To address this situation, Steinberg promise UR22 purchasers a free upgrade to AI 7, which will apparently support higher sample rates, on its release. This needn't be expensive, but is worth consideration if high sample rates are crucial to your work. The main sticking point, however, is that the software only supports sample rates of up to 96kHz, so users wishing to record at higher rates will need to turn to other software. Given that its functionality can be expanded exponentially through the addition of freeware or inexpensive third-party VST plug-ins, AI6 constitutes a useful starting point for recording projects. AI 6's four-band EQ section and other quirky limitations (a maximum compression ratio of 8:1, for example) could well prove restricting for some, but although the bundled reverb plug-in tends to sound quite nasty on acoustic instruments, other plug-ins, such as the amp simulator and the ubiquitous 'Grungelizer', are surprisingly useful, considering the software's entry-level status. These are useful for sketching out musical lines. Also provided are 180 basic instrument sounds (principally the General MIDI set), courtesy of the included Halion Sonic SE instrument. Once you've succeeded in installing it, Cubase AI 6 supports up to 32 audio tracks and 16 instrument tracks. Finally, another code needs to be entered in the 'eLicenser Control Center ' application, to ensure permanent functionality (the software is otherwise limited to a 30-day evaluation period). Frustratingly, the servers timed out a couple of times when I attempted to download the software, but did eventually succeed in delivering it to me. Following this, Cubase AI 6 is available for download via a hefty installer file (almost 600MB in size). ![]() The activation code on the card supplied in the box is then entered. ![]() First, the hardware needs to be registered online and a user account set up. For Mac OS computers, these settings are available in the standard Audio MIDI Setup application.Īs is common to all Steinberg products, gaining access to the bundled software does require you to jump through a few hoops. This driver provides a control panel allowing Windows users to change buffer settings and sample rate. To get the hardware up and running, you install a simple USB driver from the disc included in the box. The UR22's rear panel features a USB 2 port, a switch for the phantom power, MIDI I/O sockets and a pair of audio outputs on quarter-inch jack sockets. A USB cable is provided in the box, as well as a license card for use when downloading Cubase AI. Helpfully, the physical locations of these facilities are marked on the top of the case in white, making it easy to plug things in without having to look around the back. On the back panel there are two balanced quarter-inch TRS line outputs, MIDI In/Out sockets, and the aforementioned phantom-power switch. This potentiometer is centre-detented to make setting a 50/50 mix a trivial task. The monitoring section has controls to set the level for the main output and the single headphone output, and a mix control takes care of the hardware monitoring, establishing the balance between input signals and playback from the computer. LEDs are provided to indicate input overload, and there are additional indicators for phantom power and USB connection. The preamps have simple controls comprising gain and a switch for toggling input 2 between line and instrument level. ![]() The front panel houses the two combination mic/line inputs and monitor controls. Indeed, this robustness extends to the controls themselves the potentiometers all have a solid action and a stiff, flush-mounted toggle switch is used to avoid the accidental switching of phantom power. The UR22 is presented in a stylish black and silver metal case that feels even sturdier than that of the UR28M I previously reviewed. Out of the box, first impressions are very favourable. To further sweeten the deal, the interface comes bundled with Cubase AI, version 6. Most notably, the UR22 features the same Yamaha D-Pre preamplifiers used in the more expensive UR/MR-series units and Yamaha's N-series mixers, and offers sample rates of up to 192kHz, all of which bodes well for quality at a relatively modest price point. This interface represents a definite step up in quality from the more compact CI series, which employ USB 1.1 and have sample rates limited to 48kHz. The UR22 is a two-in, two-out bus-powered USB 2 audio interface from Steinberg, and is the entry-level unit in a range that includes two bigger brothers, the desktop UR28M and the rackmounted UR824. The compact UR22 offers 24-bit, 192kHz recording, a bundled version of Cubase, and a very reasonable price: what's not to like?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |