UR44

Brilliant Sound quality! Pre-amps are dead quiet. I run two Pre-sonus valve racks into it as my main pre-amps on first 2 channels and it has no problem handling those hotter signals as well. For practice I take a SM58 straight into it and it sounds beautiful. The DSP control interface is amazing and does what it does brilliantly. I use it with Sonar X2 on a Windows 7 PC and works like a charm. The drivers are rock solid. I used a Roland tri-capture before this but I liked the added inputs and DSP interface (Although the Roland interface is OK) Before this I mainly used a Yamaha MW 10 channel mixer with USB out. The preamps are excellent, Unfortunately it can only record up to 16bit 48KHz so when I heard Yamaha is making the pre's on this one I was already happy with it. I am no engineer so when I bought it without testing, I knew what I wanted but did not know what to expect. Sound quality: Amazing - I mostly record at 24bit 48Khz. This sounds super fine to me. Value: Great, I would say this type of interface should be the first piece of gear of any home studio. Go for the 6 channels rather than buying a bigger unit later (UR44 vs. UR22). This was my main pushover from Focusrite. The cost of their 6 channel unit was slightly higher. I would not say that I made a mistake as the build quality is excellent. I will never say anything bad about the Focusrite as I have not used it. This was cheaper and it sounds amazing. The DSP interface has no glitches at all. It works beautifully to set your mic/input levels before opening up your studio software. As for the software included. I already received a copy of Steinberg Cubase with an earlier purchase of Yamaha gear. You get your Pro tools guys, your Studio 1 and your Sonar guys (umm, sorry or girls). Cubase is a very versatile nice program but the installation is a bit of a drag. I have used Cakewalk and Sonar for more than 16 years and love it. tricky if you use the software version of e-licenser. I immediately did an update via the DSP interface window and everything installed beautifully. It even recognizes all your old e-licenses etc. Can't comment on Windows 8 though.

Steinberg has outdone itself in producing this amazing interface and I'll try to explain why I think so. The ordering of the below points was arbitrarily chosen without sequencing by importance. Pros: 1. Build quality: Right away you see the quality of the device, as the device comes in a rugged full metal body which looks like it can stand the test of time. The Neutrik combo jacks are an industry standard. The knobs and buttons feel very very solid. The smooth finish and grey/black color combinations are a touch indeed. It is however more heavy than it would seem, which gives me confidence in quality anyway. Simply a 10/10 for build. 2. Mic Pres: One of the most important qualities of an interface. and in this regard the UR44 shines again. The pres are very quiet both at low and high gain settings. I can compare with the Presonus 44VSL which had pres which were far more noisy. 3. Good I/O options: 4 mic, 2 line input and Midi I/O. Plenty for my needs. 2 headphone outputs with 2 mixes is again a killer feature. Invaluable while recording music with other people. 4 . DSP features: DSP is fast becoming a standard feature in interfaces even at this price range. UR44 kicks the butt of most interfaces in this regard. This interface works in conjunction with the dspMixFX software interface. It offers EQ, compression, high pass filter, phase and guitar amp both while monitoring and recording (You can use these effects as an insert). This software control is even better integrated into Cubase. Reverb you can use only for monitoring, or for recording using the loopback feature. 5. Standalone use: This is what simply takes the cake imo. Artists can use the interface standalone on stage. All the levels, effects, compression and other settings can be stored onto the device. So you can even hear reverb without computer processing. To change settings or recall profiles however, you will need to control the dspMixFX software using a computer or iPad. I always add some reverb to my vocal or instrument mic while performing live. Yamaha's reverb FX is surprisingly good. 6. Performance: It is simply rock solid while in use. The drivers are well written leading to very low latency performance. The software control never failed on me. The AD/DA conversion is top notch. I use it with the Studio One DAW, and it hasn't caused me problems one single time. Forums are in high praise of this kind of stability. Cons: 1. The biggest con is that the pres seem a little under powered. It hasn't been an issue with the mics that I own, but with some mics that require lot off gain, you have to crank it all the way up. With some dynamics or tube mics, I could even see it not being sufficient. Again, it depends on the requirements of your mics. So do some research first. But gain is very clean overall. 2. I/O options are plenty enough. But I like RCA line inputs usually. Of course, that problem is easily solved using cables. But I would have still preferred RCA to connect line level devices like mp3 players, etc. 3. Headphone outputs are not the loudest: My older interfaces, be it the Presonus 22VSL or the Yamaha Audiogram 3, gave me a louder headphone output. So again look into the specs for your requirements. 4. Reverb: I wish reverb could have been recorded as well on each individual channel. It sounds so good. But I am asking for too much at this point. :) Overall, have no doubt about buying this interface. It is a steal at this price!

