STEINBERG UR22 MKII RECORDING PACK
One of the most daunting things about setting up a home studio is figuring out what goes with what. System compatibility can be a big problem, and the prices can be kind of a downer. Steinberg has made both of these concerns a little easier by bundling three products together with all associated cordage. They call it the UR22 mkII Recording Pack.
NICE PACKAGE
The UR22 mkII Recording Pack starts with – surprise surprise – the Steinberg UR22 mkII interface. It allows you to record and compose music in studio quality, with 24-bit/192kHz recording quality, connections for electric guitars and basses via a Hi-Z switch, plus connection for MIDI gear such as drum pads and controllers. It has two Class-A D-PRE mic preamps, a mix knob to select between DAW or input monitoring, separate phones’ output level control and more. And it’s not just for your computer; connect it to an iPad in CC mode with either the Camera Connection Kit or Lightningto-USB Camera Adapter.
Next, you’ll need something to get acoustic sound into the interface. Steinberg includes an ST-M01 studio condenser microphone, a high-sensitivity and wide-frequency response mic designed to cover a lot of ground, including vocals and acoustic guitar. A low-noise cable is included, as is a mic clip. So you can hear what you’re doing, there’s a pair of ST-H01 studio monitor headphones included, which are designed to provide an accurate, sonically true and neutral signal listening experience that is perfect for monitoring your performance during recording or for mixing when you don’t have access to a set of full studio monitors.
Steinberg also includes plenty of software to do your actual recording into: Cubase AI (a music production software combining audio and MIDI recording, editing and mixing), Cubasis LE (a compact version of Steinberg’s streamlined, multi-touch sequencer for the iPad) and WaveLab LE, a dedicated audio editor and mastering package.
GET MOBILE
This is a great easy-setup system for home recording, especially if you’re a soloist or you lay down a lot of ideas by yourself one track at a time. It’ll handle a few instruments at once, but you might be pushing the limits of the R22 mkII – not to mention the one included mic – if you try to record a full band. That said, the mic preamps sound great and the mic itself is very handy as a multipurpose unit. You might even find yourself enjoying it for guitar cabs more than, say, the venerable Shure SM57, since this mic won’t give you that upper-mid bite that some players love and some do everything to dial out. Personally, I really appreciated the ability to hook the system up to my iPad Pro for recording in different parts of the house, away from my monitors, amp and keyboards. It was nice to sit in the back yard and strum out a few song sketches for the birds and unappreciative neighbours.
THE BOTTOM LINE
This is a great setup for the beginner or hobbyist, or those who want a satellite system to take with them in low-footprint situations. It’s also more than enough for podcasters: especially when you consider the included software.