I really want to buy some new gear and my eye is on the Rane 68. Have people been seeing the Rane 68 in clubs? Has anyone seen one in action in person? It has been a year since its announcement and I cannot find any real reviews on it. Ean’s article has promise allowing traktor midi mapping, but I can’t pull the trigger just yet, because no one is a fanboy. When is the DJTT review going to make up my mind for me? Why has skratchworx not reviewed it? What have you all heard about the 68?
I think it was just a tough time to release a 2500 dollar mixer. Recession and all. It’s likely what motivated Rane’s decision to make the SL4.
Most clubs already have good mixers. Dumping what works for them pretty well to get a 2500 dollar mixer in a recession is a tough sell. So I think the lack of reviews is more representative of economics more than it is anything else.
Rane makes Rane quality stuff. I don’t really think anyone is going to find any faults there.
It’s an insanely overpriced niche product for a niche that doesn’t like overpriced products. People who use more than 2 decks with SSL have their own ideas about control, and that mixer barely fits the bill. It’s a Rane, so it’s good enough…but it’s not going to be on enough riders to justify purchase over the djm800 for any club installs…and who at home has $2500 to spend on something like that? Traktor users need a different sound card if they’re using TSP, and TP users have huge collections of other midi controllers with at least as much control that cost a lot less.
Frankly, in the “insanely expensive” mixer category…it doesn’t even register for me. Everyone I now who owns one loves it…so, if it’s the type of thing you’d like, you’ll love it. But…for the rest of us…it’s an insanely expensive little quirk.
It was never meant for mass consumption; that’s why there aren’t many reviews.
I know what you mean, but I was talking to a guy from decks.co.uk a while back who told me that when the DJM-2000 came out they were selling shitloads of them but not a single one to clubs… probably because of the very big and very breakable touch screen in the middle and the fuck-right-off price tag.
there is still a demand for hyper expensive mixers for home use.
Personally, since switching over to Traktor, I can’t see a point in the 68. I still own a 57TTM BTW.
I haven’t gotten to actually use the 68, but I did get to touch one and get a sense of what it would be like at Moog Audio in Toronto.
First off, the buttons/cues are extremely clicky, and they feel cheap. I’m sure the build quality is there, but it just feels horrible.
For the price of it, there are just SO many better options out there. Traktor’s S4 completely blows it out of the water in terms of price and functionality.
Right…you know, besides a DJR-400 or maybe an S6 if rotaries are your thing…or a new computer…or an entire setup with a reasonably priced mixer instead of just the mixer…you know…including the audio interface that would be necessary if you don’t want to bring your mixer wherever you want to play.
If you’ve got the money to spend, it’s a good mixer. That’s why Rane makes them…there’s a market somewhere. On the other hand, I don’t see anyone ever saving up for one and being happy with it.
I’ve owned a TTM-56 since they first came out and I am a HUGE fan of the way it feels and sounds. It’s taken a huge beating and still performs flawlessly (of course, it needs to be cleaned and lubricated once in a while). Having played with the 68 in Guitar Center I agree that it’s overpriced and I was underwhelmed. It’s still a RANE so you get very clean powerful sound and a nice crossfader but the channelfaders feel cheap, as do the buttons, clicky clicky clicky. And maybe I’m wrong but I think if you aren’t using Itch you lose a lot of the functionality of the mixer? Not sure about that last question but even if I’m wrong, when you can get an A+H DB4 for roughly the same price (or a Pioneer DJM2000 for even less) I honestly can’t see looking twice at this mixer. Sure the extra USB port is a nice touch but is it worth $2500 to save a bit of hassle switching DJs?
@Proben switching dj’s is easy, what I use 1/8" jack to rca, open itunes, drop your 1st track on iTunes, while the previous djs free’s the serato box and hot plug and your ready to go.
Its the cheapest way to do 4 channel mixing with video in serato atm its the only way. I would like one for video mixing using 2 serato and 2 bridge channel. The only dj I have seen with one is dj yoda and he got given his
