Recommendation for USB Audio Interface

EG 2006

EG 2006

Inspired
Apologies if there is another thread on this but I have searched and can't find what I need to know. My current signal path is as follows:
- XL2+ XLR outputs into Steinberg UR22 XLR Inputs 1&2
- XL2+ USB to PC
- Steinberg USB to PC
- Steinberg L&R Output to Studio Monitors.

I use this setup to achieve the following primary requirements:
- Connect XL2+ to PC for Axe Edit
- Run Steinberg from PC for PC Audio without having to run XL2+ just for PC Audio

Problem I have is that the XL2+ is not audible in STEREO. I understand this is because the Steinberg UR22 does not facilitate Stereo inputs. What I need are recommendations for specific USB Audio Interfaces that enable Stereo ins and outs. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
 
That doesn't make sense. The inputs are marked 1/L and 2/R. What DAW are you using? I'm asking because the setup of the inputs in the DAW should be a stereo channel. If you have 2 mono channels panned to the centre it will sound mono.
 
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Ethereal Guitars said:
I understand this is because the Steinberg UR22 does not facilitate Stereo inputs.
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double check that you can't PAN the inputs hard left and right, then monitor the inputs live. sometimes there's a control panel that you access from your computer to do that.

it's not that the inputs aren't "stereo" - most inputs are indeed mono on every interface. you need to be able to pan them for live-monitoring.
 
On the UR22mk2 the XLR inputs are simply marked as 1 & 2. I'm not using a DAW - not recording at this stage - maybe down the track.
 
chris said:
double check that you can't PAN the inputs hard left and right, then monitor the inputs live. sometimes there's a control panel that you access from your computer to do that.

it's not that the inputs aren't "stereo" - most inputs are indeed mono on every interface. you need to be able to pan them for live-monitoring.
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Aha! There is no control panel with this unit but it does come with Cubase. Perhaps I need to install that to select/pan L&R? I'd love to have hardware that does this for me. I don't want to have to run a DAW just to jam with my XL2+ in stereo. Must be a device that can do this?
 
As Chris says, make sure they are panned L and R. It's been a long time since I used a PC. I don't recall using the drivers outside a DAW environment. They should definitely be capable of a stereo signal.
 
The UR22 doesn't have the Mix Fix program to configure it? I run a UR28M and you should be able to control it from there. I use SPDIF, though.
 
Thanks for the replies all. I installed Cubase and almost got it to work with L&R Stereo but what a rabbit hole that is! It really makes the whole process too complex for what I want. I just want a piece of hardware that allows XLR stereo in from the XL+ and Stereo out to the monitors along with a USB to run the PC audio into. It doesn't seem that complex to me and surely others are using a similar setup? What hardware allows for this?
 
Ethereal Guitars said:
Thanks for the replies all. I installed Cubase and almost got it to work with L&R Stereo but what a rabbit hole that is! It really makes the whole process too complex for what I want. I just want a piece of hardware that allows XLR stereo in from the XL+ and Stereo out to the monitors along with a USB to run the PC audio into. It doesn't seem that complex to me and surely others are using a similar setup? What hardware allows for this?
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It’s a limitation of using the direct monitoring feature of this interface (and many others). See this thread on the Steinberg forums for more details. Is there a control panel app for the hardware that you can open, without using Cubase?
https://www.steinberg.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=84276
 
Thanks again all. It certainly was a limitation with the Steinberg UR22 and from what I gather, most audio interfaces. It seems what I wanted to do was not that common afterall. Good news is I found a solution and this thread may help someone else out down the track. I bought a Mackie "Big Knob" Studio+ - strange name for a device, in this country anyway! Functionality is exactly what I was after. I can select the input I want (Axe Fx or USB or both) and then select the output I want (Monitors A, but could also have Monitors B&C). Key feature is it has stereo INS and OUTS. This means I can now hear the Axe FX in all its full stereo glory with no need to a run a DAW. PC Audio comes via USB. Clean, high fidelity and super stoked with the outcome. Cheers!
 
I have the UR22 as well and the only way to monitor in stereo is through a DAW. I'm considering the Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 so I don't need to open my DAW for stereo monitoring.
 
StickMan said:
I'm curious, what's wrong with running the XL2+ just for PC audio?
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I don't want to "waste it"! Seems stupid right but I don't want to clock up unnecessary hours on the XL2+. I use PC audio for watching movies, playing music, youtube etc - that's several hours a day and running the XL2+ for all of that seems like a waste to me.
 
Sonofiam said:
I have the UR22 as well and the only way to monitor in stereo is through a DAW. I'm considering the Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 so I don't need to open my DAW for stereo monitoring.
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I had a good look at the Focusrite Scarlett range and I couldn't confirm that any of them had hardwired stereo inputs. Let us know what you find out?
 
Scarlett headphone outs are stereo. Main outs are mono, but the control software lets you configure as you wish (i.e. out 1 and 2 as L/R).

EDIT - Oh, you said inputs. No, not stereo, except for S/PDIF and (essentially) ADAT optical. You would configure the inputs as a pair, like my output example above.
 
Ethereal Guitars said:
I had a good look at the Focusrite Scarlett range and I couldn't confirm that any of them had hardwired stereo inputs. Let us know what you find out?
Click to expand...
The inputs are not stereo from what I've gathered but the 2i4 has a stereo/mono monitoring option directly on the front of the unit when using both inputs.
7159TjYl53L._SL1500_.jpg
 
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