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- Up to 24-bit/96kHz performanceHi-Z 1/4" inputUSB bus-poweredLoud stereo headphone output6' (1.83m) low-noise, shielded USB cable includedAudio output stereo 1/8" headphone jackInput gain knobHeadphone volume knobRugged, anodized aluminum chassisCompatible with Windows XP, Vista, Mac OS X 10.4, Linux USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 connectivityClip for belt/guitar strap Included softwareFor PC Users: Universal Driver which:Offers "wet/dry" monitor mix controlStereo Driver Aggregates multiple AxePort Pro and/
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I wanted something simple and (especially) portable to plug my guitar into my laptop for "live" practice and recording. I didn't need microphone inputs, or different connector types, or MIDI I just wanted the simplest possible, highest quality way to get a guitar signal into my computer. And I believe this delivers.For one thing, there is basically no line noise: a very clear, sweet sounding clean guitar signal with no hiss or other artifacts. I could perceive a slight difference in tone between running the AxePort at 96kHz vs 48kHz, but either sampling frequency yielded good recorded sound. I use Reaper on Windows 7 to play around with FX and some amp models and was able to play through a few effects with a 10ms latency set in the Centrance Universal Driver panel.
Lower latencies (7.5ms) also worked with lower sampling frequency (48/44 kHz). The default latency of 5ms gave me occasional pops and dropouts. However, I haven't yet spent any time optimizing my setup/buffering in Reaper, closing background programs etc. I intend to do that later, as well as try out the AxePort in Linux.
The zero-latency monitoring is very nice, and in fact, several times, I just dialed the monitoring to 100% (all direct monitoring) and played that way. The tone & reponsiveness is great.
Physically, the construction is excellent rugged, attractive aluminum, nothing plastic-y, nothing rattling. It's about the size of a stubby cigar. The headphone and instrument level dials are rubberized and feel pretty solid.
I'm still on the fence about keeping it however. It's a great tool for a fairly limited job, and it is quite expensive to boot (main reason I give it 4 not 5 stars). If you just want to practice through headphones there are many cheaper alternatives, though my own experience with my Vox AC30 Amplug suggests you won't find one as noise-free as this. And if you just want to record, you may want the additional features found in similarly priced USB boxes like a Tascam US100/US200 or Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (not an endorsement, I haven't tried either of those, though I did consider them before purchasing this).
I have ordered the Peavey xPort USB Guitar Interface w/ Software for comparison purposes, since it does basically the same thing and is less than half the price. Will update the review once I've tried that out.
UPDATE (3/16/2012): I've now tried out the Peavey xPort, and the Centrance is definitely superior in terms of audio quality, even when comparing at the Peavey's max sampling of 48kHz. The xPort is not bad at all however, and is $90 less (actually i got mine for just $39), so I think it's really a toss-up. If you absolutely need good recorded sound, the AxePort is the better option. If you just want to jam through Guitar Rig etc & money is a concern, you won't be disappointed with the xPort.
Also, I've tried the AxePort out in Linux (Linux Mint 12) using Ardour and it works fine. Haven't figured out how to get the wet/dry mixer panel that is available in windows (for mixing zero-latency monitoring signal with post-DAW output). I suspect this is a driver feature, and there's no Linux drivers, so it's probably not possible to use this feature on Linux.
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