How to Choose a Video Mixer for Streaming
By Adam Noyes
There’s a ton of choices for a great mixer for a live streaming workflow, with a lot of different options to consider. For many, a guide to what their needs are and how to meet those needs would be helpful to create the best live stream possible.
Check out some highlights from this article from streaminglearningcenter.com for a great guide to choosing a video mixer.
Desktop Software
These are video mixers that you install on your computer. Products in this category include Telestream Wirecast (Mac/Windows), VMix (Windows), and the open-source Open Broadcaster Software (OBS, Mac/Windows/Linux).
These products tend to be affordable or free, and very well featured as compared to entry-level standalone appliances. This simplifies adding text and graphics, and pulling together a “shot” that combines background graphics and multiple sources in a picture-in-picture. Wirecast (Rendezvous) and Vmix (Call) both provide a conferencing function that allows you to record and stream remote interviews at very high quality. Both can also accept input from computers and phones on the same network, adding significant production flexibility.
The flip side of this flexibility is the ease of use; while these programs don’t require a computer science degree to operate, you wouldn’t want to hand off operation to a marketing intern or church volunteer without several hours of training.
The other issue is audio/video input, which you need to supply and can get problematic. If you try to input four cameras via dongles on a MacBookPro, you’re almost certainly going to run into problems. These software tools can handle complex productions, but if you plan to produce with three or more camera inputs you’re better off buying a turnkey system like Wirecast Gear or Vmix systems that provides all the necessary inputs and a beefy enough CPU to handle the load.
All-in-One Mixer Appliance
What if you like the simplicity of the Feelworld LivePro but need more functionality, like XLR input, multiple video outputs, an audio mixer, or chromakey capabilities? Here’s where you might consider an all-in-one mixer appliance like the Roland VR-4HD (Figure 4). For basic operation, units like these are exceptionally easy to use, with literally 2-3 minutes of coaching you can have someone up and running for basic switching. If you don’t mind attaching a separate preview monitor to the mixer and don’t need as many inputs, consider the Roland VR-1HD ($1,095), which I reviewed here.
On the other hand, graphic and text capabilities vary significantly between these mixers. Neither Roland unit, for example, can generate text titles. Instead, you have to create titles on your computer and load them onto the system via USB. If your productions are title intensive you might consider more advanced Roland units or high-end systems from Data Video that have text generation capabilities. Or, choose a different category.
In addition, note that both Roland units output a USB stream that you have to input into a computer to deliver to a live streaming service; they can’t connect directly to a service. So, for many products in this category, you’ll need a computer or other streaming device to produce a live stream.
This category is best for productions with more advanced I/O needs than the previous categories but where ease of use is more important than advanced functionality. Examples might be houses of worship and high-schools where productions are driven by volunteers or students.
Lecture Capture
Though not mixers in a traditional sense, lecture capture systems like the Epiphan Pearl Mini shown in Figure 5 can input multiple audio and video sources, arrange them in a picture by picture, encode and transmit directly to a streaming service, and record a local copy. You can drive the system using the touchscreen or via a browser using a computer, tablet, or mobile phone, and pre-configure picture-in-picture layouts for simple production switches.
Though Pearl Mini supports basic text creation and overlay, along with still image support, you can’t import disk-based videos to the production or produce more complicated effects like chromakey. Products like the Pearl Mini are great for academic institutions but also live presenters who want an easy to use platform that can mix and deliver the live stream.
Other products in this category include Discover Video’s Spider Multi-Encoder ($4,495) and the Matrox Monarch LCS ($2,495 at B&H). Though neither has a touchscreen, they both can connect directly to your streaming service provider so you won’t need a separate computer. You can configure all three units remotely via browser and preconfigure them so that users need to turn it on, plug in cameras and ethernet and press the start button to begin the show.