Want to know what inMusic's intentions are towards the beloved Rane brand? Read on, for we asked the Rane engineers and the Marketing Director of inMusic.
When the news broke of Rane being sold to inMusic, there was a palpable sense of loss in the DJ community. The general knee-jerk internet response was that Rane was effectively dead in the hands of the brand-building empire of Jack O’Donnell, and that it would sit idle in the stable of other brands, much like Denon DJ did for a good while. More on that later.
But instead of depending on an internet full of armchair experts predicting doom and gloom, and speaking for inMusic without actually speaking to inMusic, we decided that it would be a better idea for inMusic to speak for themselves about their plans for the beloved Rane brand. “Hey let’s hook you up with the Rane engineers” they said. “Cool”, quoth I, “but I’m keen to dig into the future for the brand as well as the product — expect some awkward questions”.
The resulting Skype gulp from inMusic was deafening. But we’re not about giving the industry an easy ride when it comes to difficult subjects, so off went questions for Rick Jeffs, long time product guru at Rane, and for Paul Buckley, the top Marketing fella at inMusic.
First up is Rick:
Rick Jeffs with the Rane Sixty-Two, one of twenty DJ products he designed for Rane.
For the readers, who are you, what do you do, and what Rane products have you worked on?
My name is Rick Jeffs and I’ve been the Senior Design Engineer for Rane Corporation for 20 years. In all, I designed more than 40 products for Rane. The ones you’re likely more interested in are the DJ products: MM8z, MP44, TTM54, TTM52, TTM56, MP2016, XP2016, SL1, SL2, SL3, SL4, MP2, MP4, TTM57SL, Sixty-Eight, Sixty-Four, Sixty-Two, TTM57mkII, MP2015 Rotary and MP2014 Rotary. I have the same title since the inMusic acquisition and I’ll continue to work out of the Rane office in Mukilteo, Washington.
Working for Rane must have been pretty cool. What do you think were the key elements that set it apart from other DJ companies?
Rane was unique in that it was a small, privately-held company. As such, I was able to influence which products were developed then define, architect, design and help promote those products with close friends. All-in-all, a very rewarding experience.
The one thing I really appreciate about the inMusic acquisition is that they’re leaving the Rane design and engineering group intact, which is cool.
Having visited the Rane factory in January, I was struck by the desire to do as much as possible in-house, and the relative just in time nature of manufacture. Why was this approach adopted, and what are the pros and cons of this?
All Rane manufacturing was done in-house. It had more of the vibe of a specialty boutique house than that of a large-scale manufacturer. There were pros and cons. On the upside, you have the ability to innovate and accommodate the needs of relatively small groups of users with very specific needs. This is awesome if you are one of the chosen few. The downside is that it is difficult to cost-effectively serve the needs of a wider group of users at a price they can afford.
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to survive as a small US manufacturer and many potential customers were left out because they simply couldn’t afford to purchase our products.
Describe how a new DJ product was conceptualized and created within the confines of the Rane environment. Tell us about how new product was decided on, and roughly how long something would take from concept to delivery.
Rane has the philosophy that their customers own the product. The customer (the DJ) would come to us with a need (not a specific product idea, just a need) and we would turn that need into a list of requirements, then engineer a solution. This usually involved rapid prototyping and ultimately a design would emerge that worked for the customer and Rane.
After requirements were dialed in, most products would take 9 to 12 months to produce. This is pretty typical and I expect the process now under inMusic will be similar, if not improved.
The DJ scene begged for a Rane controller. Were there any discussions? Sketches? Working prototypes? And if so, what stopped it from appearing?
There were discussions and sketches. The controller market was quickly dominated by capable and low-cost products. The mobile and hobby segment was a very large market better served by companies with a lot of capital and large-scale manufacturing capability.
The quality and features of controllers has been improving steadily and they are now on par with some of the best mixers out there and are being used by some serious artists. An example of a really good, ground-breaking controller is the Denon DJ MCX8000.
Before, Rane simply could not have produced a comparable product at an affordable price. But now we can have another look at doing a controller with a “Rane” personality.
When I visited in January, I got a definite sense of not being sure what to do next. Rane has always brought fresh ideas, but with the needs of DJs pretty much already serviced and by other Serato partners too, did old Rane have a clear path forward?
From my perspective, it wasn’t that Rane ran out of ideas or that DJs already had what they needed, it was more a matter of whether Rane could continue to produce high-value product. As designs became more complex (hardware and firmware) it became more and more difficult to amortize the cost of development over a relatively small volume of sales.
Going from a smaller company to a large-scale manufacturer is not an easy transition. All the design and product people are still here in WA, with all of our passion and personality, but now we have this sort of ‘silent partner’ standing behind us, opening up all kinds of intriguing possibilities.
Old Rane was pretty unique in being a major player in the DJ industry and being designed and built in the US. Given that manufacturing will move to the far east, how do you see the process of making Rane gear changing?
First of all, I would like to clear up the misconception that all products produced in the Far East are inferior to products produced in the US. Certainly some low-cost products come out Asia. Those products serve an important market segment for hobbyists and other consumers that don’t have a couple grand to drop on a mixer or controller.
Technically sophisticated and well-built products also come out of Asia —products as good or better than what is produced in the US. I expect the quality of Rane products produced in Asia will be as good or better than what we were producing locally. I think the biggest difference will be that the technical, marketing and distribution expertise of inMusic will allow the development of higher value products and make them available to a broader customer base.
As a product designer, an opportunity to develop high-value product for a greater number of DJs is an appealing prospect.
In terms of supporting existing product, will there still be spares available? Thinking back to the El Capitan issue, what about software support?
I’m not really the best person to speak to what will happen on the support side. it’s certainly in inMusic’s best interest to do the best they can to support existing Rane customers and I’m optimistic they will do so.
What do you think being part of inMusic will bring to new Rane? How do you feel new Rane will differ from old Rane? Do you think it can still retain what made Rane… Rane?
Working with inMusic will allow us to do things we were unable to do at Rane. They are able to provide technical expertise, tooling and manufacturing capabilities that Rane simply did not have and without a huge injection of capital would not have been able to acquire. We had product ideas drawn up, but were unable to produce them at a price our customers could or should have been able to pay.
The Rane engineering group expects to maintain a close relationship with our customers and we’ll approach product conception and development pretty much the same as we have in the past. Only now, with inMusic support, we’ll be in a position to do products we had imagined but didn’t have the resources to develop.
