> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.nap.works/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.nap.works/devious-pocket.md).

# Devious Pocket

### Manual

Download the quick start guide [**here**](https://download.nap-labs.tech/devious/devious_pocket_manual.pdf).

### FAQ

#### Connectivity

<details>

<summary>How do I connect my turntable?</summary>

Connect the RCA output of your turntable to the 3.5 jack input of the Devious Pocket.&#x20;

We recommend connecting the turntable directly to the devious pocket using a high quality [RCA to 3.5](https://www.sebson.de/en/rca-to-audio-jack/a-4053) cable with a maximum length of 1 meter, to minimize signal loss. If your turntable lacks a detachable RCA cable (common on older Technics models), use a [coupler](https://www.amazon.com/rca-coupler/s?k=rca+coupler) to adapt RCA to 3.5mm.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I ground my turntable?</summary>

We recommend that you ground your turntable directly to your mixer, using a [turntable ground wire](https://www.amazon.com/turntable-ground-wire/s?k=turntable+ground+wire). If the turntable isn't grounded, the time-code vinyl may not be read correctly, and you might hear a humming sound in pass-through mode.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What is the right input volume?</summary>

There are many different types of phono cartridges available, with varying output voltage based on their intended purpose. Our benchmark cartridge is the [Ortofon  Concore MKII Mix](https://ortofon.com/products/concorde-mkii-mix), which has an output voltage of 6mV.

We recommend setting the input volume to a level that has the level meter sit at approx 1/3th of the full range, with time code enabled. This allows for more than enough room for vinyl playback in pass-through mode and enough amplitude for the system to decode the time-code vinyl accurately.

<figure><img src="/files/Nsi94p235BeA1abparHo" alt="" width="358"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

</details>

<details>

<summary>What phono cartridge do you recommend?</summary>

Most cartridges are compatible, but for best results, we recommend using a cartridge with a minimum output of 6mV, such as the [Ortofon Concorde MKII Mix](https://ortofon.com/products/concorde-mkii-mix). We tested and developed the system using a variety of [Ortofon MKII cartridges](https://ortofon.com/collections/concorde-mkii-series) and all worked perfectly. Just make sure you adjust the input volume as described in the section above.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Track plays backwards?</summary>

Flip the RCA connectors - some 3.5mm jacks have their polarity reversed.

</details>

<details>

<summary>My 3.5mm jack doesn't fit?</summary>

We’ve heard from some users that the case can be a bit too tight for larger 3.5mm jack plugs. Unfortunately, not every cable will fit. If you encounter this, we recommend using [this](https://www.sebson.de/en/rca-to-audio-jack/a-4053) cable, which we’ve tested and confirmed to work.

</details>

#### File Management

<details>

<summary>How do I manage my music library?</summary>

No proprietary software required - just organize your files in folders and copy them to your USB. Devious Pocket reads ID3 tags and offers to sort by title, artist, album, BPM, key, or genre. It also offers search within folders.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What file formats are supported?</summary>

mp3, flac, wav, aif, caf, and ogg

</details>

<details>

<summary>What partition formats are supported?</summary>

FAT32, exFAT, EXT4 and NTFS

</details>

<details>

<summary>What USB stick do you recommend?</summary>

Not every flash drive is the same, after extensive testing we recommend the [Samsung USB 3.1 FIT Flash Drive](https://www.samsung.com/nl/memory-storage/usb-flash-drive/muf-128ab-apc/). It is small, fast, runs relatively cool and is of good build quality. Use the USB2 ports if your device or stick is getting hot. USB3 ports require more continuous power, which can place additional stress on both the stick and the hardware.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I use an SSD?</summary>

We currently support all USB attached SCSI drives, including solid state drives, hard drives and sticks.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Do you support Rekordbox tags?</summary>

Currently we don't, this might become available in a future update. We wanted to shorten the time it takes from getting a track to playing it, and therefore removed management middle-ware and decided to support well-proven file systems instead.

</details>

#### Operation

<details>

<summary>What time code formats are supported?</summary>

Serato 2, Serato CD, Traktor 1, Mixvibes V2, Mixvibes 7 and Pioneer time code formats

</details>

<details>

<summary>What control vinyl do you recommend?</summary>

We recommend using Serato 2, which is considered the best in terms of quality and loudness and was used as the main format during development of the unit.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why does my Traktor control vinyl not work as expected?</summary>

Newer Traktor time-code vinyl (version 2+) uses a proprietary format that we cannot decode properly. We do support the original Traktor control vinyl (version 1) but haven't been able to validate it because it's not in production any more. For best results we recommend using Serato 2, as described in the previous section.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I synchronize 2 units?</summary>

Set the pitch of both units to the same tempo and lock it by pressing the lock icon in the play view. When loading a new track the system will internally pitch the new track to match the locked BPM at a pitch of 0. Put the pitch slider at 0 and both tracks should now be in sync until you unlock the tempo again.

<figure><img src="/files/KRP31XezWdFqulMrpwat" alt="" width="357"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Vinyl control stopped working?</summary>

This can happen by accident, and is triggered by pressing the round icon in the top left corner of the screen in the play view. This switches the control mode from vinyl to internal, which allows you to remove the needle from the record and continue playback at the last know pitch. Because this disables external control it can lead to confusion.

To enable record control mode again, simply press the play / pause icon for 2 seconds and everything should be back to normal.

