With Pioneer DJ releasing the DDJ-REV7 to compete with the Rane One, DJs now have a choice when it comes to motorised jogwheel controllers. So which is best?
Well in truth they’re both “five out of five” units (here’s our Rane One review, and here’s our DDJ-REV7 review – we’ve got full written reviews plus in-depth video demos), but there ARE differences – and which one is best for you will depend on what’s important to you in your DJing. This article will go into a lot of depth to help you decide.
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To start with then, what are the similarities? Well..
- Both have dual laptop support
- Both have standalone mixer capability
- Both have motorised jogwheels
- Both have fully featured Serato FX and performance pad controls
Now let’s dig a little deeper…
DDJ-REV7 vs Rane One: Main differences
Build & layout
- REV7 has “battle” layout with the pads on the mixer section and the pitch faders at the top of the unit horizontally; the Rane One has the traditional “controller” layout with the pitch faders to the right of the jogs and the performances pads underneath them
- REV7 has a full-sized scratch mixer, Rane One has a narrower mixer section
- Rane One is deeper and chunkier and overall smaller; REV7 is longer and wider but shallower (it doesn’t have big chunky feet)
- Rane One is all metal construction; REV7 is a mix of metal and plastic (both are high quality though)
Jogwheels
- Rane One’s are built like more traditional “turntables”, with full slipmats and spindles
- REV7’s jogwheels are more innovative, with completely flat surfaces and in-jog displays
Mic/Aux inputs
- REV7 has two volumes but only one set of EQs for the mic; Rane One has two separate sets of volumes and EQs
- REV7 has a separate Aux input; Rane One’s Aux shares the second mix channel (and therefore its EQ; REV7’s Aux has no EQ, just volume)
- REV7 has an echo control on the Mic and talkover; Rane One has neither
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Faders
- You need to open up the Rane One to adjust the crossfader tension (it’s not hard, though) – on the REV7 it’s a control
- While both have reverse and contour/curve adjust and tension controls, the REV7 has individual upfader curve/contour adjusts, while they’re ganged on the Rane One
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Extra features on the REV7
As befits its price point (which is at least $400 more expensive than the Rane One), the REV7 brings some features all of its own that aren’t found on its rival. Here are the main ones:
- Smooth Echo and Silent Cue (from DJM-S mixers), two features much loved by serious battle DJs
- New Instant Scratch feature for scratching without even plugging in a computer
- An additional four extra performance pads per deck when the Instant Scratch’s four “pads” are switched to Serato
- 22 Pioneer DJ hardware Beat FX, assignable to the six FX buttons, including new effects (the Rane One only has Serato software effects)
Worth pointing out also that overall, the REV7 just has more controls built into the hardware, and of those, we particularly appreciated the key shift buttons and a sampler volume knob.
DDJ-REV7 vs Rane One: Other differences
- REV7 doesn’t have temporary cue buttons; Rane One does
- Rane One lets you disable the motor if you want to; REV7 it is always on
- REV7 has TRS booth outs; Rane One’s are XLR
- Rane One has touchstrips for scrubbing; REV7 doesn’t (you hold shift and turn the jog)
- Rane One has an IEC power socket with built-in transformer; REV7 has an (inferior) external power “brick” and 24V DC power input
So which is best?
Overall, the DDJ-REV7 is probably, for most DJs, going to be a slightly better choice – if you can put up with paying a decent amount more for it, if you like the battle layout (and if you can live with the baffling choice of them using a power brick). It’s got more features, and the jogwheels with their built-in displays are damned cool.
Read this next: Platters vs Jogwheels – Which Is Best For DJing?
But the Rane One is still an amazing controller, its motorised jog tech is proven, and it probably edges it on overall build quality. It’s also marginally more portable, and you may actually prefer the more “traditional” turntable-type jogs. If that’s you, this is still going to be your champ.
So over to you – which do you like best? Do ask any questions and let us know in the comments!
Phil Morse
