Steinberg

transformers in and out – we very much like that
they can be disabled/enabled independently, so
you can still go for the untinged DPre sound
when you want more (if not total) transparency.
Round the back are two more balanced
1
/4"
line level inputs and a pair of balanced ‘main’
line outs for hooking up to your monitors, plus
MIDI In and Out 5-pin DINs. The level control
knob for the main outs is next to the headphone
control at the front.
The URRT4, incidentally, expands on this
with two mic/line ins and two mic/instrument
ins on the front panel, (all four with Neve
transformers), four more line outs at the back,
and a second headphone jack.
Transformations
Performance-wise, the URRT2 operates at up to
24-bit/192kHz, with a dynamic range of 101dBA.
At 44.1kHz sample rate, latency is a thoroughly
average 7.82ms round trip at a bufer size of 64
samples, 28.1ms at 512 samples, and 51.4ms at
1024 samples. There are faster interfaces on the
market, but the URRT2 is by no means slow in
the grand scheme of things.
So what about those transformers – do they
really make a diference? Of course they do;
they're Neve! Classy and lattering in their
harmonic enhancement, they bring a fullness
and warmth to vocals, basses, guitars and
electronic sounds, and add a touch of punch and
weight to drums. The DPre isn't the lattest of
preamps (we mean that in a good way!), so we'd
imagine a lot of work went into tuning the
transformers to compliment it; and having the
option to switch them in and out, for two subtly
diferent recording lavours, is really cool.
UR so beautiful
OK, so what we have here, as stated at the top,
really is the UR242, which retails for just over
half the price (£188), with Neve transformers
worked into the preamp input. Whether or not
the URRT2 represents good value or not is hard
to say, as Steinberg and Neve are breaking new
audio interface ground here, but the inluence of
the transformer on the sound is a deinite plus.
We’re quite surprised transfomers haven’t also
been placed at the preamp outputs, to imbue
even more of that delicious Neve vibe, but there
are all manner of possible reasons for that, and
there’s certainly nothing to complain about with
the quality of Yamaha’s DPre preamp.
Hopefully, Steinberg are planning a rather
posher second tier to the RT line, as it would be
great to see those transfomers in a higher-spec
interface with more I/O, and USBC or
Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. Right now, though,
while the excessive weight of the thing is a bit of
a shame (you'll deinitely feel it in your
backpack) and we're not exactly blown away by
DSPMixFx, this is a quality audio interface with a
truly authentic and meaningful USP.
Web www.steinberg.net
Verdict
For Neve transformer sounds lovely
Yamaha DPre preamp likewise
Solid build quality
Transformers can be bypassed
Against Very heavy
Requires PSU
Only one Hi-Z input
Those transformers ain’t cheap!
Costing almost double the price of the
non-Neve version, this small format audio
interface boasts a stellar sonic pedigree
8/10
Alternatively
Steinberg UR242
NA » NA » £188
If you don't need the luxurious
sound of the transformers, you can
still get the 'sans' version for far less
Focusrite Clarett 2Pre USB
NA » NA » £370
Adds digital I/O to a similar spec
but minus the Neve transformers
The software bundled with the URRT2
(and URRT4) comprises Steinberg’s
Cubase AI DAW for Mac and PC, a code
for Cubasis LE, and the DSPMixFX
URRT latency-free mixer application.
The two DAWs are handy throw-ins,
certainly, making the URRT2 all you
need to get started recording.
DSPMixFX, on the other hand, falls
somewhat short of what we've come to
expect from a mixer app these days,
especially one attached to an audio
interface at this price point. It's
designed to facilitate zero-latency
monitoring with efects, and to that
end, it includes a small suite of plugins
running on the internal DSP: a
combination compressor/EQ, a set of
guitar amp sim and a reverb. None of
them are anything to write home
about, but for real-time cue monitor
processing, they're quite handy.
DSPMixFX itself ofers level, pan and
reverb send controls, as well as phase
invert, Mute and Solo for each of the
hardware’s four input channels, with
another input channel for your DAW
(for mixing it with the direct
monitoring signal). It’s utilitarian at
best, but it gets the monitoring job
done. And if you're using the URRT2
with Cubase, all of this is built into the
DAW, so DSPMixFX isn't something
you'll have to deal with at all.
DSPMixFx UR-RT
The back of the URRT2 adds two line inputs, two outputs and MIDI in and out
DSPMixFx URRT
is about as basic
as monitor mixing
apps come
“We’re delighted to see
the [Steinberg-Neve]
partnership coming
to fruition”
September 2018 / CompUTeR mUsiC / 93
steinberg ur-rt2 / reviews <
CMU259.rev_urrt2.indd 93 19/06/2018 11:54