I was just thinking about the "solution" to switch off the internal audio interface of the CP88 and only use the UR22...? Is that possible? If not, and I HAVE to use the CP88 internal interface, how would I connect a microfone (with 48V phantom power) to the system?

Regards,
Jens

I have been using my desktop PC (Win 10) with a masterkeyboard and external audio interface with VST instruments in the past. Now I have switched to the CP88 and I love it...
I know that I can use the CP88 also just as a master keyboard via USB connection and it works with the UR22 and VST instruments in Cubase. What I would like to do now, is to send CP88 internal audio/sounds via USB connection to Cubase (AI) and from there to my UR22 (connected with my monitors) to hear it and record it. Is this possible? It looks like Cubase can only handle 1 audio interface, but not 2... If I choose the UR22 in Cubase it recieves the MIDI signal, but no audio?

Actually, Cubase can receive multiple audio signals simultaneously from multiple devices. It is your computer (Windows) that can only deal with one audio interface at a time. Macintosh computers, for example, allow the user to build what is called an Aggregate Audio Device.

But don’t run out and get a Mac, because still only one audio interface can connect to your speakers. So you’d be back where you started.

In order to connect all of your devices (both the CP88, the UR22mkII) and record a condenser microphone simultaneously, you would need more simultaneous audio inputs to the computer (UR44). When you have multiple audio devices, you must select one of them to connect to your speakers. This device will be the principal audio device. It will be the one that does Digital-to-Analog conversion of the audio coming from Cubase... going to the sound system (monitors).

All audio sources need to connect to that audio device (for monitoring purposes). If you want to record both the CP88 and the Microphone simultaneously, using a Windows computer, you’d need a UR with more than 2 inputs... because the CP needs 2, the microphone need 1 w/48V phantom power.

What you can do with the equipment you own:
Setup and record the music tracks using the CP88 as the audio/MIDI interface.
If you record MIDI data, do so.
Make your edits to your backing tracks as MIDI data, then render them as Audio Tracks.
(Keep the original MIDI Tracks in a Muted folder) playback the rendered audio. You will overdub yourself mic stuff to these rendered music tracks. (Yes, they will playback via the UR22mkII).

Next connect the UR22mkII as your audio interface. Select it in Cubase.
Connect your condenser microphone to the UR22.
With the UR as your principal interface, your rendered music audio tracks will playback through the UR as you are adding (overdubbing) using the condenser mic.

Final Note:
If you want to play and sing (for example) at the same time, you will not be able to with your current gear.
Depending on what you want to do... laying down the music first, rendering it to audio, then overdubbing your microphone stuff, is a viable workflow used by many.

CUBASE allows “hot wiring” — Hot wiring is the act of switching principal audio interfaces without having to close the project. You can simply switch audio devices mid session.
Go to STUDIO > STUDIO SETUP SETTINGS... > VST SOUND SYSTEM > make the device selection

Connect your speakers to the CP88... You can leave the speaker connected to the Keyboard.
When you are working with the UR (open microphone) you’ll typically be using headphones connected to the UR’s Phones Output. You’ll be able to hear both the audio playback of the CP88 tracks, and your “live” microphone in the headphones.

You’ll want to keep the speakers out of the loop while recording so they don’t feedback into your recording.

@ Bad Mister: Thank you so much for your detailed explanation! Do you think that there is a chance to implement a "power-off" option for the CP88 internal audio interface in future upgrades?

best Regards,
Jens

@ Bad Mister: Thank you so much for your detailed explanation! Do you think that there is a chance to implement a "power-off" option for the CP88 internal audio interface in future upgrades?

best Regards,
Jens

Do I think so? No, not really.
Audio Output does not need to be shut off - just don’t setup to receive it. Of course, it is not my decision... curious what would be the purpose?

I have another question:
When using my headphone with the CP88 directly, I have to raise the Master Volume to at least 80% to have an acceptable sound volume. The headphone ist an 38 Ohm ATH M50x studio monitor head phone. I also have failed to connect the CP88 directly with the UR22 via cable, because the peak-level was much to low. Is this normal, that the audio signal is so low?

best Regards,
Jens

When using my headphone with the CP88 directly, I have to raise the Master Volume to at least 80% to have an acceptable sound volume.

This is the reason that Volume is always provided on a variable knob ... so that each person can set it to their own taste. How far you have turn it up for your comfort is subjective and not a scientific measure of anything.

The headphone ist an 38 Ohm ATH M50x studio monitor head phone.

