USB Audio interfaces are integral devices for the musicians. As a suitable interface could bring lots of advantages for them, choosing the proper interface is crucial. In this post, we will compare the Steinberg UR22 against the PreSonus AudioBox. Let’s see which one has the most strength.
Steinberg UR22
– 2 D-Pre mic preamps
– Solid metal housing
– Cubase AI 6 DAW included
– Weighs 3.2 pounds
PreSonus AudioBox
– 2 XMAX Class-A mic preamps
– Rugged steel chassis
– Studio One Artist included
– Weighs 4 pounds
The Steinberg UR22 vs. The PreSonus AudioBox
The Steinberg UR22 and the PreSonus AudioBox are two of the finest USB recording interfaces in the market currently. They come with some great features at competitive prices, ensuring great value for the buyer’s money. Different kinds of input and output methods make them perfectly working for any type of musician.
General Features
The PreSonus AudioBox USB 2×2 USB interface is the ideal solution for recording high-quality, professional level sound at any place. The USB bus-powered device is loaded with 2 mic or instrument inputs, 2 TRS outputs and 48V phantom power. The interface uses the host computer’s CPU and the VSL software to produce reverb, delay effects, Fat channel compression, high-pass filter, semi-parametric EQ with inaudible latency.
On the other hand, the Steinberg UR22 is equipped with 2 industry-leading D-PRE mic preamps, top class 24 bit/192 kHz converters in a solid metal housing. The audio and MIDI interface will produce excellent quality music wherever you want.
Perfromance
Though PreSonus does not use any proprietary processor, it improved the ones it use and included them in the package. The Audiobox series includes compressor, separate expander and limiter in each model. The VSL browser also supports drag and drop facility. Therefore, processing, creating and loading the presets are very easy on the device. The pro-level processing ensures perfect quality of the outputs.
In the UR22, Steinberg has included lots of input and output options including 2 Neutrik combo inputs, 2 TRS inputs, 6 TRS outputs, 48V phantom power, high-impedance input and pad switches. These features make sure that the device is providing the maximum output as the end result.
Specialties
The AudioBox interface allows the users to manage and mix sound from both Windows PC and Mac. The devices also include editor/librarian functions for keeping the library creation simple and make it easily usable. The presets were designed by experienced musicians and professional engineers. By using them, you can instantly EQ for vocals, instruments and set up dynamic processing.
The Steinberg UR22 comes with a very useful master volume knob for overall control. There are DIM, Mono and Mute level controls too. The built-in dspMixFx technology will ensure DSP-powered output along with latency free monitoring with various effects. Including Cubase AI 6 DAW, this device is the perfect choice for the mobile musicians.
Finishing Thoughts
Both of these devices are similarly priced and feature almost the same technologies. However, when it comes to choose one of them over the other, you can go for the Steinberg UR22. Along with industry-acclaimed microphone preamps, the UR22 provides more input and output options than the PreSonus AudioBox. With a weight of only 3.2 pounds, it will make a perfect portable device too.
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