We’ve all got a story to tell about DJing. Mine is older than most, but Rane played an instrumental part in the creation of skratchworx and DJWORX. And it’s exactly this type of story that Rane would love to hear, and especially see. And should your own particular Rane related video and story be good enough, then you and a friend are going to the NAMM Show in January.

There are rules – read them carefully, so that you don’t spend days shooting a video just to find out that you have to be a US resident to win first prize – as I nearly did.

The rules:

Rane DJ Video Contest This is a summary of the rules. Be sure to read the full Official Rules. It’s important stuff. Grand Prize: Airfare for the winner to Anaheim, California and hotel accommodations for the winner and a guest for three (3) nights all arranged by Rane for attendance at the 2013 NAMM Convention, including two (2) show passes. Second Prize: A new Rane Sixty-Two Z Mixer. Eligibility: To win the grand prize you must be 21 years or older as of November 15, 2012 and a U.S. resident. The second prize is available to all participants worldwide who are 18 years or older as of November 15, 2012. The Video: To participate in the contest, create a 30 to 60-second video on one of the following topics: Why I purchased my first Rane product.

My most memorable night out with a Rane mixer.

Why I am a DJ, and what does Rane DJ mean to me.

Rane’s Tech Support saved my life when…

How long have I been using Rane gear? Am I a Rane DJ for life? YES and let me tell you why… Your video must be your original work. Your video must also be suitable for all audiences and must not contain violence, nudity, strong language, or drug use.You can be silly or serious…just don’t be stupid. You can create one video for each of the topics above. This means that you can enter up to five videos and that you have up to five chances to impress our judges. INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT STUFF ON SUBMITTING YOUR VIDEO: Submitting Your Video: To submit your videos you must visit the Official Rules page (link below) and click the link at the bottom of that page stating that you have read and agree to the Official Rules. You will then be provided with a page to upload your videos. You must fill out the uploadform completely. This includes Name, Email address, Video Category and Submission title. Videos must be submitted as MP4 files. Each entry for each topic above must be submitted by separate upload form. We suggest a minimum resolution of 720p but it is not mandatory. All videos must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on November 15th, 2012 to qualify. Entries not properly formatted, over the time limit, sent with incomplete information on the upload form, or without the proper acceptance of these Official Rules may not be reviewed. Privacy, Name and Likeness: By entering the contest, you grant Rane the rights to use your name, picture, video, stills in future advertsing. Rane will not sell your email, but we may use it to contact you with future promotions. Judging: About 10 days after the November 15, 2012 due date, a panel of judges will select the Top 20 based on the following criteria: Originality

Creativity

Clarity of Message

Professionalism and Suitability for a Media Campaign We’ll post the Top 20 on our YouTube channel, and we’ll set up a “user’s choice” poll in the Rane forum. The user’s choice poll is just for fun and won’t determine the outcome of the contest. Our judges will. Our judges will include professional DJs, DJ techs, and people with experience selling or demonstrating DJ products and the judges will all have at least five years of experience with Rane products. About one week after the Top 20 are posted, our judges will select a Top 5. We’ll post the Top 5 on our YouTube channel and set up another “user’s choice” poll. Again, the poll won’t determine the outcome of the contest. About six days after the Top 5 are posted; our judges will select the winner and runner-up. We’ll notify the winner and runner-up by email using the email address used to enter the video no later than December 21, 2012, by the end of the Mayan calendar. For the Official Contest Rules, and to Submit an Entry, Click Here!

The last part sounds like a hedging-your-bets get out clause to me. I can imagine Rane people sat around on 22nd December being really pissed off that the world didn’t really end. 😉

Anyway, once I read the rules, I’d excluded myself from a free trip to NAMM, but the video I had planned would have been a hoot to make. After years in the wasteland of no DJ gear, I decided to tool up again, and researched the various brands of gear in the marketplace and was overwhelmed by the wave of “get a Rane” responses. I had planned to tell my story and put my camera in the face of hundreds of people saying “get a Rane”, and even had a mad idea to try and get Chuck Norris to do it too. I figured it was doable because it’s US built. Yes I aim high.

Having owned many mixers over the years, the TTM56 was the only one I’ve bought in the last 10 years. And although I sold it when times got tough, I’d have one again in a heartbeat. The video would have shown that personal journey of how just iconic the Rane 56 is for scratch DJs, and how important it was in the formation of what I do now. It would have been my homage and thanks to Rane.

But I’m based in the UK so can’t win the grand prize. but anyone anywhere can enter to try and win the mixer, so it’s still worth entering if you fancy getting your hands on a Sixty Two Z-Trip edition, break out the video camera and tell your story.

You have 2 weeks to get your entries in. I’m looking forward to seeing what people come up with, and equally sorry that I’m not entering.