And over to Paul Buckley, Marketing Director of inMusic. I asked for a picture, but he preferred to make this all about Rane. So here’s a logo in his place:
When the news broke about inMusic buying Rane, the collective disappointment at the perceived loss of the Rane that we know and love was clear, and in particular the new owners being inMusic. How did this reaction make you feel?
The passion surrounding Rane is very real and something we can relate to since we experience similar passions today with our brands. We also recognize that there is a misconception that inMusic is a corporation within the minds of customers. It is not. It’s owned by a sole proprietor that started a company of brands with Numark.
When we acquire a brand, we take careful steps to bring a brand back-to-life, never to kill it off, as some big monolithic corporation might do. We understand that a prestigious brand such as Rane will bring out the emotions and passions of its customer base, and we’re sensitive to this. We fully intend to continue the legacy of the brand’s quality and integrity, because that’s what attracted us to Rane in the first place.
You can see how seriously we take that by the fact the Rane’s design team in WA will continue to “be Rane” without any interference.
The inMusic roster of DJ brands continues to grow. With Denon DJ planting its flag in the premium DJ sector, how will Rane operate alongside Denon DJ? Will there be clear lines of demarkation?
One of the strengths of Rane has continually been its dedication to the turntablist market. There were many exciting products that Rane couldn’t develop, given the restraints under previous ownership. Now those products will come to life, because now the Rane product and engineering team has the full support and resources needed to make those products a reality.
Community was a key value to the Rane brand and is witnessed at battles and trade shows. The heritage of Rane played a key part in this as did the people themselves. With familiar faces having left Rane, what’s the plan in terms of offering grass roots support to the established Rane user base?
We haven’t missed a beat with the Rane community, as displayed at the recent DMC Championships this past weekend in San Francisco, where Rane was represented by the Rane product team and engaging with the community as usual. We are also continuing to engage with the Rane DJ community on product development ideas – so nothing has changed. Passion is key, and we recognize that.
US based manufacture and stellar quality were key elements to the Rane brand. What does moving manufacture to the far east bring to the Rane brand?
inMusic is a global company, so not all of our brands’ products are produced in the Far East. We kept the Rane Engineering and Product Development teams intact to insure the quality and integrity of the Rane products being produced overseas, we feel that the quality and time-to-market will improve through our current manufacturing process.
Product quality and performance are a function of commitment and company culture, far more than where it’s “screwed together,” so to speak. The Rane commitment and culture hasn’t changed one bit.
Another area where Rane excelled was in customer support. Stories of going over and above the call of duty were commonplace on forums, and is a key factor to the love that people have for them. How does inMusic plan to live up to this reputation?
inMusic has maintained dedicated tech support at Rane’s headquarters in Washington State as well as in Rhode Island, and throughout our global offices. Our plan is to simply continue the dedication to Rane customers – again, nothing has changed. inMusic’s support of our other brands borders on fanatical, so this is in our DNA.
Short term, will we see a shortage of Rane product while production moves abroad? Will every product survive, and are there already plans for new Rane product?
There are already products in development with the Rane Seattle team and it’s still too early to determine which – if any – products might not continue.
Summing up, given the heritage of the brand, the amazing quality, customer support, and strong community links, please give the DJWORX community a clear vision of Rane’s future journey under inMusic’s ownership.
Rane has a long legacy of creating purpose-built solid solutions for the professional DJ community, based upon direct interaction with users and a product team that has unmatched experience delivering those solutions. To that end, absolutely nothing has changed.
What will change are several things that the DJ Market will certainly appreciate and enjoy. There has been the introduction of new technology that is relevant to users today that was simply not available to the Rane engineering team. The inMusic relationship now will allow for many of requested features and products to be built that could not be executed before. In addition, inMusic has a far more global reach, so global support and distribution can be better served under this leadership.
Rane will continue its legacy of supporting the DJ community through DMC and Thre3tyle competitions. You can also expect a greater expanse of the product offerings Rane will now be capable of producing. All and all, we feel this transition of ownership will enhance the impact of a storied brand we have always admired and will help it grow into the brand we know the DJ community needs for the future.
MY THOUGHTS
It’s all too easy for the DJ community to rebel against a perceived corporate brand hoover sucking up a small homegrown business. History has shown us many times over that takeovers are a messy thing with a trail of asset stripping and lost jobs. And it would be disingenuous of me to gloss over that the Rane takeover hasn’t seen its fair share of casualties. But Rane was up for sale for a good reason, and it’s better than someone bought it and save some jobs and brand equity than for everything to be lost.
I am however beginning to get a growing vibe that the people of inMusic are becoming more brand oriented and seeing the potential and value in their respective sectors. There’s a reason why Jack dipped into his piggy banks to snap up Rane, and that reason would appear to be (at least in part) to have an aspirational brand in a sector that inMusic has been spread thin in. And yes, to make some money too.
Think of it this way — for a long time, there was just Numark as inMusic’s DJ brand, that covered all bases. When DJing was a narrow field, this was fine. But the diverse and rich melting pot of technology is a tough marketing proposition when targeting beginners with no money and seasoned pros with deep pockets — all under one umbrella brand. At least now, with Numark, Denon DJ, Marq Lighting, Akai Professional (at least a little), and finally Rane, inMusic has an established roster with definite market sectors and positions, and each can play to their respective strengths and values.
If you have any doubt about Rane, take a look at Denon DJ. Granted, it’s taken a while for the brand to stamp its feet again, but with the MCX8000 aiming for the top end of Serato’s feature set, and having Engine as an entirely standalone prospect, it’s clear that inMusic hardly put the brand into mothballs. And this is just the start. I’ve seen some of their future roadmap, and it was a rare moment of me being left without words to immediately articulate. Believe me when I say that Denon DJ is coming back with a bang.
SUMMING UP
Obviously, there will be challenges for Rane, and by definition inMusic too. Given that any Rane product in the retail chain (more or less all gone I’m told) is the last coming off the Seattle factory production line, it’s unclear if existing designs will be reworked for the far eastern factories, or if the new inMusic brush will sweep clean and deliver brand new Rane products.
But with the key design and engineering people still being based in Seattle but having a much larger production toy box to play with, and the inMusic sales, marketing, and distribution channels being at their disposal, it seems that much of the Rane spirit will still be intact, but perhaps even amplified with the inMusic machine behind it.
We can only hope that Rane will grow and prosper under inMusic’s stewardship, and that the products that they really wanted to make will finally come to fruition. Just be patient.
