The FAQ

[Jonathan]

FRESH OUT OF THE BOX

How does MicPort Pro compare with other USB interfaces?
MicPort Pro is the only product on the market with the following combination of features - not bad for something that fits right in your pocket and plugs straight into your mic:
1. 24-bit/96kHz performance, no drivers required
2. Low-noise mic preamp with input level control
3. High quality analog to digital (A/D) conversion
4. Loud headphone amp with output level control
5. Supplied 6’ (1.3m) USB cable and velvet pouch
6. USB 1.1 and 2.0 compatible
7. USB bus-powered (no batteries or external power supply needed)
8. Internal generation of 48V/20mA based on 5V of input so condenser mics can even be used with laptops
9. Microsoft Vista/XP and Mac OS X compatible
10. Aggregating ASIO driver (CEntrance Universal Driver™, $80 value) for recording multiple tracks with more than one MicPort and latency less than 6ms

How many channels does it have?
MicPort is a mono in, stereo out device. Basically, a 1x2 usb soundcard. The performer wearing headphones connected to the local headphone jack will hear the program material in stereo, and their own voice in mono, placed in the middle, 50% right, 50% left.

What comes with MicPort Pro?
With every MicPort, you will receive the following:
1. A beautiful box (if we say so ourselves)
2. Velvet carry pouch
3. 6’ (1.83m) USB cable
4. Quick start guide

Additionally, you can download the following from the CEntrance website:
1. Aggregating ASIO driver featuring CEntrance Universal Driver™ Technology ($80 value) - useful for recording multiple tracks with more than one MicPort
2. Trial shareware version of REAPER™ multi-track recording and editing software

Do I need batteries or an external power supply for MicPort Pro?
No, you don't. MicPort Pro is powered completely from your computer’s USB port, even if you are using a condenser microphone. MicPort Pro provides 48V phantom power internally.

What software is MicPort Pro compatible with?
Just about everything under the sun.
Windows: All audio software that supports either WDM (native windows drivers), or ASIO drivers
OSX: All CoreAudio complaint software
Linux: Most distributions of Linux support MicPort Pro, treating it as a standard audio device


CONNECTION AND SETUP

How do I connect my MicPort Pro?
1. Attach microphone (not included) to XLR input.
2. Attach included USB cable.
3. Attach the other end of the USB cable to an available USB port on your computer. The plastic ring around the XLR connector will light up when the MicPort is recognized by the computer. No drivers are required, so the installation process should take less than 5 sec.
4. Attach headphones (not included) to headphone output.

How do I setup playback?
1. Make sure that your audio application has “MicPort Pro” selected as the default output/playback device.
2. Start playback in your application
3. Adjust the volume level of the headphone output with the “phones” knob.

How do I setup recording?
1. Make sure that your audio application has “MicPort Pro” selected as the default input/recording device.
2. Start recording in your application
3. Adjust the microphone input level of the MicPort’s preamp with the “mic” knob.

When should I use phantom power?
Phantom power is needed by the circuitry inside of a condenser microphone. If you are using a condenser microphone make sure to engage the phantom power by pressing the 48V button on the bottom of on the MicPort Pro. An orange light will illuminate indicating phantom power is on. Push the button again to turn 48V off.

How do I set up the MicPort Pro as the default input/output device on Windows XP?
Open the control panel and select "Sounds and audio devices". Select the audio tab and select "CEntrance MicPort Pro" as the default playback and recording device.

How do I set up the MicPort Pro as the default input/output device on Mac OS X?
Open Audio-MIDI setup. In the Audio Devices menu select "CEntrance MicPort Pro" as the default input and the default output.


BASIC USE

What microphones will work with my MicPort Pro?
Any dynamic or condenser mic with an XLR output will work with your MicPort Pro.

What headphones will work with my MicPort Pro?
Any headphones with an 1/8” connector will work with your MicPort Pro. If your headphones only have a 1/4" connector you can purchase a 1/4"-1/8" adapter from your local electronics store.

What USB cable should I use?
A 6’ (1.83m) USB cable is included with your MicPort Pro. We recommend only using the included cable.

How do I monitor what I am recording?
The microphone signal is always directly routed to the headphone output at zero latency. Make sure to mute the recording channel in your audio application to avoid hearing two copies of the microphone signal, one at zero latency and one delayed via your audio application.

