Serato Playing Backwards? Fix For Reverse Decks In Serato DJ Pro/Lite

Phil Morse | Founder & Tutor
Read time: < 1 min
Last updated 15 November, 2021

Serato playing backwards? Reverse decks got you stumped? This has happened to me so many times, when I go to use Serato and notice the waveforms are scrolling in the wrong direction! Even when I know the fix, it still trips me up. That’s because it happens, like, once ever 18 months, so by the time it happens the next time, I’ve always forgotten the fix…

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So – if you use Serato with a controller or even with Serato Play (the Expansion Pack that lets you DJ with just your computer keyboard), and you suddenly find it is playing backwards, what’s almost certainly happened is that you’ve pressed one of the deck direction keys – a shortcut that is actually a part of Serato.

To fix it, do the following:

  • Left-hand deck – press Q
  • Right-hand deck – press A

That’s it!

Toggle backwards and forwards at your heart’s content – and see you back here in 18 months when it happens again and you forget again (by the way, it IS listed in the keyboard shortcuts in the help menu, too).

Read this next: Serato DJ Tips & Tricks: How To Rearrange Track Hot Cues

By the way if you’re a DVS user having this problem, it COULD be this, or it could be your DVS set-up isn’t right (check that the left / right phono inputs are the right way around). But if you’re a controller user, it’s DEFINITELY this.

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