I´m wondering if inMusic has the plan to dive into the Software market as well or is looking for any collaboration… Since Serato isn´t Rane exclusive (anymore?) there are a few other options besides Rekordbox obviously. And since Traktor didn´t get any major updates in a while I highly doubt that NI will come up with a nex mixer instead anytime soon. If something is happening in the Traktor department I´m sure all resources are kept for the software part and not on the hardware (but then again Maschine Jam popped out of nowhere while everybody was expecting a software only update). As much as I enjoy using my Z2 there a quite a few things that need serious improvement… Since they´re looking for a share in the Turntablist market a DVS is needed and maybe some non-Serato users might be able to enjoy a dedicated high quality mixer with their DVS of choice.
Is Virtual DJ still a Numark thing btw? If so, my question is already answered…
To my knowledge, Atomix (makers of Virtual DJ) is very much its own company and doesn’t need a hardware partnership to survive.
Virtual DJ has never been a Numark thing as such. Numark licensed VDJ to make their own Spin branded variant but that’s it.
thanks for the heads up.
Hey Mark, a bit off topic… didn’t inMusic also acquire Marantz? In the late 70’s I had a 2270, it was clean and warm sounding. It would be nice to see inMusic use some of the analog circuitry in some of their newer stuff.
They bought Marantz Professional and Denon DJ from D&M Holdings, who still own the pro audio focussed Marantz and Denon brands.
I thought they had acquired it back when they scooped up Denon DJ. I still know a few old (65+yr old) audiophiles that run an old 1200.
Seems that they also bought Denon Professional too. The more audiophile brands of Marantz and Denon are still with D&M.
It makes me shake my head a little when I look at the companies under the inMusic umbrella and think about the amount of patents that they must be holding. If they were to distribute research, development and technologies that each company is known for, inMusic would be the dominating force.
I’ve been saying this as well. It’s mind boggling what they could come up with if they put all their companies in a huge think tank.
Cross DJ is another choice as well, it’s like VDJ in the fact that it isn’t locked to any particular hardware. inMusic seems to be supporting Serato with Akai and Denon products, but they also have “in house” access to software like Mixmeister, Engine and the source code to Torq.
inMusic is in the software market. Akai has MPC Software. Denon DJ has Engine. They also own Sonivox (sampling libraries and softsynths) and AIR Music Technology (plugins).
I will never buy anything inMusic makes. Their support is horrible… I have unloaded everything that they have ties to.
InMusic does not make anything. They simply acquire companies with a focus on the DJ market.
One thing inMusic really needs to do is pick up on the website and the support. Rane’s support forums in the website are full of unanswered questions that continue to build up after the sale. It gives the impression that the entire Rane brand has been discarded. The only thing worse would be to take the site down entirely with no explanation.
Hi @JamBurgler. Rane Support here. Thanks for jumping in, and for your feedback. We hear you! Our Technical Support and Service team is available at http://www.rane.com/support and 401-659-8192. We’re also up and running on the Rane forum. You’ll see a much improved presence and responsiveness moving forward.
Thanks for the response Rob and I see there’s already been some movement over there!
This is PR stunt and damage control from inMusic. The fact remains that inMusic should have kept Rane completely intact until they found what do with the company as whole and ‘fully’ transitioned every role performed to other teams.
@Jam Burglar has a valid point about the Rane support forums. There people looking for help that aren’t getting help. Potential costumers can see the unanswered forums as well.
A Rane mixer made in China is not a Rane mixer to me until you prove me different by having A1 customer support and Rane’s legendary build quality.
You can’t buy Rane level design and engineering skills in the far east — they’re pretty unique to the people who have stayed in Seattle. But you certainly can manufacture to Rane levels out there, provided you demand it and pay for it. This equation alone makes the decision to transfer manufacture to the far east a no brainer in my book, and definitely the right one for the continuation of the Rane brand. Time will tell if the quality is maintained or not.
inMusic is more than aware of the support that Rane offered. And they’d be foolish not to maintain those over and above levels too. If they don’t, it’ll soon become apparent via the online DJ community. The issue will be working out the genuine issues from the people who just have it in for inMusic.
For what it’s worth, inMusic have upped their support of recent years. And premium brands, like Denon DJ, are afforded a very high level of support and additional warranty extensions.
*Full disclosure – whilst I am not employed by inMusic, I do manage several of their brands in Australia and our support from inMusic has been excellent.
“This is PR stunt and damage control from inMusic. The fact remains that
inMusic should have kept Rane completely intact until they found what do
with the company as whole and ‘fully’ transitioned every role performed
to other teams.”
– This is exactly what I think.
If they really would have wanted to continue with the current product line they’d have kept the production going instead of selling out everything.
My guess is that it has something to do with the warranty, driver support and spare parts support of existing products – some shady move to get out of liability.
Thanks Mark for the article!
I like inMusic and as of now, all of my gear (ttx’s /Dnx-1600) is made by inMusic brands. To me, having multiple brands to cover multiple sector’s of the industry is the antithesis of what Pio and NI are trying to do. Segmentation makes thing’s more difficult for the company, but when has choice ever been a bad thing for dj’s?
I’m really excited to see what denon’s up to…They’ve taken all of their mixer’s and all of their rotating plater-players off of their website, so something new must be up the pike. They’re mixer’s have always been as good as pio, and their players were only let down by an archaic screen. I’d imagine that updated players with the Mc8000’s screens are in the works, as well as an update to the dnx 1600 / 1700.
When they come, i’ll be buying them both
I too am waiting patiently. There are several things on the market that I’ve been considering, but holding off because (thanks to DJWORX) I am aware that there’s forthcoming Denon goodness. Very frustrating!
This is a damage control press release in the form of an interview plain and simple. its filled with contradictions from the initial press release (which has all most been scrubbed from the internet entirely) that was met with huge upset in the DJ community.
Below is a quote from the original press release they were trying to burry. this quote came from Paul Buckley who was interviewed in this article (excerpt found here from original press release http://cdm.link/2016/07/likely-end-rane-know-inmusic-acquisition/ . as stated before the internet has been scrubbed)
“The majority of the 60+ workforce will be “permanently displaced” at the end of July.
Some engineers will remain (from the HAL/install side) in Seattle.
The DJ side of Rane will be absorbed into the Numark/Denon team at inMusic HQ.
Manufacturing will be moved to inMusic’s contractors in the far east.”
