In The Beginning (Rane)
Rane have recently launched their new look website, which is fantastic, and with it have kicked off a great thread of articles and this one about the origins of the DJ mixer i found especially fascinating..
“I was thinking about the complexities of a project I worked on recently when it occurred to me how different what I’m designing today is from my first DJ product, the TTM54. And that got me thinking about how different DJ performance is today compared to when I designed my first mixer. It is astonishing how much both equipment and DJ skills have advanced.
Dennis Bohn researched the DJ history timeline and to refresh my memory I gave his work a look to see when it all started and what manufacturers and DJ artists have accomplished. The following is an excerpt from his work:
“The DJ Technology timeline dates back to 1965 when the first stereophonic disco system was unveiled at the 1964-1965 World’s Fair in New York, with the Canada-A-Go-Go and Carnival-A-Go-Go sound systems designed by audio engineer Alex Rosner. Alex Rosner also designed the first DJ mixer in 1971. The mixer was designed for the Haven Club and nicknamed “Rosie” for its inventor and red color. The mixer was a one-off stereo design for in-house use by their resident DJ, Francis Grasso, recognized as the Godfather of the modern performing DJ.”
How DJ technology evolved from 1965 to the present day is really a story of designers and artists, both passionate about their craft, pushing each other to innovate and advance the art. Rane is proud to be a supporting partner in that effort.
This is the first of a series of posts. In the coming weeks we’ll post a number of articles highlighting key milestones in Rane product development driven by the DJ community.
Next up: MP24 Revolutionizes DJ Mixer
Rick Jeffs
Senior Design Engineer
Rane Corporation”
