[Solved]UR44 & Logic Pro X

Hi

I’ve been searching for an audio interface for a while now, and was pleasantly surprised to come across the UR44, which seems to meet all of my needs at half the price I thought I’d have to spend.

Having only just been released, reviews are a little hard to come by, but the one review (albeit more a blog post than review) I have read has me a little worried. I run Logic Pro X through a 2013 macbook pro, and the review claims that none of the DSP features are available when running the UR44 through Logic, only through Cubase (http://davidmadsen.com/). Just wondering if there are any other mac users here who could shed a bit of light on this issue, or any other issues they may have encountered?

Also is anyone here able to confirm that the line inputs are ‘true’ line inputs, i.e. they bypass the pre-amps?

Thanks in advance!

Sam

Hello Sam,

It is no problem at all to run a UR44 on a Mac. I’m using it on a MacBook Pro.

You are also able to use all the DSP features coming with the UR44 together with Logic or any other DAW.

Unfortunately some DAW vendors do not support VST 3 as a plug-in standard. The Basic FX Suite plug-in bundle, included with the UR44 is VST 3 only. However it can be the case that these plug-ins are not supported by your DAW as native plug-ins depending on your DAW of choice.
But this is only valid for the native version of the plug-ins and only with VST-incompatible DAWs. The DSP-based plug-ins can be used via the dspMixFx application with every DAW for monitoring purpose.

Even if the name of the UR44 does not imply it, the UR44 has six inputs. Two of those are true line inputs on the rear panel.

Recently a video review of the UR44 has been released on MusoTalk, a German news and media platform for music gear. During the review they have used the UR44 with Logic.

Best regards,
Stefan Schreiber

Hey, I recognize that blog!

To be clear, you can use the DSP effects in the UR44 while tracking to Logic Pro X. However, you have to choose between baking those effects into the audio track by selecting “ins.fx” in the dspMixFx software, or choose “mon.fx” and have the DSP effects only apply to the monitor mix, not the recorded audio track. If you choose to bake those effects in you cannot modify them later. If you choose monitor only effects you will have to add some effects using Logic.

After having this interface for a while I find that these limitations are not a problem for me. If I were recording guitar through a mic’d amp I would be in the same spot as if I were recording it using the DSP guitar effects, and those effects are actually really nice. I can also record with no DSP effects and use amp emulation in Logic with excellent results.

The review on my blog was simply pointing out that the plugin versions of the DSP effects are VST only, which Logic does not support. This is the only real issue I have had with the UR44 and find that it is still the perfect interface for my needs.

As for the line inputs; the line inputs on the back, channels 5&6, are true line inputs. The two on the front, channels 3&4 do go through the preamp.

This really is a great audio interface. Simple to use with all the I/O you need and none of the crap you don’t. Built to be taken to rehearsals and gigs instead of left on the desktop.

I just updated that blog post because I realized there were things on it that I have since found to be incorrect. A little more positive now.

Great, thanks for that Stefan & David, much appreciated, that all makes sense now. Sorry to put you on the spot with the blog link there :wink:

I think my mind’s made up - going to make the purchase tonight, and then it’ll be many a day racing home from work to check the letterbox. Looking forward to getting my hands on it, it looks like a very handy piece of hardware.

You won’t be disappointed. I was apprehensive at first, as my blog showed, but it really is a great interface and is serving me very well. I’m glad I got it.

A little late to the thread (but for future reference as I am also dealing with a lack of VST3 support in Live):