<figure><img src="/files/bQJ0m0a52DpZngfCc9WU" alt="switch to control mode" width="357"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

</details>

<details>

<summary>I can't find my track?</summary>

Currently search is limited to the directory you're in. We're exploring ways to enable global or nested file searches, which will be included in a future update.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Does it support Phase DJ?</summary>

Absolutely, you can use Phase DJ to adjust the pitch and our track view to move the playhead. Cueing and looping are fully supported as well.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I update the firmware?</summary>

Yes, the firmware can be updated over USB by plugging in a drive with the firmware update. The system will run the update on startup when found.&#x20;

More information on how to update the system will become available when we have an update available.

</details>

#### Hardware

<details>

<summary>Is it safe to power the unit on / off using a switch?</summary>

Yes it is. We do not write any data to the boot or firmware partitions, these are considered read-only. Non-critical data, such as logs and settings, are stored in a dedicated non-critical partition. That said, it is still recommended to use sleep mode rather than powering the unit on and off with the switch.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What power adapter should I use?</summary>

The unit requires a [dedicated 5V, 3A](https://www.amazon.com/Raspberry-Supply-iUniker-Switch-Listed/dp/B097P2NLVH?crid=2FJ7CZHO9OXIM\&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vCOxv1KhmrZCiKZJsy5rLyEo7NVckpewa8BkqV9NbX7GEwf1wKViU5If-MuUezDeEeQVu0Xx0WvOoQqBlZLV9jP45bA-FquxhzXgAd0du0EqYfJCU_V9XSi3TRwtBDUMFGngqHrULpH1zMALcp-QEYmN_1QVu233_TlveGE9_A0WoDcHO_m3EIi4DQGGoT7ecBOuYeKj8Xn8Mcl3N1faKwXW6eKqhoYQywCLWGonMoo.9PDfLLZkmlepUS0x6StyxdY74gZAYF6RgcSwcjQbUno\&dib_tag=se\&keywords=5v+3a+usb+c+adapter+with+switch+raspberry+pi+4\&nsdOptOutParam=true\&qid=1779964552\&sprefix=5v+3a+usb+c+adapter+with+switch+raspberry+pi+%2Caps%2C168\&sr=8-6) (15W minimum) USB C adapter, compatible with the Raspberry Pi 4. Do not use your phone or laptop charger, these are ***not compatible*** with the Devious and will damage the hardware when used.&#x20;

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why does the screen feel hot?</summary>

The screen can feel hot to touch when the unit is running in a not well ventilated environment of more than 30°C. This is caused by the heat emitted by the controller chip on the screen, in combination with the increased heat of the CPU.&#x20;

There is no harm in the screen running hot. As long as the unit does not throttle extensively everything should continue to work as expected. You can see if the unit has throttled by tapping the `</>` icon at the bottom of the settings page, it should say 'never' if it has not throttled, otherwise a hex code indicating when it throttled.&#x20;

We include a significant performance buffer to guarantee that the unit will keep operating as intended, even when throttling occurs.

<figure><img src="/files/lUwvHKZaI2TuGjoDavMW" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

</details>

<details>

<summary>USB3 or USB2?</summary>

Both work equally well, with USB3 (blue port) having a slight advantage in speed, which doesn't have a large impact on loading times, because most of that time is spent on re-sampling & analysis.

USB2 has one big advantage over USB3; it draws less power and therefore makes the unit run less hot. In our testing we found that certain USB3 sticks draw a lot of power and run very hot, raising the overall temperature of the unit. This is caused by the stick continuously drawing power from the computer, in combination with the controller chip on the stick itself. It does this to meet the high transfer speeds required by the USB3 specification.

We therefore recommend to use USB2 instead of USB3 when ambient temperatures are high or your stick gets hot.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Are the blue ports USB3?</summary>

Yes, the blue ports are USB3, the other are USB2.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What is a good operating temperature?</summary>

The measured temperature = CPU temperature, not the system temperature and is allowed to go up to 85°C before the system starts throttling. Under regular circumstances the temperature hoovers around 60°C to 65°C. In very hot, humid environments the temperature can go up to 75°C.

The unit is passively cooled, to minimize noise and potential points of failure, but that does come at the cost of increased CPU temperatures. If you feel your unit runs too hot you can increase airflow by adding a USB powered fan, and use the USB2 instead of USB3 ports. Also avoid exposing it to direct sunlight when it's hot.

As long as the unit does not throttle extensively everything should continue to work as expected. You can see if the unit has throttled by tapping the `</>` icon at the bottom of the settings page, it should say 'never' if it has not throttled, otherwise a hex code indicating when it throttled.&#x20;

We include a significant performance buffer to guarantee that the unit will keep operating as intended, even when throttling occurs.

<figure><img src="/files/lUwvHKZaI2TuGjoDavMW" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

</details>

<details>

<summary>What's the audio latency?</summary>

The Devious Pocket significantly outperforms traditional USB solutions. This advantage comes from its direct CPU connection, eliminating the need to package and unpack audio data through USB frames. Internal processing latency is 0.666 ms, which doesn't account for latency introduced by transmission, which varies but 'averages' around 1-2 ms, as explained [here](https://www.hifiberry.com/blog/techtalk-latency).&#x20;

But there's more to latency than just numbers: the Devious Pocket avoids running a full desktop environment, resulting in a snappier, more responsive experience. Its hardware-accelerated GUI is faster than most alternatives and we use real-time audio scheduling for improved timing and stability. The software is written in C++, using our own in-house developed real-time control and visualization platform NAP Framework, which has been battle tested in production for years and is used by us and our partners to power performance critical, large scale interactive installations and embedded solutions world-wide.

</details>

### Support

If you have any issues or questions, please send a mail to <support@nap.works>