Think of this , would Bentley let their cars be built by machine, NOPE! Bentley charges a premium because the cars are hand built with quality parts. Well Rane was the Bentley of mixers and were hand built! not any more, and inmusic will still charge a premium for mass produced product of lesser quality just because of the Rane name. Nice try inmusic , but us pros are now on to the Pioneer DJMS9.
Best regards,
A former Rane user of 15 years
I feel the need to iron out a few wrinkles in your comment Matthew.
Firstly, you’re not quoting a press release, and they’re not Paul Buckley’s words either — CDM quoted my words based on feedback from sources from my original article. For the Rane and inMusic press releases, check my original story: http://djworx.com/breaking-rane-sold-inmusic/
And those words are still pretty much correct. The only difference is that more people have remained, not less. So the picture is actually much better than previously thought.
So no internet “scrubbing” or any other conspiracy going on — just Google “inmusic rane” and it’s all there, including my story with both press releases and my commentary that was widely quoted. inMusic’s press release is right there at the top too.
Lastly, that DJM-S9 you’re using — it’s mass produced in the far east for a relatively premium price. For context, the Sixty Two was only $300 more for a US manufactured hand built boutique mixer.
i hate that thing…DJM-S9…looks and feels like a cheap controller…i’ll keep my RANE MKII
Not sure if serious
And a former, possibly disgruntled, inMusic employee
I love my sixty two , its the best mixer ive owned . Sadly after that model will be coming new products with a new machine build quality which in fairness remains to be seen as RANE’s hand built quality was unmatched.
The sixty two is the last of its breed of that quality which was my point.
In regards to being disgruntled, no , being a former employee yes. Since then I have purchased multiple products from inmusic brands after my employment with them was over, and I would suggest these products to others. With that said it appears you no longer have a point
So nice try Mark to find a scapegoat and make a theory up regarding my post, however if you read the other posts different users have also touched on what i said as well.
I am speaking from a passionate , love of Rane mixers standpoint. Largely what i have stated reflects quite a few peoples feelings as well in the DJ community, so please for the love of Christ don’t try and make it look like im the only one.
The Pioneer piece does come close to the RANE Sixty Two , Their new faders just feel amazing and have many levels of adjustment and tension which is an advancement in technology
I guess only time will tell what the future is for Rane, but like I said the Sixty Two was my last purchase from Rane. If a great mixer from Rane proves to match quality and durability I will be the first in line to buy one and eat my own words.
however I feel the chance of this happening is comparable to capturing bigfoot, but hey I hope im wrong!
Hey Matt, I did say “possibly” – just seen a few negative pieces from you lately. At the moment, everything is conjecture and hearsay. But there are products coming out of inMusic, ex-Asia, that are of excellent quality. MCX8000 is a prime example.
thank you for your reply, inmusic did wonders with the Denon brand so there is some hope for Rane as they have some good talent at the company, but I need to see it to believe it!
Think of it like this, what normal concerns would you have if a different company bought Technics and was now going to design, manufacture, and distribute 1200’s? so why is this any different?
I demand a lot out of my products, and I know others do as well. When speaking on DJ Gear which people make a living with you have to call it as you see it, sometimes its favorable and sometimes not.
Its important to always evaluate product info, company news, and new gear .I Think think you did a good job of it in the article, but what the dj community behind closed doors is expressing is concern mixed with some hope.
Im sure the features and design of new products will be great, build quality is the concern. like I stated I am holding out hope because I do love Rane
So who are you really upset with, InMusic or Rane. Truth be told any company that purchased Rane would not have maintained the current Rane Business Model. It is all to apparent that that the model was not conducive or good for the longevity of the company. To be honest, there was no guarantee that Rane would have had another buyer if InMusic had not stepped up to the plate. Which means the total dissipation of the company. If looked at from that angle, it could mean InMusic is more savior than devil.
I agree, if you look at all the companies that InMusic have. Its what you would need to do battle with Pioneer. Don’t forget Pioneer is all built in china, Apple in china, Samsung in Korea and Mexico. Most domestic car companies get the parts from china and assemble them here. So many companies build over seas. If something needs to be built to a high standard then the company hires someone to go over there and do quality control. Denons New Prime product line looks great and is atleast pioneers quality or higher. Hanpin is making everyones turntables. We can’t assume that it’s over for Rane. Based on Denon DJ’s newest product release I’m excited for Rane’s new products.
please review the pioneer PLX-500
it’s not for DJ’s…it’s for listening and ripping records to computers….PLX-1000 is for DJ’s with the right dampening etc…there’s your review
you may be right but i want a full review plus it’s marketed to dj’s so i’d like a review. i suspect your correct but i’d still like a review. Besides today most shit dj’s i see barely utilize more than the on off button. i wouldnt be surprised if it was good enough for plenty. And hell Roc Raida mixed with some belt drive tables for a while.
I know people love to hate on Numark.
I gotta say, I really love my Akai AMX. I have a Rane MP2015 rotary mixer and I love that more, but my AMX is always in my bag as my backup and it has never let me down. And I know another DJ who also uses the same combo (AMX & MP2015). I think it makes perfect sense if they workout a good brand strategy to focus on different niches.
Is Rane is going to be a boutique brand for individual deck based DJs? eg, Rane 62 for Turntablists and MP 2015 for House and Techno heads.
Does that mean that Rane will come out with a turntable for turntablists and/or single deck combo CD/USB player (w/ HID control)?
Or does Rotary mixers move over to Denon with CD/USB decks and then Rane just focuses on turntablism?
Denon DJ put out the VL 12 earlier this year. I’d still like to see a review on it somewhere as it’s supposed to be built from the ground up, instead of it being a Hanpin.
VL12 is probably going to be an early 2017 release
Strange… must be a regional thing. They’ve been listed in Canada for a few months now.
Hey mate, listed is one thing – available is another.
Just called and talked to a good friend that works at that shop. They don’t have them in stock, but the order would take 4 to 6 weeks to be shipped in.
Why buy Rane if you’re not planning on playing to its strengths? InMusic trying to turn Rane into a cut-price, reduced quality version of its former self would be utterly pointless. They are buying a well-established and respected brand with a reputation for outstanding build quality and customer support. If you take those two things away, what are you left with?
Did you read the article?
Yes, I did.
I’m pretty excited to see what happens with Rane and Denon DJ moving forward. inMusic seem to have turned around a lot of brands that were destined for the economic scrap heap before – Alesis, Akai Pro and Denon DJ, for example.
