UR22Mk2 connect synth sounds totally different on headphone

Steinberg Hardware UR Series
#1

Hello everybody,

first post as a new member so perhaps a short introduction>
Some weeks ago, I bought myself a Korg Kronos 88 LS to join my already aging Roland Fantom G7 and a midi rack containing a Roland D550,
R8 drummachine, a Roland A880 midi patcher merger, a Roland MC 500 Mk2 sequencer, …, …

Together with the Kronos I bought the UR 22Mk2. And this gives me really a technical issue I don’t understand>
When I play Kronos and monitor it directly the sound is outstanding. However, if I connect Kronos’line out L/R to the line in L/R of the UR
and use the headphone output on the UR it sounds terrible.

Am I doing something wrong? Anybody out here had or has the same problem?

Thx

Peter

#2

Lower volume on kronos and try adjust volume on gain knob on interface… Also try borow di box from someone with pad… Direct monitoring is mono on ur22mk2 so you will have to adjust pan settings in daw…

#3

Ivan, thank you for the reply. I will try the use of a DI box.

#4

No change. The musicstore will give me another UR22 to check if perhaps the hardware was DOA>

#5

As mentioned above headphone monitoring of L/R inputs is only MONO so it will never sound as you are expecting. The UR22ii is not capable of stereo monitoring except for midi input. If you want stereo monitoring use the line outs through a mixer.

#6

@ Jonky Ponky: strange, the headpone connector is a TRS type… I didn’t find any information in the UR’s manual that headphones are monitoring in MONO… And MIDI can’t be monitored except when the MIDI hardware’s line out is connected to the line in connectors at the front of the UR22Mk2, right?

#7

The headphones are not monitoring in mono…the UR inputs being direct monitored are…it is an unfortunate limitation of this device.
Note that once recorded your signal will play as stereo…it’s only the direct monitoring that comes back as mono.

Not exactly sure what they meant by stereo monitoring of midi input. Probably they are talking about vsti which are of course playback audio rather than input monitored and so would indeed be stereo.

A few other threads about this already…it’s a really poor design choice imo. (Though to be fair is not exclusive to Steinberg)

#8

Wow, I will have to more critically listen to the direct monitoring out of my UR28M to see if it is stereo or mono.

I have most of the mix in the DM feed turned down so low via Cue Send volume manipulation that I wouldn’t be surprised if I’d missed the fact it was mono!

#9

I believe UR28M offers panning of direct monitored signal via dspmixfx (standalone) or the integrated channel strips in Cubase.

#10

Doh! Now that you mention it, I think I may be panning my Cue Sends, which would obviously make it not mono. I’ll have to check that. Thanks!

#11

Just hooked up all hardware to a line mixer, master out line mixer to line input ur22, output ur22 to active monitors. Sounds as awfull as the headphone. Tomorrow another ur22 to check if perhaps it is a hardware problem. If the problem persists, I am thinking of testing Focusrite or Roland.

#12

You’re wasting your time trying another unit…as has been said already the direct monitoring of UR22 is mono only.
Focusrite 2i2 is exactly the same. Mono only.
Roland Rubix 22 does have a mono/stereo switch for direct monitoring.

#13

Are you using two cords? I notice every time you talk about line inS you say line in (singular not plural). A single cord from your Kronos will sum to mono.
With two cords you can definitely record/send stereo from the rear line outs or digital USB but headphone monitoring from the front headphone jack will be mono. If you were to say play an app through an iPad via lightning connection (no other cords) then the Steinberg headphone jack will be in stereo.
As a side issue - I think the direct mono monitoring is more of a design decision than a limitation. Usually you can monitor stereo from its source ( say a keyboard) and don’t need to use the Steinberg. In the case of say a guitar and and a mic plugged in the mono monitoring is an advantage.

#14

As a side issue - I think the direct mono monitoring is more of a design decision than a limitation.

If you want to call it that…they design all thebetter interfaces with options for stereo direct monitoring and they make the “design decision” not to do so on the entry level interfaces to keep cost down.

Usually you can monitor stereo from its source ( say a keyboard) and don’t need to use the Steinberg.

Huh…the vast majority of hardware synths/drum machines/samplers and most stuff you are likely to be recording to make music don’t have speakers built into them and can not be monitored at source.

#15

Hi all,

All my hardware is double connected (L+R). The problem remains that even on the active monitors the LINE OUT of the ur sounds awfull. Input level of the line mixer + UR is not saturated. The only thing I want is to hear the same same sound using the UR as If I monitor my hardware directly. Period.

Thx

Peter

#16

Problem solved. I swapped the UR22Mk2 for a Roland UA55 Quad Capture. Direct monitoring sounds perfect.
Thx for your replies.

Peter

#17

You could have solved it more easily. The headphone jack is indeed STEREO - it’s just that Left and Right channel are un-panned by default. I found this while fiddling around with the dspMIXfx program that comes with my UR44. When panning full left+right the problem went away.

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#18

This doesn’t apply to the UR22…it doesn’t even come with dspmixfx.

#19

@ Grim: you’re right.