I really wanted the UR44 to work. On the outside it appears to be the perfect interface and it's a steal. I heeded all the warnings of the prior reviews and went in knowing there would be some hurdles to getting up and running. So after 9 hours invested installing and trouble shooting I'm throwing in the towel. The last problems I encountered were cubase not recognizing the individual inputs of the UR44 and the waveforms not appearing. I looked up the waveform issue on steinberg support and it stated they were aware of the issue and were working on an update. That would be acceptable had this not been on the market for 5 years! It's a shame that Steinberg didn't put more time in on developing this and released it half baked. It's particularly frustrating for beginners. Talk about being thrown in the deep end of the daw pool. You are left wondering if you installed it correctly when all along it was the product's shortcomings.

Given that this is a complex piece of hardware I would need to update this review after giving it some time to "settle in". Build wise, this is a solid piece of hardware, very well built. Props to Yamaha and Steinberg for that. Buttons are very responsive and have good travel, knobs are tight but lightweight, all the connector ports are sturdy and don't budge at all. It has 4 inputs (2 combos and 2 extra line-ins) and 6 outputs (2 main balanced TRS, and 4 extra balanced TRS), plus 2 headphone outs with independant volume knobs. SPDIF and a stereo 3.5mm in are also present. You should know that the 3.5 in signal does not go into the PC (as per their instruction manual), and it's only useful to monitor on speakers. The simple lighting solution is perfect for a small studio setup as it gives instant feedback on what your current settings are. The cables are also good quality, if not overly so. As other reviewers (here and elsewhere) have mentioned, this is not particularily portable, mainly because of the external power source required, but it also isn't hard to move around and could work as aportable interface if need be. A benefit of the external power source though, is that you have easier control over when it is on and off, which isn't the case with some USB/Firewire interfaces. Software wise, I can't speak about other DAWs, but it works wonderfully with Cubase, (which I would assume is one of it's highest selling points). I currently use Cubase 6.5 and this has the easiest setups of all the interfaces I have used, Windows or Mac. Because of the tight integration with Cubase, performance is also very solid. It is also very flexible to work with live audio or MIDI production, allowing you to choose from 64 all the way up to 2048 samples for the buffer size. It allows for some high quality effects to be processed inside the interface, allowing for direct monitoring with these effects, which can then be adjusted afterwards in Cubase with no hassle. I personaly don't use these very much, since I work mostly with MIDI and VSTs, but there is great value to be had in this. Some reviews out there rate the latency on this thing to be quite bad, but they are talking about the first software this came with. There have been driver and firmware updates to address this and I have not had any trouble with this so far. Now for the not so good. I can't tell if this was an isolated problem with my unit, or something to do with my PC/monitors and it appears to be related to the higher output this interface is capable of (compared to my previous interface, the Focusrite Scarlet 2i2). The thing is that I used to work with the volume knob on my monitors set to he highest to guarantee same default output, as the volume knobs are not notched (not sure if this is standard-or bad- practice, but it solved the equal-default-output problem). With my focusrite this was not an issue because I would just work the interface knob on the lower third of the range and that would be it, but the minute I tried this with the UR28M I heard a hiss. Now, if you work with audio, this is NOT something you want to hear, and especially not something you want to hear at first boot, but it was there nonetheless. After doing some tests with different cables, computers, placement, and even checking for electromagnetic interference I came to the conclusion that this was indeed related to the interface. The big surprise was that this only happens when you are not in Cubase, because as soon as I booted that, the hiss went away. Also, I should note that as I said earlier, this thing is capable of a higher output that I was used to, so turning the volume knob down on the monitors also resolved the hissing for the most part when working outside of Cubase, it is still there, but it resembles much more closely the standard noise on any pair of studio monitors. So I take away a star based on the fact that for some reason this interface works best only when used in Cubase. That is not to say that it is bad elsewhere, by any means, and I would highly recommend this to anyone based on price and overall quality. But if that issue can be solved with software, I find it a little insulting that they decided not to fix it globally. Thank you, and hope this was usefull. Esteban

