Direct monitoring in UR44C is mono when it shouldn't

Steinberg Hardware UR-C Series
#1

hi there,
1.5 months ago I bought my UR44-C and in most aspects it has been great.

I own a Helix Floor and play my guitar through that which outputs through 2x XLR cables into input 3 & 4 of the UR44-C. Most often I find myself just playing guitar and wanting to hear myself with audio from my computer. I found that when I run the driver for the ur44C in low latency mode I can have <3ms latency which is great, I don’t think I register that kind of latency. However, there is one problem.

The direct input sound is mono as long as it’s from monitoring; if I record the same audio signal in Cubase, it’s a stereo track with distinctly stereo features. However, when I hear that signal through the direct monitoring feature I hear both tracks center panned as if mono (may be mono for all I know). To be clear; while recording I may hear mono through the direct monitoring of the UR44-C, but when I play back that very same signal I recorded, it is stereo. What gives? :confused:

This is a pity, I want to hear the full goodness of my guitar patches. Anybody have any recommendations for me? I don’t know what to do.

#2

The dspMixfx app doesn’t work either…

edit: I also have a support ticket up, but as they haven’t responded for a week I decided to try here.

#3

You have to set the stereo panning in the dspMixfx to hear the two inputs in stereo.
So when that app works you should be fine to make those adjustments.
Why the dsp mixer does not work I can’t tell exactly. Please be more specific. Are you on a Windows PC? Do you have your software/license registered at Steinbergs? Did you install it correctly? in the right place? Is it in the Prgram List of Windows? Does it not start at all?

#4

Yes, I am on windows 10 that I regularily update.
My software is registered at Steinbergs. I followed the installation instructions but most likely I must’ve failed at something, some installation step probably.
Does the location of the installed software matter?

It starts up, but it doesn’t seem to register any sound. Level animations on knobs are not moving, as if there was no sound coming in (even though I can record it and hear it).

#5

Looks like the software does not connect to the hardware. Can you see in the settings if the 44 is active?
Not moving of the knobs is strange, because when you install the demo app on an ipad f.e. And hou don’t have any hardware even the the knobs still move.

#6

Hm, how do I see that? I mean it outputs sound, so I can hear stuff through it with headphones.

#7

The sound is there on the unit, okay, but can you see the inputlevels in the dspmixfx metering?
You need that software to adjust the panning of the 2 channels you are using in that mixer and make it sound stereo that way.

#8

No the metering in dspmixfx were completely flat, looked like no sound was going through it.

I’ve just reformatted my pc and am installing everything fresh again, will see if that helps. Otherwise I’m open to trying any suggestions you might have.

#9

It looks like this when I play with my guitar plugged in with XLR into inputs 3 & 4:
https://imgur.com/a/kU7qSOl

and these are the device settings:
https://imgur.com/EvITLlE

#10

You can hear yourself on the phones out 2? Is the reverb audible from the URC?
In stereo? Because that should woth this panning.
If not…is the outputbus from the Helix itself set to stereo out? Not two mono outputs I mean.
Is the outputlevel from the Helix loud enough? That could cause no metering on the URC.
I am out of suggestions here I’m afraid.

#11

I should maybe say I run this outside of any daw. Only dspMixFx is open, idk if that changes things?

Yes, I can hear myself but still only in mono (and it is decently loud, -4dB in cubase I think), but without any reverb from the dspMixFx thing. I think the output of the helix is stereo, at least it sounds like stereo when I record it in cubase (and I can see the 2 audio tracks).

Could the device be broken?

#12

No, that was exactly what I was thinking.

Yes, I can hear myself but still only in mono (and it is decently loud, -4dB in cubase I think), but without any reverb from the dspMixFx thing. I think the output of the helix is stereo, at least it sounds like stereo when I record it in cubase (and I can see the 2 audio tracks).
Could the device be broken?

My guess would be the software not the hardware because in Cubase it is just fine as you say.
It still looks like the dspmixer is not installed correctly. As said earlier is it installed in the right place, I mean the right path while installing, so it is found by the driver.

Another thing: you have to connect your Helix to the jackinputs of the urc, NOT the xlr’s because they are only for mic signals.
Maybe that adds tothe issue.

One more thing, do you listen via the phones 2 jack? Because i see that your mix is send to phones 2 not 1.

#13

You know what, that might be it. When I installed tools for UR now after the reformat, I remember it showed an error message during install. I think that was because I installed the eLicenser manually before the tools, and then it got installed twice.

#14

One more thing, do you listen via the phones 2 jack? Because i see that your mix is send to phones 2 not 1.

I tried both, results are identical.

#15

One more try, i do not know the 44 exactly but could it be that the second mix is for outputs 3 and 4 and mix 1 for outputs 1 and 2?

#16

It was a faulty device. It had no firmware at all.

Exchanged it for a new, now it’s working!

#17

Great!