Roland “BRIDGE CAST”
On January 28, Roland released an audio mixer called BRIDGE CAST. Although it was a highly targeted tool for game distributors, it sold out on the same day, probably due to the reasonable price of 33,000 yen, and is currently in production and waiting for arrival. Yamaha’s AG series is very popular as a distribution mixer, and the other day we introduced the flagship machine “AG08”, but what is this BRIDGE CAST and what is equipment for distribution game Is it check the function and performance.
Roland “BRIDGE CAST”
A compact mixer for game distribution
Roland is a manufacturer with a long history in the world of Internet distribution, and is a top manufacturer of video mixers used by a wide range of people, from professionals to amateurs. The “VR4-4HD” is also used in the DTM program, DTM Station Plus!, run by writer and composer Akifumi Tada, and is an inseparable piece of equipment.
The CAST BONT that appeared this time is not an extension of such distribution tools, but a completely different lineup that was commercialized to the idea of a game-loving worker. From the published product photos, I had an image of a large piece of equipment, but it turned out to be a surprisingly compact mixer. Here’s the iPhone 14 Pro and the desktop keyboard side by side. It’s 222 x 110 x 70mm (width x depth x height) and weighs 450g, so it’s a size you can easily fit in your bag and carry around.
Here is an image of the size
Class-compliant USB devices for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. However, there is a dedicated driver for Windows, and by using this, you can demonstrate its power as a game distribution device. Roland also plans to release a Mac-optimized driver in April.
Roland’s strength in such drivers is that the drivers are basically automatically installed on Windows and Mac. Well, if it’s a USB class compliant device, you can use it as soon as you connect it without worrying about the driver, but this automatic setting means that the special driver developed by Roland be installed automatically it will be installed.
As for the audio interface, I don’t think other companies have done that, so I think it’s a unique existence, but really it’s plug & play.
Let’s take a look at what this BRIDGE CAST looks like from the outside. There are four large, colorfully lit knobs lined up, which are used to adjust the volume of each channel. But it’s not just a 4ch mixer, and it doesn’t seem to have 4 inputs at the back. It is a mixer with many unique tricks.
Four large, illuminated knobs provide volume control for each channel
It’s not like there are four inputs in the back
In terms of external inputs, there is only one XLR microphone input and a mini AUX stereo input. This microphone can also be used when a headset is connected, but this is also treated as the same channel as the XLR input microphone. The output is a line output on the mini stereo on the left side of the AUX input in addition to the headphones / headphones. Further on the left is a USB Type-C terminal for connecting to a PC and another USB Type-C terminal for power supply.
When connecting to Windows, Mac, etc., by setting the switch called CONSOLE to PC, it will operate with USB bus power, and when connecting to iPhone, etc., set the switch to MOBILE and supply 5V power to act. agony
So what are the inputs other than the mic input and the AUX input? On the top panel, from left to right, are MIC, AUX, CHAT, and GAME. Yes, CHAT and GAME are sounds coming from the PC via USB. As a usage scene, the voice of the person you are talking to on ZOOM or Skype will appear in CHAT, and the sound of the game will appear in GAME. After adjusting the volume balance of the four, it is distributed.
The top panel has MIC, AUX, CHAT, and GAME from the left.
The Yamaha AG08 that I introduced the other day comes to mind here. Even with the AG08, the output from the PC side could be placed on each fader of the mixer and adjusted. And he was able to stand up and adjust 3 separate systems. The AG08 is around 100,000 yen, but this 33,000 yen BRIDGE CAST can do the same.
However, from the story so far, it appears that BRIDGE CAST can only handle two stereo systems, CHAT and GAME The system is ready to use.
You can see why as soon as you launch the CAST BRIDGE control app. Looking at this LEVEL METER, in addition to the four channels on the top panel, there is also MUSIC, SYSTEM, and SFX, making it a total of seven channels of mixer. Of these, only the mic is mono, the rest are stereo.
CAST BRIDGE management app
However, you may think that 4CH is the only hardware that can be controlled. It’s true that there are only four knobs, but in reality, you can freely set the input assigned to each knob. If CH1 is MUSIC, CH2 is SYSTEM, CH3 is CHAT, and CH4 is GAME, the PC volume can be controlled with four separate knobs. Moreover, it is also interesting that the color on the panel can be set freely.
