I had a problem. Recording all over the world (well, the Canary Islands and the UK mostly - but hey is sounds global) meant that I had to take a portable set-up with me where ever I went.
Using a condenser mic that requires 48v phantom power (AKG Perception), was a problem. It meant that my hand luggage was always way too heavy when flying for a start. I took the minimum of mic and laptop in my hand baggage.
Find out what happened next...
This Little Beauty Does Everything it Says on the Box
Initially I bought a "spare" mixer which I left in various friend's lofts and garages, along with a desktop mic stand, pop shield and what seemed like a thousand leads and cables. But as I traveled from place to place it wasn't always convenient to actually get to said equipment.
After buying 2 different USB mixers, which both produced an intolerable level of noise and big latency problems, I stumbled upon the CEntrance MicPort Pro, a USB mic preamp. But, could I really justify spending more money on something that might be no better that than the 2 mixers?
After spending days on various audio forums and reading everything I could about the product, I decided to "go for it." As I waited in anticipation for the Amazon box to arrive, I was beginning to doubt my sanity!
I needn't have worried, because this little beauty does everything it says on the box! Wow, it really is as simple as plug and go (well very nearly) This tiny preamp is under 12cm long and the XLR fitting pops into the mic one end, and the USB port of my laptop the other.
Their website states the MicPort Pro is a portable mic preamp with a built in 24bit/96kHz broadcast quality A/D for professional quality recording and they weren't kidding. It's as quiet as a mouse, and the loud headphone amp really does give zero latency monitoring.
So now, my hand luggage has plenty of space for all the duty free goodies, and I get to record fantastic quality audio while "on the road." I would definitely recommend this little gem to anyone who has a portable studio.
Carole Richards
British Voice Over
