When comparing Steinberg UR22MKII vs Presonus Audiobox iTwo, the Slant community recommends Steinberg UR22MKII for most people. In the question“What are the best audio interfaces? ” Steinberg UR22MKII is ranked 1st while Presonus Audiobox iTwo is ranked 4th. The most important reason people chose Steinberg UR22MKII is:
It’ll be much easier for you to monitor your recordings. There is a mix balance knob which allows you to adjust the headphone output balance to favor either the input signal or recording signal more.
Specs
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Pros
Pro You can adjust mix monitoring balance
It’ll be much easier for you to monitor your recordings. There is a mix balance knob which allows you to adjust the headphone output balance to favor either the input signal or recording signal more.
Pro This is an affordable but feature-packed interface
The UR22MKII is more affordable than other similar options, yet you get a lot of features like quality pre-amps, mix balance monitoring, MIDI I/O and more. Other similarly-priced or more expensive options do not have this feature set.
Pro This interface is capable of high sample rates
Theoretically, you’ll be able to record higher quality audio with this interface compared to most of the other options in this price category. The UR22 MkII is capable of 192 kHz recordings while other options usually top out at 96 kHz.
Pro iOS compatible
The UR2 MkII can be used to record audio directly to an iPhone or iPad. At the back of the interface is a power switch selector. When recording with an iDevice, you’ll have to move the power switch to the micro-USB connector. You’ll need a suitable power supply and a Lighting to USB connector for the latest iDevices to make this setup work though.
Pro MIDI I/O connectors are present
The UR22 MkII will work with MIDI devices out of the box as there are 5-pin MIDI input and output connectors at the rear side.
Pro The pre-amps output clean and detailed audio
You won’t have problems with audio artifacts when recording with this interface. The pre-amps are high quality and produce clean and distortion-free audio. Gain levels are also very good so you’ll be able to dial in the audio source volumes to your liking.
Pro The output connectors are 6.3mm
This interface should be compatible with many output devices. The rear output ports are 6.3mm jacks instead of the usual RCA in budget interfaces. This negates the need to use adapters or converters to connect studio monitors, mixers and other studio devices to the UR22 MkII.
Pro Solid build quality
The UR22 MkII feels solid and well built. The outer casing is made out of metal so it won’t get damaged easily.
Pro This interface has good connectivity
The iTwo is should be compatible with many studio equipment. There are 2 main XLR/TRS inputs and a headphone out on the front side of the device. On the rear, there are 2 TRS outputs, MIDI in and out ports, a USB 2.0 connection and a Mfi USB port.
Pro It's compatible with iPhone and iPad
You’ll be able to connect this interface with an iPad or iPhone, so you can use this as part of your portable recording rig. You can connect a Lighting to USB cable to the Mfi port, so you won't have to deal with converters. You’ll still need to provide power to the interface’s USB power port though, either by using a USB power brick or a power bank.
Pro The pre-amps produce clean and natural sounding audio
The audio recordings that you can get with this interface should sound great. The pre-amps are of great quality and are not only capable of delivering distortion-free recordings, but are also able to preserve the natural decay and width of the sound. Your voice recordings should sound natural and full without any hiss or audio artifacts.
Pro Durable casing
The iTwo isn’t likely to be damaged by minor drops and hits, thanks to the metal casing.
Cons
Con There only is a single phantom power control for both inputs
You won’t be able to control phantom power settings for each individual input. The single +48v switch activates or deactivates phantom power for both input channels so you need to be aware of the mics connected to the interface before turning the feature on.
Con No signal indication
You'll only see the indicator light blinking when the signal clips. This can be confusing as you won't have a visual indicator if there is no clipping.
Con Input gain knobs can be difficult to reach
You may find it difficult to use the input gain knobs when all front I/O are used. The knobs are quite small and are placed near the bottom of the device, and can make them hard to work with.
Con There are no individual phantom power controls for each mic channel
You’ll need to be extra careful when turning on phantom power. The switch at the back activates the feature for both channels, so do take note of the mics that are plugged in before activating phantom power.
