Performance Pads
Pads for hot cues, loops and more.
Detailed explanation
Performance pads are the square buttons on modern DJ controllers and CDJs. The FLX2 has four per deck, and they also set the mode: hot cue (jump points), pad FX, beat loop and sampler. They light up in colour when hot cues or loops are stored. Not to be confused: rekordbox can store up to 8 hot cue points per track — the four pads are the keys you recall them with.
Sources (1)
- DDJ-FLX2 — Bedienungsanleitung (User manuals & documentation)Primary sourceAlphaTheta Corporation·Manufacturer·2024-11-14·retrieved 03.08.2026
German edition, 156 pages. The dates contradict each other: 14.11.2024 on the documentation page, 29.10.2024 in the German support article. To be resolved at the next re-check.
In practice
Eight rubber buttons under the jog wheel, and depending on the mode they do something completely different: hot cues, loops, sampler, stems. Switching modes is where mistakes happen in a club — you press a cue and trigger a loop instead. Which is why many DJs settle on one or two modes and leave the rest alone, rather than being able to do everything and nothing reliably.
Assessment by the DJLearn editorial team — experience, not a sourced factual claim.
Related terms
Where to learn this
Hot cues & loops
The guide that covers this topic in depth.
Explained in this phase
Phase 2: Hardware Setup
Read on
DJ equipment guide →