New Music Gear Monday: CEntrance DACport Pro Laptop To Console Interface

If you’ve ever tried to connect your laptop to a console, monitor speakers, or other outboard gear you know that you need some sort of computer interface to do so. The problem is that almost all of the ones available come with mic inputs as well, so the box is larger than might be convenient since it has added ADCs and input circuitry. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a nice small box with great convertors for computer output only? CEntrance has that exactly in mind with the release of their new DACport Pro, a high-end yet compact box that gives you everything you need for quick and easy laptop connection.

DACport Pro connects to the computer via USB-C and provides a pair of audiophile-quality digital to analog convertors that culminate in a pair of male XLR connectors. The outputs can be switched from mic to line level, and have either a fixed output level or be controlled by a nice large Volume control on the top panel.

There’s also a pair of calibrated meters so you can monitor signal levels even without listening on headphones. LED meter brightness is gradually adjustable from pitch-black to daylight visible via a rear panel thumbnail control so it can be set to match the ambient light of the venue, which is a nice feature that’s almost always overlooked. The unit also features a headphone output for monitoring, which is controlled by the Volume knob on the top of the unit. In the FIX position, the volume knob only adjusts the headphone output. 

DACport Pro also features a standard 1/4″-20 thread, giving the product a lot of versatility, especially for a live setup. With it you can use one of the many stand clamps available to attach the unit to a keyboard rig or a mic stand to make it convenient to reach.

The CEntrance DACport Pro works with MacOS and Windows-based computers. It supports all standard sampling rates including 24-bit/44.1kHz up to 32-bit/384kHz, and DSD. An ASIO driver is available for Windows 10. The unit is now shipping and retails for $369.99 USD.  You can find out more details here.

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