-cable HID, or stay in rekordbox and run the Receiver through RCA cables like it was 2010.

With rekordbox 7.2.16 that conflict is gone. The whole rig is: two PLX-1000s, the DJM-S11 (which also hardware-unlocks rekordbox DVS, so no subscription needed), a Phase Essential, and one USB cable to the laptop. Your rekordbox library, your real decks, zero needles to blow out mid-set. Mobile and wedding DJs get the same win outdoors, where wind, dust, and bass vibration make needles skip: the Remotes do not care.

Worth noting: if you want platter control without a laptop-attached receiver at all, the Pioneer DJ PLX-CRSS12 hybrid turntable builds needle-free DVS control directly into the deck. Phase is the way to add the same trick to turntables you already own, at a fraction of the price.

Get Phase in Los Angeles (in stock now)

We stock the Phase Essential with 2 Remotes ($499.99) at our downtown LA warehouse, along with open-box units ($449.99) and a package with the official Phase travel case. Pair it with anything from our turntable collection and Pioneer DJ mixers, or come try it in person at 934 E 11th St, Los Angeles, CA 90021. Questions about compatibility with your setup? Call 800-700-4542 and we will talk it through.

Frequently asked questions

Which rekordbox version supports Phase in HID mode?

rekordbox for Mac/Windows version 7.2.16 and later, released in July 2026. Your Phase Essential also needs firmware 9 or later.

Do I still need timecode vinyl or RCA cables?

No. In HID mode the Phase Receiver connects to your computer with a single USB cable and sends position data digitally. The classic timecode-style connection through your mixer still works if you prefer it.

Do I need a rekordbox subscription to use Phase?

You need rekordbox DVS unlocked. That happens automatically with compatible AlphaTheta/Pioneer DJ hardware such as the DJM-S11 or DJM-S7, or with a rekordbox Core, Creative, or Professional plan on the free app.

Which Phase models work with rekordbox HID mode?

Phase Essential (firmware 9 or later) works today, and the upcoming Phase Pro will support it at launch. The older Phase Ultimate is not part of the HID integration and continues to work with rekordbox through the traditional DVS audio connection.

Is HID mode lower latency than regular DVS?

Phase says yes. Position data goes straight to the software as digital messages instead of passing through an analog timecode signal and an audio interface first, which shortens the chain.

Does Phase work with software other than rekordbox?

Yes. Phase supports any major DVS software, with native HID integration in Serato and now rekordbox, and timecode-style operation in Traktor, Virtual DJ, and djay Pro.