Rane Seventy – NAMM: Not the 62 sequel

As the established leaky PR machines continued to drip their secrets into the laps of people all too eager to share them, this week saw Rane’s next thing start appearing. First it was an image of a Sixty Two MKII,  and then DJ Craze was posting now deleted images of something very much like that image, but not quite the same. Combine this with a media only cryptic code like the Denon DJ one, everything pointed to a Sixty Two sequel. And the new Rane Seventy kind of is, just as much as it’s a cut down Seventy Two.

Either way, it’s still a beast. Let’s hear all about it in Rane’s own words:

RANE’S® NEW SEVENTY BATTLE MIXER DELIVERS INTUITIVE, BEST IN CLASS PERFORMANCE

The SEVENTY’s solid steel build, new lighter MAG FOUR faders with external tension adjust provide ultimate performance for any battle DJ.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA (January 14, 2020)—RANE, the established innovator in the DJ industry, noted for their standard-setting solutions coupled with unequalled reliability and customer service, today announced the introduction of their new SEVENTY mixer, the latest edition to their solid steel, battle- ready Serato DJ mixer family. Built from the same intricate DNA that makes every RANE product a standout, the RANE SEVENTY’s intuitive layout takes a forward-thinking, yet familiar approach to performance possibilities. The RANE SEVENTY is ready to take DJ performances to the next level in a portable, travel-ready battle mixer.

Your New Battle Companion

The SEVENTY completely changes the battle. It’s so big, DJ Craze had this to say about the SEVENTY:

“If you want to be the best, you gotta **** with the best! The new RANE SEVENTY mixer is no joke. I don’t play the game, I change it”

– DJ Craze

In addition to a new intuitive layout, the SEVENTY introduces three new ultra-light MAG FOUR faders. This new design is our lightest yet and delivers all our high-quality patented technology, along with an external crossfader tension-adjust. The six radio-style FX buttons give DJs instant access to RANE’s internal post-fader Flex FX as well as Serato DJ Pro’s software FX. The SEVENTY’s dedicated loop sections and Instant Double buttons are intuitively laid out for the most demanding of turntablists, while the dual-layer performance pads give inspiring and creative options for any routine. With 180˚ rotatable metal paddles, dual microphone inputs and an industry-leading signal-to-noise ratio of 114 dB, the RANE SEVENTY raises the standard of DJ performance to new heights in its category.

SEVENTY Winning Highlights

• Intuitive High-Performance Layout
• (3) MAG FOUR contactless faders
• External crossfader tension-adjustment control
• Solid steel construction & front guard handle protection
• (6) Dual post-fader internal FLEX FX engines
• Serato DJ FX controls
• Independent pad modes for each channel
• (32) Midi-Assignable Pads
• Browse and track select controls
• Intuitive Instant Double buttons, toggle as Sync On-Off or Silent Cue mode
• Dedicated loop controls
• Dual diecast aluminum 180˚ rotatable FX paddles
• RANE TWELVE Connection Hub
• Dual microphone inputs
• Industry leading signal-to-noise 114dB
• Dual USB connections for DJ handoffs
• 16 Akai Professional MPC performance pads

Packed into a solid, portable mixer, the SEVENTY has the toughness for week-in/week-out touring, satisfying even the most demanding DJs who insist on no-compromise durability, functionality and expressive creativity.

Take Your Next Step

The RANE SEVENTY will be available in Q2, 2020 at a U.S. Retail of $1499.

So what is the Rane Seventy?

Whenever a mixer like this comes out, the usual “it’s just a copy of” comments come out, something that I trust I put to rest in this article. But given the confused leak showing a Rane Sixty Two MKII, we should probably look at exactly what the Rane Seventy actually is.

To assist with this, I’ve created some handy infographics. Let’s look at the ins and outs first:

Well… I think that’s crystal clear. The Seventy and Seventy Two are identical, as is 99% of the front too. So swiftly moving on to the faceplate:

This is where is gets interesting. You can definitely see Sixty Two DNA in the Seventy, but at the same time it also looks like a significant scoop of Seventy Two in there, minus the screen. But for me, when you look at Pioneer DJ’s DJM-S9, it’s quite clear to me what the Seventy is, and that’s Rane’s version of the S9, using the Seventy Two as a base.

For me, this is a move to compete with Pioneer DJ’s flagship scratch mixer, and for the Rane to own the top and mid scratch market. Or more accurately, for inMusic to own the Serato mixer market with the Numark Scratch, Rane Seventy, and Rane Seventy Two. That’s all bases covered, unless you absolutely must have a 750-1K model as well.

It’s hard not to talk about the Reloop Elite mixer too, even if it does seem to be absent from reviewer’s tables (that’s an observation, not a request). As a mixer, it’s definitely in that same vein as the Seventy, sharing many of the same features plus a few of its own. But the Reloop logo means it’s a couple of hundred of your local currency less too.

I don’t imagine that Serato cares who makes it, just as long as the license money keeps rolling in. And I can imagine that Pioneer DJ has been given the opportunity to neuter the Seventy Two with a new flagship scratch mixer. It’s only fair.

What’s changed on the Rane 70?

In terms of differences — well we’ve established that the big screen has gone, and that the ins and outs are the same. But scratch mixers are all about the faders, and the Rane Seventy gets new MAG FOUR faders in all channels, and what looks to be an external tension control for just the crossfader. I say that because I can’t imagine electronically controlled tension adjust on a mixer like this, or frankly any DJ mixer. But I would love to be proved wrong. Well I think I would — less moving parts is always a good approach.

One casualty — the footswitch port isn’t in the Rane Seventy. But given that it’s a nicher than niche feature that an even smaller number of people probably make any use of, I feel that’s fine to leave off.

As for the rest of the features — well I’ll let interested parties pour over the images and see if it floats boats. I did have the Rane Seventy Two for a good while, but just couldn’t get on with it. It’s not because I don’t understand such things, but because I found it to be unnecessarily complex, and quite off-putting. And I’m not alone in that thinking either.

Thankfully the Seventy makes things a little simpler, but my heart aches for a modern Rane TTM-56, maybe called the Fifty Six, that eschews the feature creep and take turntablism back to its foundation. I’d be happy for it to plug directly into a laptop and work with software — I’m not a dinosaur, but the less is more approach is what makes turntablism exciting. But I’ll stop this train of thought — I feel an article coming on.

And no — there won’t be a Sixty Two MKII. That Rane is over and they don’t do sequels. This is inMusic Rane. A line under the past has been firmly drawn, even if some of the same people are at new Rane and the products look like old Rane. And I’d say the door is open to a Seventy Four, and knowing Rane release schedules, I’d expect to see that at NAMM 2021. That’s a guess, so no “DJWORX confirmed” posts please.

Rane 70 – SUMMING UP

The Rane Seventy will be available Q2 and will cost $1499/£1349, a price that is in the same realm as the Pioneer DJ DJM-S9, but more expensive that the Reloop Elite.

Rane Seventy – Gallery