Roland VR-5 AV Mixer Recorder with Streaming - everything you need in a single device

 

Finally! How I wish this product would have been available 10 years ago. Heck, even 6 months ago, this would have made a difference in how we designed certain systems. 

 

Roland boasts of the VR-5 “effortless live video, production, recording and streaming.” All of that has been available, but it’s never been rolled into an easy to use and affordable package, until now. 

 

A month or so ago, we got the first peek the new Roland VR-5 AV mixer. It features three video inputs with stereo audio (S-video or composite video), a direct PC input with audio, and two external audio inputs.

 

According to Roland, the VR-5 is “The world’s first USB Video/Audio Class supported AV mixer.” What does that mean?

That means that you can use it like a web camera to enable live streaming to services like Ustream, Stickam, and others.

 

With the VR-5, you can actually produce your video content and stream it - no longer only restricted to what you can capture via a USB camera. And while you’re streaming, you can also record to the on-board SD card.  

 

Imagine making your events available not just in other rooms on your campus, but around town, two towns over, or anywhere in the world. Just add broadband Internet, and you’re set.  

 

Add dual touch monitors. Monitors? Yes, Roland has included one for Program (output) and one for Preview (sources) with built-in quad splitter, and the Preview monitor is touch sensitive. Want to send a different signal to the output? Just touch it on the screen. Or use one of the video select buttons. 

 

The VR-5 has a large assortment of cuts, wipes, and other transitions, along with picture in picture, and audio follow. 

 

Audio follow? Ever had a challenge with the audio and video techs not communicating having no audio or the wrong audio for the video clip? As long as the audio mixer has the fader up, you’ll have audio because the VR-5 switches audio as it switches video. 

 

Add to that the ability to have the video mixer control the Roland V-Mixers through V-link. With both, your sound tech can’t miss a cue ever again. Well, maybe not. 

 

There’s a lot more that this AV mixer does, but after all of that don’t forget that the VR-5 has an audio mixer with two mono inputs and five stereo inputs, along with noise gate effects (minimize background noise) and a Mastering Tool for consistent audio levels. When was the last time you met a video tech who understood audio gain structure and levels?  It happens, but not often. 

 

The Roland VR-5 has HDMI output, but it doesn’t accept HD sources. This is a standard definition device, but it’s plenty capable for all but HD television production. Use it for streaming, for multi-venue applications, or for screen presentations – or for some or all of that. If it were an all-HD mixer, 99% of us couldn’t afford it anyway. 

 

If you’re looking for an all-in-one AV mixer with monitors for the presentation environment with streaming, you’ve found it. Roland VR-5 $4995.