Thanks for the article, Mark.
I don’t think Rane was destined for the scrap heap. I know inMusic gave you an interview and your grateful for that but, unless Chinese made Rane prove themselves to diehard Rane fans Rane’s name is worth spit. Nothing you say, Rane says, or inMusic says will convince anyone otherwise.
I said “economic scrap heap”. I’d imagine that’s why they were sold, but that’s just a guess. I’m not Mark Settle, btw, I’m not involved with the interview – and I’m not trying to convince you of anything. The fact of the matter is that history is on inMusic’s side.
I’ve used rate since the MP24, i think the club I used to work at still has it, aside from the pots getting dirty from time to time, there was no issue with it… rock solid… that’s how an industry standard gets made – not by telling people they are (P company). Once In Music bought Denon they went down hill, I had to do their job for them. At that time I decided to unload anything InMusic touches. i don’t need the aggravation, I don’t care if they get better, you only have one time to impress and they failed miserably. I have also heard others with similar issues so they may be able to pump out the hardware but if they can’t back the service up then they have no chance.
Former Rane employee here. Up until the production staff were laid off the general consensus was that we all disliked (to state in a friendly manner) the quality of audio products made in the far east. Loose, wiggly pots. Plastic used in the chassis and elsewhere. No consideration taken into the feel, tension, or durability of the pots themselves. There is no comparison to the quality of equipment produced by knowledgeable workers, who were mostly musicians themselves, and gear which is cranked out in high volume by a contracted factory. To read of a Rane employee speaking positively of the future of Rane products not being made in the USA is very strange. While I believe the design of the products will stay true to Rane, we can’t say for sure about the quality of materials which will be used in the future. One of the reasons Rane mixers were so expensive was because of the cost and quality of the materials used. There was a certain standard of ruggedness.
Are any of the old employees thinking about getting into the repair (or even modding) of older, no longer supported Rane gear? For example, I’ve got a TTM-54 and a TTM-56 that are still going strong but could probably use general servicing (truth the be told I still think the TTM-56 is the best scratch mixer ever made). The Rane factory wasn’t servicing them anymore even before the sale. As somebody who still uses drum machines and various other equipment from the 70s and 80s, I can see a need for this type of thing well into the future.
Unfortunately, no. We don’t have the means, parts, or pcb’s required to do something like that. Rane had two guys who performed the actual repairs on all the gear. One guy has retired and the guy other is close to retirement. You’ll probably have to purchase aftermarket parts and have a elec tech service the gear.
@Jamburgler. Original parts are in stock. Our Factory authorized techs have been working on these mixers for years. We’ve got you covered for repairs. Creative mods would be a third party venture. But you’re definitely not alone there. There’s a vocal interest out there in making mixers look or perform in a unique way.
How do we get hold of the Rane service guys?
The source select knobs on the mp2015 I just played on were super wiggly… just saying.
They can wiggle if you wiggle them. They decided they wouldn’t need to be fixed to the top panel. They aren’t being cranked on like the channel pots. I would have liked them to be fixed to the panel, though.
We can only hope that the build quality is the same and that future products are in the works with new and innovative features. The one thing that I see coming up here is that quality products can not be made in the “far east”……..Well that MacBook Pro you DJ with was not manufactured here in the US and neither was the smart phone in your pocket or that external hard drive that holds all your music and video files. I am optimistic that InMusic will continue the legacy the Rane name was built upon and that new and exciting product offerings are just a few months away to be shown at NAMM. Just as a side note on Rane US quality manufacturing…….I have a Rane Sixty Eight sitting in its box on a shelf in my garage because It had been returned for service 3 times during the warranty period for the EXACT same issues with he hot cue buttons. Now that it is out of warranty I was quoted by Rane that it would cost me over $400 to repair it. Same issue 3 times over and over. I have a 2010 17” MacBook Pro that is coming up on 7 years of flawless use and we all know where that was made……overseas. I also own a Denon MCX8000 and it is SOLID! So….. the US build quality is not a 100% guarantee of a great product. Fingers crossed we will see a slew of new products frme all the InMusic brands soon.
The difference is… That hot cue button issue is due to a design failure. It has nothing to do with the product being manufactured in the States. The exact same product manufactured anywhere in the world would had suffered from the same issue – because it’s a design failure.
Yeah I was told that by quite a few people but you would have thought that Rane would have come up with a better and longer lasting fix for a $2600.00 DJ mixer.
Yet no Rane 61’s, 62’s, 64’s available sure looks like their putting their best foot forward without supporting any more of these mixers to purchase. Fuck Rane, Fuck InMusic.
inMusic knows it has a lot to live up to, so it’s better wait and see before passing judgement on products that have yet to exist. inMusic has certainly taken Denon DJ into a place that challenges Pioneer DJ in the booth. You might be pleasantly surprised by what they could do with Rane. We shall see.
Go ahead and buy they first off the Asian manufacturer line and when it breaks enjoy the 4 months it takes to get it fixed & terrible inMusic support which they’re known for.
I was looking to buy the 62 today bc I finally had the money & none available except used & I WON’T be the one to get the shitty Chinese made garbage off the line, that’s if they even continue the 60 line of Rane mixers.
DENON hasn’t ever made anything I’m interested in ever. I’m on turntables & dj mixers. Not controllers or plastic garbage. I prefer tables the feel of vinyl to a controller. Rane was the only mixer I care about and now that’s gone, so now I’m gone. I’m so angry about this.
Clearly you’re aggrieved by the situation and nothing anyone can say can change your mind. But it’s worth noting that this is just your point of view. According to product availability listings on the likes of GC and Sweetwater some select products appear to be coming to market in the not too distant future. Your claims about “Chinese made garbage” are presumptuous at best. Most of inMusic’s high-end products come out of Taiwan, not mainland China, and these products are of just as well built as anything previously produced at Rane USA. If you don’t believe me, go and look at the build quality of products like Denon DJ SC5000, X1800, Akai MPC Live, Numark NS7III. They are generally a superior build to their Pioneer counterparts.
Upvote for correct spelling of ‘whet’.
http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/whet-your-appetite-for-something
hwip the vote!
