Steinberg Hardware Rebrand

Yamaha and Steinberg have announced that, as part of a group-wide restructuring of product development systems, Yamaha has taken over Steinberg’s hardware business. Steinberg hardware products are being rebranded as Yamaha, while Steinberg will focus exclusively on software development and sales moving forward. The aim is to provide users with a refined, integrated product experience that brings software and hardware under one roof.

Steinberg joined the Yamaha Group in 2005, and the first hardware products jointly developed by Yamaha and Steinberg were launched in 2008. The MR816 audio interfaces and CC121 Cubase controller were extremely successful. Since joining, Steinberg has introduced many audio interfaces and controllers developed and manufactured by Yamaha, which have been embraced by users worldwide. Steinberg has consistently delivered reliable, high-quality solutions for professional studios to first-time creators, including the UR, UR-C and UR-RT series. With the launch of the ultra-portable IXO series in 2024, Steinberg-branded hardware reached a significant milestone—one from which Yamaha will now carry the development and sales of hardware products moving forward.

With Steinberg focusing exclusively on software development and sales, the new structure will enable both companies to concentrate on their respective strengths—Yamaha on the design, manufacture and global distribution of high-quality hardware, and Steinberg on the creation of world-class music and audio software. This division of roles will ensure that each company can maximise its expertise and resources, while continuing to collaborate closely as part of the same group. For users, this translates into a more refined and seamlessly integrated product experience, where hardware and software are developed in unison to deliver reliability, creativity and ease of use.

Following the reorganisation, 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. In parallel, Steinberg will introduce a new software product for online creators, which is scheduled to be publicly unveiled at TwitchCon, taking place at the San Diego Convention Center in the U.S., October 17–19 this year. To ensure a smooth transition and to avoid inconveniencing customers, Yamaha and Steinberg will both continue to provide product support and drivers for the foreseeable future.

Takatsuna Maeda, Senior General Manager of the Creator & Consumer Audio Division, said, “Steinberg-branded hardware products have long been developed and manufactured by Yamaha. This brand transition marks a new stage in which both companies can focus on their strengths to deliver dependable, seamlessly connected solutions tailored to today’s creators.”

Four new Yamaha interfaces  

The new Yamaha interfaces launched under the “UR-MK3” series (UR12MK3, UR22MK3) and “URX-C” series (URX22C, URX44C) are now available. The UR-MK3 and URX-C inherit the proven features and reliability of the UR line, now delivered under the Yamaha brand to provide creators with trusted solutions for both music production and streaming.

The UR-MK3 serves as a compact, basic, yet complete audio and software package—an ideal first step for first-timers and beginners. It comes bundled with Cubase AI music production software for easy multi-track recording and editing, Steinberg Plus for sound expansion and effects, and MixKey to simplify streaming applications. The interface features a high-quality UR mic preamp that supports 24-bit/192 kHz high-resolution recording. Designed with beginners in mind, it boasts a compact design for easy portability and simple, intuitive level adjustment controls, as well as front-panel monitor and mute options for user convenience. The UR-MK3 supports every step of the creative process such as capturing vocals and instruments, creating and enhancing tracks with the bundled Steinberg software, and broadcasting music performances in real time.

The URX-C offers a complete, intuitive solution for musicians and music makers who require a high-quality recording and live streaming experience. It provides users a seamless workflow with comprehensive mixing capabilities powered by Yamaha’s custom DSP. With easy effect and volume control via dspMixFx, even users with minimal audio engineering experience can produce high-quality recordings and streams from their first sessions. The interface delivers professional quality sound, capable of 32-bit/192 kHz high-resolution audio combined with Yamaha’s legendary D-PRE mic preamps for superior signal fidelity. Additionally, the URX-C’s intuitive virtual operation is coupled with a simplified physical architecture with independent headphones and master volume controls, dual headphone outputs for monitoring separate mixes, and integrated control with Elgato’s Stream Deck controller. Its seamless expansion of audio and mixing functions enables users to switch effortlessly between capturing, producing, and sharing their content, making it an ideal choice for both novice and intermediate users for a variety of production and streaming use cases.

“Yamaha has long aimed to support music creators at every stage, from those just starting their journey to professionals pursuing their craft.”, said Takatsuna Maeda, Senior General Manager of Creator & Consumer Audio Division. “The UR-MK3 and URX-C embody our commitment to delivering high sound quality and reliability, grounded in our expertise in audio signal processing, DSP technology, and user-focused design. With these products, we want to give creators the confidence to capture, produce, and share their music seamlessly, so that their ideas can be transformed into works that truly reflect their individuality.”