Cloud Microphones - Cloudlifter CL-1 Mic Activator - Ultra-Clean Microphone Preamp Gain - USA Made

I purchased the Cloud Microphones Cloudlifter CL-1 Mic Activator for my audio setup, pairing it with my Shure microphone and the Roland VR-1HD for phantom power. After some thorough testing, I'm ready to share my experience, which has been largely positive with a slight concern. The Good: Powerful Mic Boost: The Cloudlifter CL-1 does an excellent job of amplifying the microphone signal. It's particularly noticeable with my Shure mic, providing a significant and clean boost in gain. This enhancement is crucial for achieving professional-quality sound in recordings and live streaming. I use it for my YouTube channel. I was thinking about starting a podcast by the way. Build Quality and Ease of Use: The build quality is solid, and it's evident that it's made to last. The simplicity of the Cloudlifter is also a plus and it's pretty much plug-and-play, requiring no additional power source, which is a huge convenience. I dont even think you need a additional power such as the phantom although i do hear a difference. The Concern: Interference with my cell phone: My primary concern, and I'm still trying to pinpoint the exact cause, is that having my phone close to the setup and receiving texts or calls causes audio distortion. I suspect this interference might be related to the Cloudlifter, but it's also possible that the Shure mic is picking up these signals. This issue is something to be aware of, especially in a setup where your phone is an essential part of your workflow. I can assure you that once i move my away from the cludlift , the distorsions stop. Overall Impression: Aside from the interference issue, which I'm still investigating, the Cloudlifter CL-1 has been a great addition to my audio equipment. It delivers on its promise of providing clean, amplified sound, which is a game-changer for mics that need that extra boost. The build quality is great, and its ease of use makes it a valuable tool for both amateurs and professionals. Plug and play . Given the significant improvement in sound quality, I would recommend the Cloudlifter CL-1, but with the caveat of being mindful of potential interference from mobile devices. This might be a minor issue or something more specific to my setup, but it's worth mentioning. Overall, I'm pleased with the performance.

Love the clarity.

Literally a must-have if you're using your SM7B for anything professional; voiceovers, work, whatever it may be, you WILL NOT have enough gain without this / without sounding compressed and distant by trying to emulate the effect in software. Feels premium, works great, no issues out of the box, and super easy to set up - literally just plug and play.

I wasn’t sure I needed a Cloudlifter at first—after all, the Samson Q2U is a budget mic, and I’m running it into a Behringer UMC404HD, which already has decent preamps. But I was having to crank the gain up to almost max just to get a usable signal, and that’s when the noise crept in. Enter the Cloudlifter. Hooked it up with a proper XLR cable, turned on phantom power, and boom—instant difference. I can now keep the interface gain much lower while still getting a clean, strong signal. No hiss, no weird background fuzz, just way better clarity and headroom. It doesn’t "change" the sound of the Q2U, but it definitely helps it shine. If you're using a dynamic mic like the Q2U and find yourself maxing out your interface’s gain, this little box is a lifesaver. It’s not cheap, but for me, the cleaner audio is worth every penny.

So far, it works as intended.

It wasn't obvious from the sales page that I need a second XLR cable. A short, recommended quality one between the microphone (Shure SM-58) and the CL-1 then the existing one between the CL1 and my Presonus Studio 24c. So, dropped a * for lack of information that meant I got the CL-1 a week before I could use it (while I ordered and waited for a XLR cable). It runs off the 48V phantom power from my Studio 24c. On balance, from a Shure SM-58 I get 15dB more powerful (still require normalization), lower noise (5dB lower) recordings where the noise is still audible hiss but isn't plainly audible under a voice (as it is with the mic. alone), can be removed with digital noise reduction and due to the noise being concentrated at lower frequencies doing so does less damage overall to the sound of a voice but there is a slight sense of room solid surface reflection (a hint of echo) on a voice. Before the CL-1 my signal level was extremely low unless I had the mic. at my lips which resulted in bad popping even with a pop filter. There was also a near 19kHz, inaudible to me but constant "birdie" on my recordings before the CL-1. After, putting the CL-1 in-line, I was able to drop the mic gain and output levels to 50% on my Studio 24c and the 19kHz birdie was gone. There are a couple of inaudible (to me) birdies around 3kHz with the CL-1. It allowed me to drop the Studio 24c mic gain and the output level both to about 50% and observe about 15dB of gain even at about 12 inches from the mic. Without the CL1 I was recording peak levels of about -55dB. With the CL-1 I was recording peak levels a little over -40dB. With or without the CL-1 I require signal normalization to be truly useful (I used -1.0dB peak). Without the CL-1 normalizing the raw signal from the microphone the background noise rose from effectively none to just over -40dB which can be heard as hiss through the voice audio. With the CL-1, normalizing the CL-1 amplified signal increased the noise also from effectively zero to about -45dB (5dB lower than the mic. alone) which cannot be heard under my recorded voice. The raw noise from the microphone alone and the microphone with the CL-1 is present across the whole spectrum but is obviously concentrated below 3kHz with the CL-1, it may be "shaped" by the CL-1. From the mic alone, there is the barest evidence of some low frequency concentration below 3kHz but also a 19kHz birdie (that is not present using the CL-1). That concentration of noise with the CL-1 below 3kHz may seem bad, e.g. voice is concentrated between about 160Hz and perhaps 4kHz, and my own voice is concentrated below 2kHz, the concentration of noise below 3kHz with the CL-1 is actually quite a good thing. Digital noise reduction will be applied where there is more voice energy using the CL-1 and pretty much across the whole spectrum without the CL-1. There's a lot of energy present at low frequencies so digital noise reduction doesn't damage the voice signal much with the CL-1. Without the CL-1 and applying digital noise reduction in a relatively balanced way across the whole spectrum, the overtones/harmonics in the voice which have lower energy present see a much higher loss leaving the results sounding rather tinny from the microphone alone, normalized and with digital noise reduction. Whereas using the CL-1 and with normalization and digital noise reduction the sound is much closer to normal. If I had a real criticism it's that with a microphone, the CL-1 and normalized, noise reduced then there's a slight sense of reflection from common room surfaces like walls, the sound is as-if there's a very short period echo on a voice but with the voice having a much more powerful sound it's not a big deal and I suppose I could always buy audio reflecting material for my walls since that's entirely my own responsibility based on where I choose to use my microphone.

I have tested this on both my dynamic mics and this cloud lifter has given a great clean gain boost without no static or white noise! This is especially helpful since I have a shure sm7b which is super gain hungry, so if you have a similar setup to mine (focusrite + shure sm7b or similar) this is a great investment!

Not sure why I hesitated on buying this... I spent $400 on a Shure SM7B, and $100 on a mixer and I thought that would be enough.. Nope! Sound quality still had issues, well thank god I decided to give this a try because WOW! It made a MAJOR improvement to my sound quality! And it was so easy to use! Literally just plug it in and you're done. This little device basically just boosts the volume for your mic so you can turn all your presets down to avoid static in the background. And it did that perfectly! Build Quality: Amazing, has great weight to it and is smooth to touch. It's made in America and it shows, I love supporting American companies too. Value: It's expensive, but if you dump $400 on a mic then you're doing yourself a disservice for not having this! I upgraded my Shure Sm7B from an SM58 and the jump wasn't as substantial as just adding on this cloud lifter. Verdict: This thing is a game changer and gives NIGHT AND DAY difference when using it vs not using it. Excellent quality and craftsmanship. I'm so happy I bought it, it's worth it and if you're on the fence then just BUY IT! You won't regret it! Also I paid for this in full with my own money, this review is my actual thoughts and opinions. I hope it helps you. :)