Sorry, I don’t know these headphones. How loud your headphones get is not a measure of anything but efficiency. You may get different results with different headphone. Some will require more signal to get loud. When judging headphones, you should alway match the loudness, make them equally loud (no matter how much you have turn a knob) that means: set each to the loudness you prefer to listen at... whether that means one is 60% of the way up and the other is 90% of the way up, to achieve this. Match the loudness, then judge the sound. Headphones with larger drivers may require more signal to get to your desired loudness. Just because they get loud has little to do with how good they sound. It is important to know and understand this difference when judging speaker, headphones, etc.

If the source does not provide enough signal for you to get a comfortable loudness (volume), this is when a small format mixer can help.
If you like the way the headphones sound, and they are comfortable, those are good reasons to get them the a,Lunt of signal they require. Musicians tend to be a bit hard of hearing (not said as a negative) it is just a work related condition. The radio is always a bit louder in a musician’s car. Point is “how loud” is loud varies greatly from person to person.

I also have failed to connect the CP88 directly with the UR22 via cable, because the peak-level was much to low.

I don’t understand this, at all. Sorry. To connect the CP88 to the UR22 you would use two 1/4” signal cables. The UR22 has gain controls for you to adjust. These must be adjusted because the device is capable of receiving a wide range of signal sources from the weakest (microphone), to the strongest (line level). It is your job to deliver enough signal from the source (instrument) so that the next stage (the audio interface) the UR22 has a variable gain/trim (boost/cut) amplifier.

When you connect the CP88 to a computer, you use the USB connection. Here the Master Volume knob has no affect on the output from the CP88 going to the audio track in the computer. That signal’s output is determine by a sum of the internal sections that are active and their combined volume.

Actually, gain staging is the responsibility of the user. You must match available output of the source, with the anticipated input sensitivity of the receiving device. You want to send enough signal from the instrument for the next stage to deal with it without trouble (adding noise or distorting), and the signal going to the audio track should be measured only by the audio meter. Not how loud it is, but by what does it do with the meter.

Loud, as in Volume, is always subjective. It is the sound being judged by a human ear.
Level, as in Gain, is scientific, it’s the signal being measured by a meter.

Bad Mister wrote:..."I don’t understand this, at all. Sorry. To connect the CP88 to the UR22 you would use two 1/4” signal cables. The UR22 has gain controls for you to adjust. These must be adjusted because the device is capable of receiving a wide range of signal sources from the weakest (microphone), to the strongest (line level). It is your job to deliver enough signal from the source (instrument) so that the next stage (the audio interface) the UR22 has a variable gain/trim (boost/cut) amplifier."...

And this is what I tried to do. Connected the CP88 to UR22 (XLR at CP88 and 1/4" at UR22). Then raised Master Volume to 90+% with mix on "100% input" at the UR22 and opened up the gains to max. But I was not able to get a clear and loud signal in the UR22. Tried to play as hard as possible, but was not able to make the "peak-LED" at UR22 flash..
This is why I asked if the output signal level in CP88 could maybe be too low...
Have no idea why this does not work.

Regards,
Jens

Connecting the analog outputs of CP88 to the inputs on a UR22mkII requires no extraordinary effort (anytime you find yourself playing “as hard as possible”, stop and assume something is setup wrong). Yamaha and Steinberg build professional products that should work without any extraordinary effort such as you describe. Since our most recent discussion is mainly about Gain Staging... let’s start solving the mystery by verifying the connection

I’d start with the cables. Try connecting to the 1/4” outs of the CP88, with standard 1/4” to 1/4” signal cables, to the inputs on the UR22mkII. This would be unbalanced to unbalanced.
The CP88 would be considered a LINE level input.

Alternative — If you wish to connect the CP88 as a balanced line level device you would need to use an “XLR-to-TRS” cable.
XLR to the CP88 and 1/4” TRS to the UR22mkII

About the inputs on the UR
From your UR22mkII Owner’s Manual:
“For connection to a microphone or digital instrument. This jack can be connected to both XLR-type and phone-type (balanced/unbalanced) plugs*1. The XLR- type is set to the optimum level for microphone connection and phone type is for line connection.”

See page 3. MIC/LINE (see graphic showing the connectors)

Make sense?

Hope that helps.
Let us know.

I have tried both cable connection types you mentioned. Both bought in a big music store in Germany. No cheap stuff, and both balanced...Same result. UR22 Mix on "input" only, Master Volume CP88 at 90% and then steadily raising the gains at UR22. Very low signal. I have to open the gains allmost completely, and in this case have a lot of backround noise and high frequency noises...
So for my understanding, either my brand new CP88 has a defect, or the output signal level of the CP88 is very low, so that the UR22 can not work in the "optimal" range...

Regards,
Jens