Steinberg Hardware Brand Transition
Steinberg has today announced that, as part of a groupr estructuring of product development systems, moving forward it will focus exclusively on software development and sales. The first hardware products jointly developed by Yamaha and Steinberg were in 2008. The MR816 audio interfaces and CC121 Cubase controller were extremely successful. As a result, a range of Steinberg-branded audio interfaces and controllers has since been manufactured by Yamaha and widely embraced by users around the world.
Steinberg is committed to offering the best quality products for all music and audio producers - from multi-award-winning professional recording and post-production studios to inexperienced users taking their first tentative steps into the world of sound. In recent years, the UR, UR-C and UR-RT series has offered audio interfaces which range from compact versions aimed at mobile production to multi-channel studio versions with digital I/O. With the launch of the IXO series in 2024, Steinberg-branded hardware took ultra-portable audio interfaces for recording, streaming and podcasting to a new level. It was a suitable milestone from which Yamaha can take the development and sales of hardware products forward.
With Steinberg focusing exclusively on software development and sales, the new structure will allow both companies to focus on their respective expertise and resources, while continuing to work closely together as group businesses. This will provide users with a refined, integrated product experience which unites software and hardware. Also, as part of this transition, the Steinberg-branded IXO12, IXO22, UR22C, and UR44C audio interfaces will be reintroduced under the Yamaha brand as the UR12MK3, UR22MK3, URX22C, and URX44C respectively. Other Steinberg-branded audio interfaces will gradually be phased out. To ensure a smooth transition and to avoid any inconvenience for customers, Yamaha and Steinberg will both continue to provide product support and drivers for the foreseeable future.
“This transition is a very positive evolution for the product line. By moving the range of audio interfaces to Yamaha, Steinberg are ensuring that they receive a dedicated focus and allow both companies to play to their core strengths,” says Clyde Sendke, managing director at Steinberg. “It will also ensure there is greater clarity for both our customers and the industry, regarding the respective product lines. Steinberg’s reputation for groundbreaking audio software is second to none and it makes absolute sense for this to be given our exclusive attention.”