New DJ Serato Rane 68 Mixer Announced
January 14, 2010 by Kenny
Filed under dj equipment reviews, featured, gear
Earlier today Rane proudly announced its latest dj mixer for the scratch live serato hardware called the Rane 68 (or Rane sixity-eight). The four channel mixer will give djs the ability to que and mix 4 tracks at the same time with 2 computers!!! We were lucky enough to get our hands on some pictures of the new beauty, check them out below:
Here are some quick details on the new mixer:
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Support for two DJs at once.
DJ handover is easy with two USB ports. Easily switch between two laptops without interrupting the music. e.g., DJ A can be playing out channels 1 and 2, and then hand off those channels one at a time to DJ B.
Two DJs can perform in parallel on the same mixer: Two DJs connect, configure which channels they output in software, and then DJ side by-side off the same mixer. eg., DJ A can play out channels 1 and 2, and DJ B can play out channels 3 and 4 at the same time.
Two computers, two USB ports, four decks and a range of effects.
Introducing the first professional DJ mixer with two USB 2.0 High Speed ports with support for real-time connection of two computers. Two DJs can work in parallel and/or seamlessly transition from one DJ to another.
* • Two independent USB 2.0 High Speed ports, each supporting twenty-two, 32-bit floating-point audio channels at 48 kHz.
* • Real-time support for two computers.
* • Support for 2, 3 or 4 Virtual Decks on one or two computers.
* • Direct control of over 30 Scratch Live Library, Cue and Loop functions.
* • Unique FlexFx bus:
o Process a sub-mix of up to six audio channels.
o Six internal effects with seamless on-beat switching between effects.
o External analog insert support for legacy hardware effects.
o USB insert support for computer-based effects.
* • Four full-featured input channels:
o Four stereo Phono/CD inputs of Line, Phono or S/PDIF.
o Four stereo auxiliary inputs.
o Four stereo USB playback options.
* • Two mic inputs: one with phantom power and one with line-level.
* • 3-band full-cut EQ, plus new High-pass / Low-pass Filter.
* • Flexible USB recording options, record from any PGM or output.
* • Internal universal switching power supply (100-230 VAC)
* • Unit size: 14.3″H x 12″W x 4″D (36.4 cm x 30.5 cm x 10.2 cm)
* • Weight: 11.3 lb (5.2 kg)
* • Shipping Size: 7.75″H x 12.75″W x 19.25″D (19.7 cm x 32.5 cm x 49 cm)
* • Weight: 12 lb (5.5 kg)
susan 28 on Sat, 27th Feb 2010 5:10 pm
i just wish they’d abandoned the “traditional” channel-sharing between deck controllers on multi-channel controller-mixers such as the Xone:DX where you have access to all decks, but only two at a time without fussing with shift or other switching hassles which keep mixers like the 68 and DX from simulating a true, classic 3-deck mixing environment, with 3 decks in play and 3 decks accessible with live control at all times. the fact that in SL (as opposed to Itch) the pitch control is one the physical decks makes the controller-sharing thing a little less problematic than in “pure digital” environments like the NS7/V7 and DX situation, but it still would’ve been SO cool to see a mighty Sixty Eight with true real-time 4-chan control, not just over volume, but all 4 virtual decks as well, and i think it would’ve been well worth the extra width for them to have included an extra row of control buttons on each side – same as currently, only 2 rows of control/effects buttons on each side instead of one.
OH and one more thing which keeps jumping out and irking:
WHY is the xfader shifted to the RIGHT? that That just doesn’t make sense.. the idea is to locate the xfader midway between the left edges of the two inner deck surfaces, for equidistance of reach and therefore more consistence of reach and both better balance and quicker transitions (less body movement).
traditionally, especially in the age of wide club mixers, xfaders were always shifted to the left for this reason, and when mixers got skinny we stopped sweating it and started putting faders in the middle, which was still a compromise, geometrically and ergonomically. but to have it on the right just makes it super-close to the right deck and a long reach from the left.. please explain this Rane!