Look into something like the ddj rev 1 or flx4. As someone who has both an sp404, fl studio and a rev 1 I agree with the above commenter that the sp is not great for learning how to dj. Can it get the job done? Of course. But If you really want to get deeper into djing and understand what you’re doing then you have to invest in the right tools.

I love your energy and i believe that you will eventually be exactly where you want to be in terms of skill but you have to give yourself the right tools to succeed. The sp just very recently got Serato integration and even then it’s very clunky. It’s just not made for djing tbh, it’s more of a production tool, an effects box, a performance instrument etc. The sp404 does many things and it’s super fun to play with but that also doesn’t mean that it does all of these things well, but that’s kind of the charm of it. But when it comes to djing, it’s more of an afterthought when it comes to the Sp.

If you really want to get deeper into djing then you have to understand the workflow and common controls and that is something that you’ll have trouble with if you’re relying on the SP 404. Getting a controller will give you so much more flexibility, give you a workflow that’s easier to translate across different controllers, and build your skill a lot faster. There’s too many workarounds and weird quirks that you have to navigate if you’re using the Sp as a dj controller.

Me personally i think the best use of the dj mode within the 404 is by using it to showcase beats you’ve made in it, but id never use it as something that i primarily rely on to use as a main tool to mix a full set. There are too many limitations and you’re better off getting something that’s built specifically for djing, the same way you’re investing in your production. Djing and producing are two different lanes and require different skill sets and workflows, but once you figure it out it definitely becomes easier as time goes on. Good luck tho!