In Part 1 of this 2-part series, Shawn Lam introduces the V-60HD and discusses its compact size, versatility, and AUX outputs.
This tutorial is sponsored by Videoguys.com.
The Roland V-60HD (Figure 1, below) is a professional high-definition video switcher. It has a lot features that you would traditionally think were reserved for higher-priced and larger units. It’s a very compact, all-in-one video switcher that has audio as well as video controls.
Figure 1. The Roland V-60HD Production Switcher. Click the image to see it at full size.
With a price point of $2,995, it's very affordable. It's easy on the budget, and it will bring you excess returns on your investment very quickly. It's one of the reasons why I use it in my own business.
Video I/O
To begin, let’s take a look at the V-60HD’s video inputs (Figure 2, below). There are six video inputs for bringing in live video. Four of them are HD-SDI and two of them are HDMI. In addition, that HDMI can be switched with one of the RGB component or VGA inputs. If you need to work with legacy video inputs such as VGA, you can.
Figure 2. Video and audio I/O. Click the image to see it at full size.
The best part about this video switcher is that the HDMI and the VGA inputs both have internal scalers on them, so you can work with non-HD or non-standard video signals. In my own workflows, I like to work with 1080/30p for interviews and filming conferences, and I reserve 60p for faster-action events like sports and dance recitals.
One step that I need to take that I wanted to point out to you is that, in-camera, I need to change my 30p recording to a 30p-over-60p signal output (Figure 3, below). It's actually a pretty simple step, but it's one that's required because the V-60HD only works with 60i or 60p in HD signals and not 30 progressive frames per second.
Figure 3. In-camera output adjustments to work with the V-60HD
Audio I/O
On the audio input side, the V-60HD has four XLR inputs, as shown on the top right in Figure 2. Roland has equipped this model with a proper pre-amp so you can mix and match line-level and mic-level audio inputs. In addition, the HDMI and HD-SDI video inputs also can carry embedded audio that you can mix in the switcher.
There's also an RCA stereo input and output on this model, which is really useful when you want to connect legacy devices, whether it's just the headphone out from your cellphone to play some music and you use a cable to convert that to RCA, or an audio input from a CD player or something like that. On the output side, you also have two XLR outputs, so you could actually use this as an audio desk or a sound mixer to power PA speakers, and to send a signal back to your video cameras.
The program and preview outputs and aux outputs can all be programmed to carry in embedded audio as well. You can control different signals, an aux signal, or a program, or a master signal for each of these embedded audio inputs. The V-60HD is a powerful switcher that Roland offers for only $2,995. All in all, the V-60HD has a wide range of video and audio inputs that give you a lot of flexibility in your productions.