I´m wondering if inMusic has the plan to dive into the Software market as well or is looking for any collaboration… Since Serato isn´t Rane exclusive (anymore?) there are a few other options besides Rekordbox obviously. And since Traktor didn´t get any major updates in a while I highly doubt that NI will come up with a nex mixer instead anytime soon. If something is happening in the Traktor department I´m sure all resources are kept for the software part and not on the hardware (but then again Maschine Jam popped out of nowhere while everybody was expecting a software only update). As much as I enjoy using my Z2 there a quite a few things that need serious improvement… Since they´re looking for a share in the Turntablist market a DVS is needed and maybe some non-Serato users might be able to enjoy a dedicated high quality mixer with their DVS of choice.
Is Virtual DJ still a Numark thing btw? If so, my question is already answered…
To my knowledge, Atomix (makers of Virtual DJ) is very much its own company and doesn’t need a hardware partnership to survive.
Virtual DJ has never been a Numark thing as such. Numark licensed VDJ to make their own Spin branded variant but that’s it.
thanks for the heads up.
Hey Mark, a bit off topic… didn’t inMusic also acquire Marantz? In the late 70’s I had a 2270, it was clean and warm sounding. It would be nice to see inMusic use some of the analog circuitry in some of their newer stuff.
They bought Marantz Professional and Denon DJ from D&M Holdings, who still own the pro audio focussed Marantz and Denon brands.
I thought they had acquired it back when they scooped up Denon DJ. I still know a few old (65+yr old) audiophiles that run an old 1200.
Seems that they also bought Denon Professional too. The more audiophile brands of Marantz and Denon are still with D&M.
It makes me shake my head a little when I look at the companies under the inMusic umbrella and think about the amount of patents that they must be holding. If they were to distribute research, development and technologies that each company is known for, inMusic would be the dominating force.
I’ve been saying this as well. It’s mind boggling what they could come up with if they put all their companies in a huge think tank.
Cross DJ is another choice as well, it’s like VDJ in the fact that it isn’t locked to any particular hardware. inMusic seems to be supporting Serato with Akai and Denon products, but they also have “in house” access to software like Mixmeister, Engine and the source code to Torq.
inMusic is in the software market. Akai has MPC Software. Denon DJ has Engine. They also own Sonivox (sampling libraries and softsynths) and AIR Music Technology (plugins).
I will never buy anything inMusic makes. Their support is horrible… I have unloaded everything that they have ties to.
InMusic does not make anything. They simply acquire companies with a focus on the DJ market.
One thing inMusic really needs to do is pick up on the website and the support. Rane’s support forums in the website are full of unanswered questions that continue to build up after the sale. It gives the impression that the entire Rane brand has been discarded. The only thing worse would be to take the site down entirely with no explanation.
Hi @JamBurgler. Rane Support here. Thanks for jumping in, and for your feedback. We hear you! Our Technical Support and Service team is available at http://www.rane.com/support and 401-659-8192. We’re also up and running on the Rane forum. You’ll see a much improved presence and responsiveness moving forward.
Thanks for the response Rob and I see there’s already been some movement over there!
This is PR stunt and damage control from inMusic. The fact remains that inMusic should have kept Rane completely intact until they found what do with the company as whole and ‘fully’ transitioned every role performed to other teams.
@Jam Burglar has a valid point about the Rane support forums. There people looking for help that aren’t getting help. Potential costumers can see the unanswered forums as well.
A Rane mixer made in China is not a Rane mixer to me until you prove me different by having A1 customer support and Rane’s legendary build quality.
You can’t buy Rane level design and engineering skills in the far east — they’re pretty unique to the people who have stayed in Seattle. But you certainly can manufacture to Rane levels out there, provided you demand it and pay for it. This equation alone makes the decision to transfer manufacture to the far east a no brainer in my book, and definitely the right one for the continuation of the Rane brand. Time will tell if the quality is maintained or not.
inMusic is more than aware of the support that Rane offered. And they’d be foolish not to maintain those over and above levels too. If they don’t, it’ll soon become apparent via the online DJ community. The issue will be working out the genuine issues from the people who just have it in for inMusic.
For what it’s worth, inMusic have upped their support of recent years. And premium brands, like Denon DJ, are afforded a very high level of support and additional warranty extensions.
*Full disclosure – whilst I am not employed by inMusic, I do manage several of their brands in Australia and our support from inMusic has been excellent.
“This is PR stunt and damage control from inMusic. The fact remains that
inMusic should have kept Rane completely intact until they found what do
with the company as whole and ‘fully’ transitioned every role performed
to other teams.”
– This is exactly what I think.
If they really would have wanted to continue with the current product line they’d have kept the production going instead of selling out everything.
My guess is that it has something to do with the warranty, driver support and spare parts support of existing products – some shady move to get out of liability.
Thanks Mark for the article!
I like inMusic and as of now, all of my gear (ttx’s /Dnx-1600) is made by inMusic brands. To me, having multiple brands to cover multiple sector’s of the industry is the antithesis of what Pio and NI are trying to do. Segmentation makes thing’s more difficult for the company, but when has choice ever been a bad thing for dj’s?
I’m really excited to see what denon’s up to…They’ve taken all of their mixer’s and all of their rotating plater-players off of their website, so something new must be up the pike. They’re mixer’s have always been as good as pio, and their players were only let down by an archaic screen. I’d imagine that updated players with the Mc8000’s screens are in the works, as well as an update to the dnx 1600 / 1700.
When they come, i’ll be buying them both
I too am waiting patiently. There are several things on the market that I’ve been considering, but holding off because (thanks to DJWORX) I am aware that there’s forthcoming Denon goodness. Very frustrating!
This is a damage control press release in the form of an interview plain and simple. its filled with contradictions from the initial press release (which has all most been scrubbed from the internet entirely) that was met with huge upset in the DJ community.
Below is a quote from the original press release they were trying to burry. this quote came from Paul Buckley who was interviewed in this article (excerpt found here from original press release http://cdm.link/2016/07/likely-end-rane-know-inmusic-acquisition/ . as stated before the internet has been scrubbed)
“The majority of the 60+ workforce will be “permanently displaced” at the end of July.
Some engineers will remain (from the HAL/install side) in Seattle.
The DJ side of Rane will be absorbed into the Numark/Denon team at inMusic HQ.
Manufacturing will be moved to inMusic’s contractors in the far east.”
Think of this , would Bentley let their cars be built by machine, NOPE! Bentley charges a premium because the cars are hand built with quality parts. Well Rane was the Bentley of mixers and were hand built! not any more, and inmusic will still charge a premium for mass produced product of lesser quality just because of the Rane name. Nice try inmusic , but us pros are now on to the Pioneer DJMS9.
