The Bridge Cast has already received a lot of buzz within the gaming community - or rather, the game-streaming community, so with the upgraded Bridge Cast X, Roland will probably break some brains. Focussed on serious gamers, this tight desktop unit presents an all-in-one live-streaming solve, then takes things even further. This is a hybrid mash up of an audio interface with an audio mixer, a video mixer and a podcasting desk, all set up to support studio-grade recording via a full set of hands-on controls. The Roland Bridge Cast X: Sound & Vision The most obvious tweak is the addition of video editing functions. This definitely isn't a bolt from the blue, since Roland has been building video mixers and consoles for decades already, most recently more compact video editing tools for smaller internet broadcast producers. The Bridge Cast X is essentially a combo of the original Bridge Cast with a video console, so you're supplied with two inputs for your PC, a camera or gaming console and an HDMI-thru port so that everything can be displayed on screen. In fact, a mass of gear can be hooked up to this model, just take a look at some of the images included above to get a good idea of what's possible. Another new addition is the bank of control pads mounted in the right corner of the control panel which can be used to trigger sound effects and jingles - podcast-style! Show-Ready Plug in a microphone and host the show with the help of built-in vocal effects: lower the pitch and mimic a seasoned bridge troll before adding some reverb to gain the full effect. You'll also quickly notice that the Bridge Cast X helpfully combines all of the smaller and relatively simple jobs that you'd usually have to use other gear for, and then places them within easy reach. The result is a super-serious bit of kit for the super-serious online gamer. BGM Cast If you want to add some background music to your content and streams, then one of the first hurdles is rights and royalties. You could, of course, just make your own music, but if you're not so inclined, then Roland make things easier with BGM Cast, which supplies royalty-free music made by AI which has been checked and optimised for the human ear. With a free Roland account, you get a library of thirty-six background tracks and sixteen sound effects, but when you opt for Roland Cloud Core membership via the Bridge Cast app, then you gain access to thousands of extra tracks and hundreds of sound effects.