With DJ livestreaming now firmly established among hobby DJs, Roland’s new-for-2022 video hardware releases are well-timed. The company has launched two new hardware devices that will appeal to many DJ livestreamers, whether simply using smartphones to stream from, or with more pro set-ups.
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Roland AeroCaster VRC-01
The AeroCaster is a new hardware device that lets you livestream using iOS or Android devices, wirelessly. You hook up smartphones as cameras, typically using a tablet to run the supplied video software, and what you get is a full multicam livestreaming set-up, without wires or the need to invest in dedicated cameras.
Roland provides the video switching software (AeroCaster Switcher) for the tablet at the heart of the system, and the apps for the iPhones/Android phones you’ll use as cameras, and you get production tools like graphics, titles, video clips and more – you can even screenshare from your computer. Broadcasting is direct to YouTube, Twitch and so on, or to any custom RTMP channel, and can be done over 4G/5G or WiFi.
We’re looking forward to reviewing this one, as it appears to offer a simple way of streaming good quality multi-cam DJ sets (up to four video sources, plus the camera on the tablet the app is running on), and so should appeal to ambitious DJs just getting started in livestreaming.
Price: $295
Availability: March 2022
Level up your next DJ livestream: DJ Livestreaming Made Easy
Roland V-02HD Mk II streaming video mixer
Stepping up, a typical dedicated camera-based DJ livestream will have one camera above the decks, and another offering a front view of both the DJ and the gear. Once you commit to investing in good DSLR cameras or camcorders for these shots and spend some time getting the lighting right, there’s no reason why your DJ livestreams can’t look as good as any pro broadcast.
The trouble is that such cameras output HDMI, and so you need interfaces to get their signals into your computer. Roland’s new V-02HD Mk II is designed to simplify the workflow of this type of set-up. It lets you take two HD HDMI sources, plus audio sources (DJ controller outputs, microphones, over HDMI ) mix them together, and send them via single USB to a computer, to be streamed on YouTube, Twitch, etc, or any RTMP channel.
Read this next: The Ultimate Guide To DJ Livestreaming
The V-02HD Mk II has a simple T-bar for transitioning between sources, and built-in video effects, transitions and so on, and audio can be inputted via two stereo 3.5mm inputs.
Using a hardware mixer like this instead of individual audio and video interfaces and software switching can make for a more professional result, simpler set-up, and a cheaper overall system, because you’ll need less power in the computer, and because the jobs of several interfaces are combined in one unit.
Again, we’re looking forward to reviewing this unit, so watch out for further thoughts on it on the site soon.
Price: $395
Availability: March 2022
Phil Morse