Best regards,
A former Rane user of 15 years
I feel the need to iron out a few wrinkles in your comment Matthew.
Firstly, you’re not quoting a press release, and they’re not Paul Buckley’s words either — CDM quoted my words based on feedback from sources from my original article. For the Rane and inMusic press releases, check my original story: http://djworx.com/breaking-rane-sold-inmusic/
And those words are still pretty much correct. The only difference is that more people have remained, not less. So the picture is actually much better than previously thought.
So no internet “scrubbing” or any other conspiracy going on — just Google “inmusic rane” and it’s all there, including my story with both press releases and my commentary that was widely quoted. inMusic’s press release is right there at the top too.
Lastly, that DJM-S9 you’re using — it’s mass produced in the far east for a relatively premium price. For context, the Sixty Two was only $300 more for a US manufactured hand built boutique mixer.
i hate that thing…DJM-S9…looks and feels like a cheap controller…i’ll keep my RANE MKII
Not sure if serious
And a former, possibly disgruntled, inMusic employee
I love my sixty two , its the best mixer ive owned . Sadly after that model will be coming new products with a new machine build quality which in fairness remains to be seen as RANE’s hand built quality was unmatched.
The sixty two is the last of its breed of that quality which was my point.
In regards to being disgruntled, no , being a former employee yes. Since then I have purchased multiple products from inmusic brands after my employment with them was over, and I would suggest these products to others. With that said it appears you no longer have a point
So nice try Mark to find a scapegoat and make a theory up regarding my post, however if you read the other posts different users have also touched on what i said as well.
I am speaking from a passionate , love of Rane mixers standpoint. Largely what i have stated reflects quite a few peoples feelings as well in the DJ community, so please for the love of Christ don’t try and make it look like im the only one.
The Pioneer piece does come close to the RANE Sixty Two , Their new faders just feel amazing and have many levels of adjustment and tension which is an advancement in technology
I guess only time will tell what the future is for Rane, but like I said the Sixty Two was my last purchase from Rane. If a great mixer from Rane proves to match quality and durability I will be the first in line to buy one and eat my own words.
however I feel the chance of this happening is comparable to capturing bigfoot, but hey I hope im wrong!
Hey Matt, I did say “possibly” – just seen a few negative pieces from you lately. At the moment, everything is conjecture and hearsay. But there are products coming out of inMusic, ex-Asia, that are of excellent quality. MCX8000 is a prime example.
thank you for your reply, inmusic did wonders with the Denon brand so there is some hope for Rane as they have some good talent at the company, but I need to see it to believe it!
Think of it like this, what normal concerns would you have if a different company bought Technics and was now going to design, manufacture, and distribute 1200’s? so why is this any different?
I demand a lot out of my products, and I know others do as well. When speaking on DJ Gear which people make a living with you have to call it as you see it, sometimes its favorable and sometimes not.
Its important to always evaluate product info, company news, and new gear .I Think think you did a good job of it in the article, but what the dj community behind closed doors is expressing is concern mixed with some hope.
Im sure the features and design of new products will be great, build quality is the concern. like I stated I am holding out hope because I do love Rane
So who are you really upset with, InMusic or Rane. Truth be told any company that purchased Rane would not have maintained the current Rane Business Model. It is all to apparent that that the model was not conducive or good for the longevity of the company. To be honest, there was no guarantee that Rane would have had another buyer if InMusic had not stepped up to the plate. Which means the total dissipation of the company. If looked at from that angle, it could mean InMusic is more savior than devil.
I agree, if you look at all the companies that InMusic have. Its what you would need to do battle with Pioneer. Don’t forget Pioneer is all built in china, Apple in china, Samsung in Korea and Mexico. Most domestic car companies get the parts from china and assemble them here. So many companies build over seas. If something needs to be built to a high standard then the company hires someone to go over there and do quality control. Denons New Prime product line looks great and is atleast pioneers quality or higher. Hanpin is making everyones turntables. We can’t assume that it’s over for Rane. Based on Denon DJ’s newest product release I’m excited for Rane’s new products.
please review the pioneer PLX-500
it’s not for DJ’s…it’s for listening and ripping records to computers….PLX-1000 is for DJ’s with the right dampening etc…there’s your review
you may be right but i want a full review plus it’s marketed to dj’s so i’d like a review. i suspect your correct but i’d still like a review. Besides today most shit dj’s i see barely utilize more than the on off button. i wouldnt be surprised if it was good enough for plenty. And hell Roc Raida mixed with some belt drive tables for a while.
I know people love to hate on Numark.
I gotta say, I really love my Akai AMX. I have a Rane MP2015 rotary mixer and I love that more, but my AMX is always in my bag as my backup and it has never let me down. And I know another DJ who also uses the same combo (AMX & MP2015). I think it makes perfect sense if they workout a good brand strategy to focus on different niches.
Is Rane is going to be a boutique brand for individual deck based DJs? eg, Rane 62 for Turntablists and MP 2015 for House and Techno heads.
Does that mean that Rane will come out with a turntable for turntablists and/or single deck combo CD/USB player (w/ HID control)?
Or does Rotary mixers move over to Denon with CD/USB decks and then Rane just focuses on turntablism?
Denon DJ put out the VL 12 earlier this year. I’d still like to see a review on it somewhere as it’s supposed to be built from the ground up, instead of it being a Hanpin.
VL12 is probably going to be an early 2017 release
Strange… must be a regional thing. They’ve been listed in Canada for a few months now.
https://www.long-mcquade.com/68809/Pro-Audio—Recording/DJ/Denon/VL12-DJ-Turntable.htm
Hey mate, listed is one thing – available is another.
Just called and talked to a good friend that works at that shop. They don’t have them in stock, but the order would take 4 to 6 weeks to be shipped in.
Why buy Rane if you’re not planning on playing to its strengths? InMusic trying to turn Rane into a cut-price, reduced quality version of its former self would be utterly pointless. They are buying a well-established and respected brand with a reputation for outstanding build quality and customer support. If you take those two things away, what are you left with?
Did you read the article?
Yes, I did.
I’m pretty excited to see what happens with Rane and Denon DJ moving forward. inMusic seem to have turned around a lot of brands that were destined for the economic scrap heap before – Alesis, Akai Pro and Denon DJ, for example.
Thanks for the article, Mark.
I don’t think Rane was destined for the scrap heap. I know inMusic gave you an interview and your grateful for that but, unless Chinese made Rane prove themselves to diehard Rane fans Rane’s name is worth spit. Nothing you say, Rane says, or inMusic says will convince anyone otherwise.
