Yamaha swallows Steinberg hardware - Sand, software and soundSand, software and sound

Well, you could see this one coming — eventually — and eventually arrived. Yamaha has subsumed the Steinberg hardware business (quoting Yamaha):

Yamaha Corporation has decided to transfer the hardware product business previously handled by its wholly owned subsidiary, Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH to Yamaha. As a result, Yamaha will take over Steinberg’s hardware product planning and development functions, which will be marketed under the Yamaha brand going forward. Meanwhile, Steinberg will focus on software development and sales.

With this business transfer, Steinberg will focus on software development such as Cubase and Nuendo. Additionally, the IXO12, IXO22, UR22C, and UR44C models previously sold under the Steinberg brand will be rebranded under the Yamaha brand as the UR12MK3, UR22MK3, URX22C, and URX44C, respectively, and released with the same specifications. Sales of all Steinberg-branded hardware products other than these four models will be phased out, but product support and driver provision will continue for the time being.

In some ways, the move makes sense. Some Yamaha-branded products like the AG06 are a UR combined with a small-format mixer. Going the other way, Montage audio handling is most of a UR.

Steinberg always seem faster moving and more willing to take chances than Yamaha corporate. I hope the transfer of hardware product planning and development to corporate does not stifle innovation.