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Steinberg UR22 MKII vs Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen)

Product Comparison: Steinberg UR22 MKII vs Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen)

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Steinberg UR22 MKII 2-Channel USB Interface

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Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen) USB Audio Interface

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General Specifications

Brand

Steinberg

Focusrite

Model

UR22 MKII

Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen)

Origin

Germany

China

About the Product

Record and compose music in studio quality on your laptop, iPad or even iPhone with the UR22mkII. With outstanding audio and build quality for its price class, the UR22mkII combines choice components with advanced connectivity and flexible I/O options to offer a full-on mobile production platform.

This is our compact yet versatile 2-in, 2-out USB audio interface. It gives singer songwriters two natural-sounding Scarlett mic preamps and the same class-leading sound quality and digital conversion as the rest of the latest Scarlett range. Take it anywhere, connect by USB, plug your mics and guitars straight in, and simply start recording.

Key Specs

Form Factor

Desktop

Control Interfaces

XLR or 1/4" Combo

XLR or 1/4" Combo, 1/4"

A/D Resolution

24bit/192kHz

Number of Preamps

Simultaneous I/O

2/2

Form Factor
Number of Preamps

What customers say about "Key Specs"

Steinberg UR22 MKII 2-Channel USB Interface

The actual product works phenomenally, though. After all that grueling setup, I am extremely pleased with this interface's performance.
If you don't have sound dropouts (described below), this is an amazing interface for the price. Very nice pre-amps, construction, and a multitude of inputs and outputs. Also, it has the option to use a 5v micro usb type charger for power, instead of taking power through the USB cable.
I bought this device to replace another interface I was having issues with on windows 10. Long story short.. I have had 0 issues on my windows 10 machine! It’s Been super stable!
Previously I had an old mixer, which was also used as interface for my guitar, and overall was working ok, but with this one, I get better sound quality; control over the amplification on 2 different Input; and the combo plug allow me to use both a regular jack and the mic plug interchangeably.
I use this audio interface as a way to do voice recordings and karaoke. I use a Rode NT1 and the sound quality is fantastic.

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen) USB Audio Interface

Really low latency. Great sound quality at an affordable price.
Pretty much what I wanted. Fairly clean, neutral and interference free sound using the balanced trs outputs to my JBL LSR305's.
Pre-amps are of good quality, to be expected from Focusrite.
Direct monitor ability is pretty useful for recording certain acoustic instruments that may not be very loud in the DAW.
No Phono out. No Midi In.
It colours the sound of the guitar. the bass is so deep you can't remove it from the software. it sounds like everything is covered by a blanket. I have the brightest sounding guitar on the market, all maple, and sounds like it's made of sponge

Size & Weight

Height

1.8 in.

1.89 in.

Width

6.3 in.

6.89 in.

Depth

6.3 in.

4.52 in.

Weight

2.3 lbs.

1.32 lbs.

What customers say about "Size & Weight"

Steinberg UR22 MKII 2-Channel USB Interface

An effective addition to any small home or portable studio...even larger studios would benefit from this preamp.
Excellent! Very compact size and sounds good!
The device feels sturdy, and is the only one of this size that can be driven by an external power supply, although it is through a usb-micro cable.
I was impressed by build quality.It's build like a 1970's transistor amplifier (smaller scale + chip). Heavy weighed all metal construction = can sustain physical and verbal abuse;) Small size.

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen) USB Audio Interface

Solid build, looks really good, compact and lightweight.
Feels really well made and sturdy, the small form factor is great.
The device is very ergonomically designed, one of the best on the market in that regard.
The 2i2 has a superior build quality with a sleek solid metal case, the unit has a satisfying weight.

Interfaces

Analog Inputs

2 x XLR-1/4" combo

2 x XLR-1/4" combo, 1/4" (line/instrument)

Analog Outputs

2 x 1/4" (lineout), 1/4" headphones

2 x 1/4" (line out), 1/4" headphones

Digital Inputs

USB

MIDI I/O

In/Out

What customers say about "Interfaces"

Steinberg UR22 MKII 2-Channel USB Interface

I also bought a separate power supply so that my computer isn't stressing by splitting all that power through the usb port. This hooks into USB and once you are done registering your product you can use the audio software that they provide for free.
AWESOME works well bought with newwer mic and i think i need a xlr to xr
Amazing product. Works great with Audio-technica AT2020 and a 3.5mm to XLR cable.
Use it with my AT2035 XLR microphone and it works perfectly, much better than the Scarlet 2i2 (2nd gen) in my opinion.
Output only RCA (blocked) can't use any adapter/transfer to connect MIDI device.
Again, there is no MIDI in/out, no TRS outputs, just 1 Hi-Z and 1 XLR in and Stereo RCA out.

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen) USB Audio Interface

The inputs on the front take both XLR cables and 6.3mm cables (For guitar jacks etc..). It looks great and easy to use.
Just bear in mind line level input is by using 1/4inch jack not xlr. it is very easy.
The headphones seem ideally suited to this interface and for general reference will probably replace my Shures as my work-a-day 'phones.
It would be nice to have some analogue inputs on the back but can live without.
The XLR cable included with the equipment is very low quality my headphones and cable have already started to mess up after 3weeks of use.

Features

Extras

Two Class-A D-PRE mic preamps, Rugged metal casing, Latency-free hardware monitoring, Compatible with major recording software, iOS connectivity, Loopback function, Power source selector

Two natural-sounding Scarlett mic preamps with plenty of even gain, Super-low latency* for using your plug-ins in real time without the need for DSP, One headphones output with gain control, Connect professional studio monitors using two 1/4 inch balanced jack outputs, Compact and tough enough to take anywhere, Powered by USB so you don't need to carry a power cable, Includes Pro Tools | First Focusrite Creative Pack and Ableton Live Lite

Power Supply

5V DC

USB

Phantom Power

Yes

Bus Powered

Yes

OS Requirements - Mac

Mac OS X 10.7/10.8/10.9/10.10/10.11

Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) or OS X 10.11 (El Capitan)

OS Requirements - PC

Windows 7 SP1/8/8.1/10

Windows 7 (32- or 64-bit), 8.1 and 10

Phantom Power
Bus Powered

What customers say about "Features"

Steinberg UR22 MKII 2-Channel USB Interface

I thought maybe it was related to a lack of power from the USB port, but using an external power course didn't resolve the issue. This is the reason I ended up returning it and getting the Tascam US-2x2.
The Loopback feature alone is worth the cost IMHO. Some might be turned off at the fact that the main volume and headphone share the same knob but it's really not that big of a deal.
I am very impressed with the features, sound quality, and ease of installation and use. Considering other comparable audio interfaces cost more, the Steinberg UR22 mkII is a great value.
Also, it has the option to use a 5v micro usb type charger for power, instead of taking power through the USB cable.
I also bought a separate power supply so that my computer isn't stressing by splitting all that power through the usb port.

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen) USB Audio Interface

Handy indicator LED's to know if your signal is peaking or not.
Headphones are great, the interface includes phantom power for condenser mics and the mic itself produces great audio.
Each input lights up green or red if you overload it allowing one to quickly set the recording level.
The "Gain Ring" is a really intuitive display for telling whether your input level is peaking or not.
USB-C would be nice for the newer MacBook's however for much more money a USB-C model is available.
Installing and registering the software proved to be a labyrinth of pointlessly difficult bull****.

Warranty / Certifications

Manufacturer Warranty

1 year(s)

2 year(s)

Certifications

FCC, CE

Other Information

Manufacturer

Link

Manual

Download

MSRP