I said “economic scrap heap”. I’d imagine that’s why they were sold, but that’s just a guess. I’m not Mark Settle, btw, I’m not involved with the interview – and I’m not trying to convince you of anything. The fact of the matter is that history is on inMusic’s side.
I’ve used rate since the MP24, i think the club I used to work at still has it, aside from the pots getting dirty from time to time, there was no issue with it… rock solid… that’s how an industry standard gets made – not by telling people they are (P company). Once In Music bought Denon they went down hill, I had to do their job for them. At that time I decided to unload anything InMusic touches. i don’t need the aggravation, I don’t care if they get better, you only have one time to impress and they failed miserably. I have also heard others with similar issues so they may be able to pump out the hardware but if they can’t back the service up then they have no chance.
Former Rane employee here. Up until the production staff were laid off the general consensus was that we all disliked (to state in a friendly manner) the quality of audio products made in the far east. Loose, wiggly pots. Plastic used in the chassis and elsewhere. No consideration taken into the feel, tension, or durability of the pots themselves. There is no comparison to the quality of equipment produced by knowledgeable workers, who were mostly musicians themselves, and gear which is cranked out in high volume by a contracted factory. To read of a Rane employee speaking positively of the future of Rane products not being made in the USA is very strange. While I believe the design of the products will stay true to Rane, we can’t say for sure about the quality of materials which will be used in the future. One of the reasons Rane mixers were so expensive was because of the cost and quality of the materials used. There was a certain standard of ruggedness.
Are any of the old employees thinking about getting into the repair (or even modding) of older, no longer supported Rane gear? For example, I’ve got a TTM-54 and a TTM-56 that are still going strong but could probably use general servicing (truth the be told I still think the TTM-56 is the best scratch mixer ever made). The Rane factory wasn’t servicing them anymore even before the sale. As somebody who still uses drum machines and various other equipment from the 70s and 80s, I can see a need for this type of thing well into the future.
Unfortunately, no. We don’t have the means, parts, or pcb’s required to do something like that. Rane had two guys who performed the actual repairs on all the gear. One guy has retired and the guy other is close to retirement. You’ll probably have to purchase aftermarket parts and have a elec tech service the gear.
@Jamburgler. Original parts are in stock. Our Factory authorized techs have been working on these mixers for years. We’ve got you covered for repairs. Creative mods would be a third party venture. But you’re definitely not alone there. There’s a vocal interest out there in making mixers look or perform in a unique way.
How do we get hold of the Rane service guys?
The source select knobs on the mp2015 I just played on were super wiggly… just saying.
They can wiggle if you wiggle them. They decided they wouldn’t need to be fixed to the top panel. They aren’t being cranked on like the channel pots. I would have liked them to be fixed to the panel, though.
You can fix that wiggle by putting an o-ring (1,5x6mm) over the shaft of the pot. That also makes all the other pots have a higher resistance when turning them – which I really like. Here’s what I bought: http://www.ebay.de/itm/20-er-Pack-O-Ringe-6-x-1-5-mm-Innendurchm-x-Dicke-ORinge-O-Ringe-/171160673057?hash=item27d9f89b21:g:6mwAAOxyx-BSbq8j&clk_rvr_id=1102193487540&rmvSB=true
or, for the english users:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-x-1-5mm-Nitrile-70-ORing-50x-/131124567668?hash=item1e87a21e74:g:9EIAAOxyYSdTCnpz
We can only hope that the build quality is the same and that future products are in the works with new and innovative features. The one thing that I see coming up here is that quality products can not be made in the “far east”……..Well that MacBook Pro you DJ with was not manufactured here in the US and neither was the smart phone in your pocket or that external hard drive that holds all your music and video files. I am optimistic that InMusic will continue the legacy the Rane name was built upon and that new and exciting product offerings are just a few months away to be shown at NAMM. Just as a side note on Rane US quality manufacturing…….I have a Rane Sixty Eight sitting in its box on a shelf in my garage because It had been returned for service 3 times during the warranty period for the EXACT same issues with he hot cue buttons. Now that it is out of warranty I was quoted by Rane that it would cost me over $400 to repair it. Same issue 3 times over and over. I have a 2010 17” MacBook Pro that is coming up on 7 years of flawless use and we all know where that was made……overseas. I also own a Denon MCX8000 and it is SOLID! So….. the US build quality is not a 100% guarantee of a great product. Fingers crossed we will see a slew of new products frme all the InMusic brands soon.
The difference is… That hot cue button issue is due to a design failure. It has nothing to do with the product being manufactured in the States. The exact same product manufactured anywhere in the world would had suffered from the same issue – because it’s a design failure.
Yeah I was told that by quite a few people but you would have thought that Rane would have come up with a better and longer lasting fix for a $2600.00 DJ mixer.
Yet no Rane 61’s, 62’s, 64’s available sure looks like their putting their best foot forward without supporting any more of these mixers to purchase. Fuck Rane, Fuck InMusic.
inMusic knows it has a lot to live up to, so it’s better wait and see before passing judgement on products that have yet to exist. inMusic has certainly taken Denon DJ into a place that challenges Pioneer DJ in the booth. You might be pleasantly surprised by what they could do with Rane. We shall see.
Go ahead and buy they first off the Asian manufacturer line and when it breaks enjoy the 4 months it takes to get it fixed & terrible inMusic support which they’re known for.
I was looking to buy the 62 today bc I finally had the money & none available except used & I WON’T be the one to get the shitty Chinese made garbage off the line, that’s if they even continue the 60 line of Rane mixers.
DENON hasn’t ever made anything I’m interested in ever. I’m on turntables & dj mixers. Not controllers or plastic garbage. I prefer tables the feel of vinyl to a controller. Rane was the only mixer I care about and now that’s gone, so now I’m gone. I’m so angry about this.
Clearly you’re aggrieved by the situation and nothing anyone can say can change your mind. But it’s worth noting that this is just your point of view. According to product availability listings on the likes of GC and Sweetwater some select products appear to be coming to market in the not too distant future. Your claims about “Chinese made garbage” are presumptuous at best. Most of inMusic’s high-end products come out of Taiwan, not mainland China, and these products are of just as well built as anything previously produced at Rane USA. If you don’t believe me, go and look at the build quality of products like Denon DJ SC5000, X1800, Akai MPC Live, Numark NS7III. They are generally a superior build to their Pioneer counterparts.