Purchased this for my home studio and for on-the-go recording and mixing. As an audio engineer working with high end interfaces such as Pro Tools HDX systems, Lynx and RME, this interface rocks for the price. I've been a fan of Steinberg products since the UR22 which is a smaller version of the UR44. As Steinberg is a part of Yamaha, I've always expected great quality from everything they've released and I have yet to be disappointed! Compared to the UR22: For double the price of the UR22, This thing packs more for your money than interfaces $500 and up! In addition, it comes with four D-Pres instead of two and has an additional headphone jack for two mixes. Pros: 6 Inputs (4 with Preamp) and 4 Outputs, Enough to get most things done if you're a home studio or on the road musician. Built like a rock, seriously, this thing feels like you can smash it and it would still retain its shape and work! Now utilizes the dspMixFx with Internal Channel Strip (EQ, Compressor and Reverb) which is a steal at this price. You can route reverb to headphone mixes for your vocalists or use latency free EQ and Compression on the fly, which didn't come in the UR22. Two headphone outputs for double monitoring along with seperate output for your studio monitors, standard in most high end interfaces nowadays. MIDI in and out, a must if you are a producer! New Class-compliant mode, with now works with iPad if you need to record without a computer. Cons: Unlike the UR22, the UR44 requires a power adapter and not USB Bus powered. This isn't a big problem since it provides a steady power supply for microphones unlike the UR22 which is prone to dropouts due to fluctuations in USB Bus power. To control the volume for your studio monitors, the "output" knob must be adjusted which is somewhat an inconvenience to do if you wish to reference both your headphones and monitors at the same time. The preamps are OK, i've driven very quiet mics such as the Neumann TLM 103 with no problem due to their low noise...but LDCs and Tube Mics with a not-so-hot signal may need to be driven by an external preamp to make it sound good. Once you pass 60% on the Gain Knob for the preamps, they start to introduce alot more noise that may affect your recording, especially vocals and overheads. If you plan to record by DI or instruments with high SPL than you won't have to worry as much. Plan on getting a external preamp to drive those quiet microphones! The AD/DA conversion is reference quality, to compare to high end interfaces, it is almost on par with the RME Fireface UFX, The conversion is very clean and transparent and a pleasure to work with. Overall: I am very satisfied with this purchase. For $300, you can't get better then the features offered in this little box. This little box, for me, is an all-in-one recording and mixing beauty.

I got this to replace its smaller sibling, the UR22 (which is also terrific). I needed more inputs and preamps, and trust the quality and performance of Steinberg products.This did not disappoint me. I am using the UR44 with Cubase. There is almost nothing I don't like with this interface. Easy to use, works really well with Cubase, spectacular preamps for its class, superior hardware quality. Jacks, pots, switches, case--everything about this oozes solidity and quality. It inspires confidence in its reliability. I especially like the ability to have phantom power on for two inputs and off for the others, because I often mix types of microphones. The recordings I get with the UR44 are very smooth-sounding and clean, really professional results. The only cons with this unit don't diminish my high esteem for it one bit. These involve the included guitar amp effects that can be used as either hardware based (in the UR44 itself) or as plugins. The included amp models take a bit of fiddling to get a natural, pleasing sound, and I do not like them nearly as much as the ones that are included in Cubase. I usually use third party guitar amp plug ins (I love Bias Amp Desktop), if I go that route. For serious recording, for me, nothing beats a mic on a speaker cabinet, driven by a cranked non-master volume tube amp. Also, the included algorithmic reverbs are adequate to get lower latency monitoring, but I prefer convolution reverbs for printing in final mixes. Finally, the mixer interface within Cubase to handle the UR44 routing and settings is a bit clunky at first, but easy once you get the hang of it.

Well the item seems to be made really well, if only I could try it out, you see the description has no minimum computer specs listed so I had no way of knowing it's not compatible with my OS. So, I was faced with making a choice, spend another $200 on Windows 7 Pro and a hard drive, throwing out my trusty Win XP Pro, or sending this unit back in favor of another brand that actually lists the minimum specs on their description. I chose to upgrade my OS, though I was holding out to do this until I can build a new computer. It will work out, I can pass my current workstation down to my daughter, but still three stars because the information is missing from the description. SO, anyone holding on to Windows XP Professional 64 bit (or any XP or Vista though Vista is horrible for recording) OS because it's the last good OS for recording, take note that the UR44 is not compatible with any Windows OS below 7. UPDATE: I edited the online info to include operating system info. Once I had Windows 7 Professional in my hands, everything went without a hitch. The unit sounds good though I thought it was weird that it has a high pass filter that starts at 40Hz. Not much of an issue to me since I normally roll off around 35Hz or so but noteworthy. It appears to be a really good interface and the preamps are nice but I'm using an outboard one for most things. I believe it was worth the money. I updated my stars from 3 to 5.

(UPDATE) I have done some comparison testing with this audio interface. While listening to my Yamaha MOXF8 straight through its headphone jack, everything sounds crisp and clear. Listening through the same keyboard, using the same headphones, yet routed through Line Input 5 and 6, using the Phones jack in the interface, the sound quality and breadth is lacking. Especially in the top end of the sound spectrum. The low-midrange is muddied and the overall sound feels moderately to severely squashed. Hopefully, it doesn't record like it sounds, because the comparisons I've done has generated these very disappointing results. Runs and records beautifully. Got this for the multiple inputs and MIDI ports, and they all work like a charm. An easy-to-use interface comes with it, too, but features are a little lacking.