Native Instruments and Ableton have had incredible success with their custom MIDI controllers that integrate with their DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations), Machines, and Live, respectively. The Native Instruments machine (yes, that’s the name of the hardware and software) and Ableton’s Push are pretty much the gold standard for integration between music-making software and hardware. Serato is hoping it can capture a bit of that magic with the pairing of Slab and Serato Studio.
Lots of others have tried their hand at building (or having others build them for) custom controllers for their DAWs – FL Studio, Studio One and the MPC desktop suite have all received dedicated hardware at some point. However, success has been mixed. What Serato has going for it is that the studio is a relatively young and streamlined DAW with minimal bells and whistles. This means that while the Push and Machine can be intimidating (and expensive) due to their buttons, pads, knobs, and large screen, the Slab is much more accessible and affordable at $329.
Design-wise, the Slab is more similar to the Maschine. It’s not like both are built around a grid of 16 pads; It’s also layout, label placement and font options. If you told me the slab was manufactured by Native Instruments rather than AlphaTheta (Serato’s partner), I wouldn’t guess it.
However, it is a beautiful piece of hardware. The grey-on-grey color palette may not be exciting, and a little hard to read under some lighting, but the matte texture and clean lines avoid feeling entirely utilitarian. The slab is entirely plastic, but it doesn’t feel cheap. The encoder has a good amount of resistance, the buttons aren’t flimsy, and the large dial has strong detents. The screen is quite small, and although it gives you some visual feedback, you’ll never be able to write a beat on the slab without looking at your computer. However, this is what is expected from a controller like the Atom SQ or MPC Studio controller in this price range.
The velocity-sensitive pads are good, if nothing spectacular. They’re good enough for finger drumming, but Akai’s MPC still reigns supreme in this area. I’ve found the response to be an inconsistent one and, while Alphatheta lists “Adjustable Aftertouch” as one of the Slab’s features, Serato Studio doesn’t currently support aftertouch, which is a bit surprising in 2025. The RGB lighting, however, makes it easy to quickly color-code your chops and drum hits so you can identify your kicks by making them all red, for example.
Considering its budget price, connectivity here is negligible – just a USB-C port to connect to your computer. There is no integrated audio interface or MIDI output, like you’ll find on the Machine and Push.
Most importantly, how Slab integrates with Serato Studio. The good news is that most of the essential features of a DAW are at your fingertips. I’m new to Serato Studio, and I’ve only had Slab for two weeks, but I had a little trouble quickly understanding the basics. Sequencing drum patterns or playing basslines by hand is easy and intuitive. You also have instant access to the stem separation technology that has made Serato Sampler so successful.
Slab allows you to browse your library of samples or activate plugins without having to reach for your mouse or keyboard. That being said, depending on the size of your collection, it may be faster and easier to go for a mouse.
It was simple and a lot of fun to pull up a drum break, cut it up, and start creating a beat without leaving the slab. By the end of my first day, I had already added a few (admittedly very terrible) beats. While the quality of my outputs was questionable, I had a lot of fun creating them. One reason I hadn’t really delved too deeply into Serato Studio before is that it wasn’t a particularly tactile experience.
That’s the appeal of the hardware. While it may be easy to chop up samples or create tunes with a mouse, it’s a lot more fun to hit pads and turn knobs. Slab also puts a number of performance-focused effects in easy reach, such as a pitch looper and wah. They’re not as strong as you’ll find on the SP-404 or one of Teenage Engineering’s standalone devices, but they still spice up well.
Where the Slab loses points is its variety of modes and shift functions. Those more familiar with Serato Studio may have an easier time than I did, but I often found myself confused by which mode I needed to be in to change the note repeat rate, or by the lack of visual feedback when browsing the effect and sample cutting modes. And each element has its own “mode”, from the dial to the encoder to the touchstrip. Keeping it all straight can be a bit cumbersome.
Despite Serato Studio being a relatively simple DAW focused primarily on drum programming and sample chopping, Slab can feel menu-heavy at times. And while Studio supports VST and AU plugins for running your favorite software synths, Slab offers limited control over them.
The slab is unlikely to win over many new converts. But if you’re already using Serato Studio and are looking at the machine and MPC owners with envy, Slab could be a good investment. It gives you the same hands-on experience at a reasonable price.
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