You can freely set the input assigned to each knob
One more thing, this CAST BRIDGE has a very good function as a dispensing mixer. The point is that you can use the switch to switch between mix mode for streaming and mix mode for personal use. This idea is also similar to AG08, but in the personal mix, your voice is not monitored back, and the chat partner and the game sound is louder with ZOOM, etc., while your voice and the chat partner’s voice louder in. You can put it out in the middle of the day and keep the game volume low.
For this personal use, you can use it by outputting it from headphones or by using a monitor speaker from the line out.
Switch between stream mix mode and custom mix mode
By the way, from the PC side, there are 3 types of input from BRIDGE CAST, STREAM, PERSONAL, and MIC, so you can choose which one to use as needed. If MIC is selected, only the sound from the microphone will be captured.
In addition to STREAM, there are 3 types of input from BRIDGE CAST, PERSONAL and MIC, so you can choose which one to use according to your needs.
By the way, the SFX mentioned earlier is the pop-out that BRIDGE CAST has. This is also a similar function to AG08, AG08 had 6 PADS for coming out, but BRIDGE CAST has 2. By default, the SFX 1 button is the button under the CHAT knob, and the SFX 2 button is the button below the GAME knob. By transferring the WAV file from the PC side, the BRIDGE CAST will play the sound, but this usage is also the same as AG08, with a maximum of 5 seconds.
SFX from pop function
Powerful microphone effect function
Well, one more thing, BRIDGE CAST has a powerful function. That’s the effect function for a microphone input. This field is also closer to AG08 than AG series. As many of you may know, Roland has a voice transformer (= voice changer) called “VT-4”, and BRIDGE CAST has a similar function.
Powerful microphone effect function
There are 5 presets by default, and you can switch between them by pressing the SELECT button on MIC EFFECTS. Of course, this is linked to the BRIDGE CAST app. As you can see if you try it, you can apply reverb to the input from the microphone, and by changing the pitch and formant, you can make a man’s voice sound like a woman, or make it sound like a robot voice which can be made .
MIC EFFECTS SELECT button works with BRIDGE CAST app
Furthermore, by using a function called MIC CLEANUP, it is possible to apply various effects to the microphone. Specifically, the low cut, noise suppressor, de-esser, compressor, and EQ. There are no presets for this, so you can customize it yourself, but you can also create some pretty aggressive sounds. EQ can be adjusted in 10 bands.
Various effects can be applied to the microphone
EQ is adjustable in 10 bands
Functions unique to a game distribution
Another great feature of BRIDGE CAST is that these effects are set independently in GAME and CHAT. In the case of CHAT, it is a compressor and de-esser, so you can adjust the incoming voice from ZOOM, SKYPE, etc. so that it is easy to hear.
You can adjust the incoming voice from ZOOM, SKYPE, etc. so that it is easy to hear.
GAME, on the other hand, is only in the form of EQ adjustment. And here are 5 presets, which can be changed with the EQ SELECT button on the main unit.
GAME only adjusts EQ
Switch with the EQ SELECT button on the main unit
Looking at the five, 1.APX (probably Apex Legends), 2.VLRT (same as Valorant), 3.FRONT (same as Fortnite), 4.COD (same as Call of Duty), 5.FPS General. can see from this, it is set to make it easier to hear the sound in all game software. This is also the reason why this area is exactly a game machine.
Of course, it is also possible to make your own EQ settings and save them as presets, so it can be said that trying to create the best possible settings for each application is an interesting way to use BRIDGE CAST.
As I mentioned at the beginning, when BRIDGE CAST is connected to a Windows machine, the driver is automatically installed and can be used with ASIO. In this case, the input is 3 systems and the output is 4 systems, which is the same as the normal Windows sound driver = MME. Of course, the microphone input and AUX input can be used at the same time, so it seems possible to use it for music production and distribution when using a DAW.
3 inputs
4 outputs
These paths may be easier to see on a block diagram than on paper.
block diagram
It is a well thought out mixer that is closer in concept to the AG08 than the AG03 mkII or AG06 mkII. It is not suitable for needs that require a lot of external inputs, but it seems to be a compact and strongest mixer for distributing single-person games.
