Steinberg Media Technologies has announced that the MR816 CSX and MR816 X Advanced Integration DSP Studios and the CC121 Advanced Integration Controller are now shipping to Steinberg resellers worldwide. Designed by Steinberg and Yamaha and manufactured by Yamaha in Japan, the new hardware units are the result of the ongoing technological cooperation between the software and hardware experts at both companies.

MR816 CSX and MR816 X Advanced Integration DSP Studios are two 16-channel FireWire interfaces that integrate directly into Cubase at core level. Among the features available with Cubase are True Integrated Monitoring, Quick Connect, full user interface integration into Cubase as well as the accessibility of DSP capability in Cubase as a VST3 plug-in.

But the integration with and 1:1 functional mirroring of the hardware with Cubase are not the only stand-out characteristic of these two new units, according to Steinberg. "The eight D-Pre microphone preamps have been designed to offer outstanding sonic characteristics," explains Stefan Schreiber, Steinberg's
Marketing Manager for Hardware, "while the quality of the REV-X reverb on both units and the unique EQ and compression tools offered by the Sweet Spot Morphing Channel Strip plug-ins on the MR816 CSX further underline the exceptional quality of this system. And while MR816 CSX and MR816 X are the ideal I/O for any Cubase owner, the included ASIO and CoreAudio drivers offer compatibility with any DAW supporting these two standards," Schreiber adds.

Launching Cubase 4 with MR816 CSX or MR816 X attached to the computer offers:

• True Integrated Monitoring: no latency, DSP-powered FX* and full Cubase Control Room support including independent Studio mixes.
• Complete Cubase user interface integration throughout: direct access from Cubase with no additional software mixing or external windows required.
• 8 discrete Class A analog 'D-Pre' mic preamps with combination XLR and TRS analog inputs with advanced new inverted Darlington circuits and switchable phantom power per channel, as well as digital ADAT and S/PDIF I/O.
• Quick connect: Next-generation of plug and play with instant routing of inputs to Cubase channels from the hardware with the push of a button.
• DSP power for Cubase*: Up to 8 simultaneous onboard DSP-powered Sweet Spot Morphing Channel Strip with compressor, EQ as well as REV-X reverb - available within Cubase during mixing.

*Sweet Spot Morphing Channel Strip available in MR816 CSX only.

CC121 Advanced Integration Controller is a made-for-Cubase precision controller featuring a combination of dedicated controls for Cubase functions with the ultra-flexible AI Knob. "This one-of-a-kind combination keeps the musician or producer absolutely focused on their project," Schreiber continues. "The advanced ergonomics harness the speed of the mouse as a pointing device, while dedicated controls for Cubase mean that direct access to Cubase functionality quickly becomes second nature. The combination of these two approaches in one first class controller means a workflow in Cubase that's as fluid and intuitive as it is efficient. This is designed to feel like the hardware extension of the Cubase software," Schreiber adds.

The CC121 Advanced Integration Controller feature set includes:

• Ultra-precision Advanced Integration controller knob with 'point and control' support: controls any visual Cubase 4 parameter, internal FX setting or VSTi parameter using mouse pointer selection.
• Instant plug and play with 'Cubase Ready' LED - no additional setup or parameter assigning required.
• One motorized 100mm touch-sensitive fader.
• Dedicated control of Cubase channel settings including solo/mute, record arm, 'e' settings button, automation read/write, pan and VSTi editor.
• Full Cubase EQ section in hardware with 12 dedicated rotary encoders, with mode selection and bypass switches.
• User-assignable section with Cubase-integrated presets for Control Room studio sends and monitoring setup.

Pricing

• MR816 CSX costs €1199.00*.
• MR816 X costs €799.00*.
• CC121 costs €399.00*.

* Suggested Retail Price including 19% German VAT. Prices subject to regional variations.