Guess what time of year it is? Even though NAMM 2021 is technically cancelled (yes, there’s a virtual replacement for it this year), early-to-mid January will still be full of gear news, leaks, and first looks. 2021 is no exception. In the last day, multiple leaks of the Rane One, a new DJ controller with motorized platters, have made their way on to Reddit and other online outlets.
Editor’s note: this article was written purely with knowledge and insights from these leaks. No proprietary, embargoed, or insider information is included in this article.
We won’t say much more as the launch is technically still upcoming, but at this point the photos have been widely disseminated and there’s no point in beating around the bush: the Rane One is real, and it’s set to debut this month. Anyone with two eyes and a cursory knowledge of the DJ gear industry can tell from these leaks that no, this isn’t a photoshop or a gimmick. This is a real product – with the first image clearly leaked by a retailer (notice the other gear in the background):
Immediately a few things become clear:
- Rane really wants to be prioritize platter experience here – those things are huge compared to the size of the unit. It seems like they’re actual full-size 7″ platters, meaning that you likely can even swap out the vinyl platters on top with your own favorite 7″s for a unique look.
- There appears to be a “Mag Four X3” label above the crossfader – meaning the three faders are likely to share the same high-quality turntablism-focused faders as the Seventy Two MKII
- Anyone remember Numark’s NS7 series and feeling like this is truly the offspring of Rane joining the same parent company, InMusic?
- The pads look less like a typical controller setup and more like the pads you’d find below the EQ on Rane’s mixers
- Effect paddles! Everyone loves them, and we suspect that 2021 will be the year of us seeing them on as many types of DJ gear as possible.
Rane One: A Motorized Platter Serato Controller
Here’s the two leaked images we’ve seen of the actual unit itself – the first of which looks like it was taken with a potato:
At least you start to get a better idea of the unit itself here, the pad sizes, the unit layout, the fader lengths, etc.
And here’s a second photo, also seemingly photographed by a cell phone camera from 2004. Do people really think that crappy quality photos mean it’s less likely that someone will identify the leak source?
Rane truly entering the controller market
Make no mistake, “new” Rane already has released two DJ controllers in the past: the two generations of the Rane Twelve. But the Rane One is an explicit foray into new territory, clearly designed to snap up the beginner turntable-focused DJ market. It’s a really clever angle, one that Pioneer DJ has been working for years: own the beginner DJ experience and gear purchase, and those same DJs are far more likely to buy your pro gear in a few years.
Rane also carries a mark of quality with their name. Despite both being owned by InMusic, a piece of gear with a Rane label on it is likely to be far more attractive to DJs with a discerning eye for build quality than, say, a piece of gear from Numark. If marketed right, and if the unit performs well, the Rane One could easily become the entry point for many aspiring DJs who want to cut and scratch.
We’ll have more coverage about the Rane One and other product releases in the coming weeks here on DJ Techtools. Stay tuned.