What are the optimal gain settings?
Generally, you want to make sure you follow the rule of “high source, low destination.” This means that you boost the gain closest to the mic or audio source and not further down the signal chain. Boosting gain later in the signal chain will result in more noise.
For the MicPort Pro, you should adjust the mic gain so that the level is just below clipping in your audio software. Microphones vary in sensitivity so you will need to adjust input gain differently per each micropone you use.

How loud is the headphone amp on the MicPort Pro?
We designed the headphone output to be very loud to accomodate a variety of headphones and listening environments. Make sure to use caution when listening for extended periods of time.


ADVANCED USE

How much latency does the MicPort Pro have?
Zero! MicPort Pro is hardwired for zero latency direct monitoring. The headphone out mixes 50% of the direct signal from the XLR input ("dry") with 50% of the computer playback signal ("wet") and places it in the middle of the stereo output. Make sure to mute the recording channel in your audio application to avoid hearing two copies of the mic signal, one at zero latency and one delayed via your audio application.

Do I need an ASIO driver?
MicPort Pro will work by simply connecting it to a Mac or Windows computer. If you are using a Windows machine with Cubase or want to connect multiple MicPorts you will need to download the CEntrance Universal Driver from here:

http://www.centrance.com/downloads

Macs with OS X Tiger do not need additional drivers.

How many MicPorts do I need to record in stereo?
You will need two MicPorts and either:

- One stereo microphone with two XLR jacks, or
- Two mono microphones with XLR jacks

How do I connect multiple MicPorts?
Windows XP: In order to connect multiple MicPorts you will need to download the CEntrance Universal Driver. Download free from here:

http://www.centrance.com/downloads

Mac OS X: Open "Audio-MIDI Setup" and configure an aggregate device with multiple MicPorts

How do I get sample accurate sync of two MicPorts?
MicPort gets its clock from the computer's USB port. In order to syncronize two MicPorts, make sure to plug them into the same USB2.0 HUB. This will ensure that they will get the same clock and will be sample accurate with relationship to each other. Plugging them into different USB ports of the same computer may not guarantee sample accuracy, as different USB ports may be clocked differently on the computer motherboard.

How many MicPort Pro’s can I plug into one USB hub?
This depends on the hub design, specifically the amount of available power. We've done successful tests with up to 4 MicPorts on a single hub (make sure the hub's power supply is rated for at least 3A). Windows can handle any number of micports, when using the CEntrance Universal Driver.

Do I need to plug my mic directly into the MicPort or can I also use an external preamp?
You can connect any mic-level source to the XLR input on the MicPort Pro, with an XLR cable.

Can I use the headphone output as a line level output?
The headphone output is designed for connecting headphones only. We do not recommend using it as a line out.

I can’t get the MicPort Pro to work properly in Cubase. Help?!?!
Cubase selects input devices in pairs. MicPort only has one input. For this reason, the native Windows drivers (the ones activated when you plug in the MicPort) will not work. The CEntrance Universal Driver fixes this issue. Download free from here:

http://www.centrance.com/downloads

I am having trouble overdubbing a track I recorded at 44.1/48/88.2kHz on my Windows PC. Help!?!?!
Windows will always present the MicPort Pro to your application at 96kHz regardless of the applications settings. So, if you are trying to overdub a session that is not 96kHz you will need to do one of two things: 1) Convert the session to 96kHz or 2) Install the CEntrance Universal Driver to have more flexibility in sample rate adjustment. Download free from here:

http://www.centrance.com/downloads


TROUBLESHOOTING

I'm getting occasional clicks with my Windows machine
MicPort Pro works with pretty much every Mac and PC, but we have discovered one incompatibility. If your PC has an SiS 7001/7002 USB host controller (the USB chip on the motherboard with which MicPort communicates directly) then there may be occasional clicks in the audio. This is a known clocking bug in the SiS chip, which found its way into some laptops in 2006. There is a work around. Use a USB 2.0 hub between the computer and MicPort. This will clean up the clock, and correspondingly the sound.

The phantom power switch doesn't seem to move much. Is it okay?
The 48V push-button is a soft-touch switch. It doesn't move a whole
lot, but when you press it down, you will feel it click. You will also
see an orange LED light up to indicate that 48V is on.


MISCELLANEOUS

Where can I buy a MicPort Pro?
MicPorts can be purchased at our online store http://centrance.com/store/, or for a full list of CEntrance distributors please visit:
http://www.centrance.com/dealers/mp_dealers.shtml

Where do I fill out my warranty registration?
TBA

What can I record with my MicPort Pro?
Anything your heart desires! MicPort users report great success with Vocal recording, Sampling, Instrument recording, Podcasting, interviewing and stereo recording.