An audio interface bridging musical instruments and the PC.
Minimal
The very simplicity of the design implies a questioning of the balance of color, form, and configuration. This aspect of the UR Series is intimately connected with the comfortable identity of things, and able to boost the quality and precision of creativity.
Pride
The 360º metal band and the two-tone silver and black motif used throughout the series, creates an identity of high-quality audio performance that will come to be loved by users over the years.
Professional
The UR Series offers a sense of security as a tool to be used with musical instruments in creating music, and possesses a pure, functional beauty that arouses the creative instincts of the user.
Appreciate
The tough, steel body fits in perfectly with other musical equipment in studio or live performance environments, and is designed to embrace many years of continued use as a familiar tool.
Satoshi Yoshiizumi
Designer
Yamaha Design Laboratory
Masafumi Ito
Designer
Yamaha Design Laboratory
A box supporting the creativity of the user in the same way as a musical instrument.
The UR Series of products are from Steinberg, well-known for music production software and hardware. They provide an audio interface linking microphones and instruments to a PC, and receive audio signals from these devices at a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). We sought to create a design that, rather than being an object that users would always hold in their hands, would be used together with musical instruments and PCs. Since they are intended to be carried to different places on occasion, we endeavored to create products that are more than just peripherals; these are products that users may be proud to own, able to serve as trustworthy partners in a manner similar to a musical instrument.
The UR Series takes a box-shaped half-rack format, and is placed beside the PC for use. Seeking to answer the question of what exactly a ‘musical instrument box’ is, designers hit on the idea of folding steel into the shape of a box. The characteristics of steel ensure toughness and superior sound quality, preventing electromagnetic noise and grounding. The front and rear edges of the cases project slightly to ensure that knob controllers and jacks are securely protected while carried. Furthermore, the directional nature of the form expresses the flow of the sound input and overlaps in a straight and direct manner. The two-tone silver and black motif used throughout is iconic in symbolizing the UR Series. A box design of simplicity and precision, or in the tradition of German manufacturing, simplicity and sturdiness.
While the UR Series of products is used together with a PC, they are more like musical instruments, the embodiment of the Steinberg motto of “Creativity First.” We hope that these products will act as partners and support your creativity in the same way as a musical instrument.
