Hi there
I’m a long-term Cubase user, looking for a USB audio interface and just checking out the UR22 MkII. The manual says very little about the outputs, only that they can be connected “balanced/unbalanced”.
My monitors have balanced XLR inputs - are the line outs on the UR22 MkII TRS actually balanced?
Thanks for any advice.
Yes. The outputs are balanced or unbalanced depending on whether you use a TS or TRS cable.
You can download the manual and verify if you like.
I´m afraid the outputs are unbalanced – see schema in manual; signals for both inner wires come from one source…
No, that is just a simplified way of showing the signal path, the output is indeed balanced. And as @jaslan wrote, the use of TS plugs give you unbalanced output.
It would be nice (I need it) but the schema in manual is totally misleading in this case.
It’s not a schematic. It’s a Block Diagram, which is a simplified illustration. The manual clearly states, in the description of the outputs, that they are balanced/unbalanced. It is not misleading at all and certainly not “totally” misleading.
Hi @pif
No the diagram is fine, and if you study it you will notice that if this was a schematic looking like that it would be very very weird indeed, as the use of a TS connector would short out the signal.
Using a TS connector “cold” gets connected to ground, thus making it unbalanced.
Hi, I also was (still am) confused about the diagram and description. So I connected the output to an Osci.
For a balanced connection I expected “T” and “R” to have an inverted signal. But only the “T” channel showed a signal. This was true for both line output.
To verify my test setup I connected it to the headphone output and both Osci channels showed a signal.
What I’m missing?
I honestly don´t know, as a layman I would expect the outcome you did, but cearly that is not how the outputs on the UR22 mkII work. The block diagram is evidently separating ground from cold (R) but if you don´t get a sine wave when measuring R+S, well it seems odd to me too.
I don’t know exactly why either but it could have something to do with the way it’s tested.
For example, maybe if you don’t complete the circuit (i.e. are you just plugging in a pigtail to the output?) or if the UR doesn’t sense a load, it treats it as an unbalanced configuration.
One way to test might be to turn up the volume fairly loud and listen to see if you hear a difference in the noise floor with balanced and unbalanced cables attached. But if you are using a scope, you may have to test it in it’s normal operating condition, such as an open coupling box that allows access to the tip and ring jack lugs.
Guys, in the manual we can see “MAIN OUTPUT (Impedance balanced)”. You may read, what does it mean. In simple words, a signal is balanced when input is balanced.
A very good rundown can be found in SoundOnSound…