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.

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.

Boosts microphone gain by considerable amount and uses high quality materials.

I was hesitant buying this for my Shure SM7B. as you probably know this is a very gain hungry mic. But I wasn't very found of spending another $150 on top of me purchasing a $400 microphone. But man am I glad I bought this. I was using a Focusrite Scarlett Solo as my interface when I purchase the cloudlifter and it worked like a charm. 25db of clean gain just like everyone said. EVEN now I use this with my Apollo Twin x. even though the Apollo has more then enough gain to power this mic. I would have to push my Apollo interface to at least 90% which I wasn't very found of doing over time. now with this cloudlifter I can have the gain on my interface to around 60%. All around, it has great sound, easy to use and great build quality. you wont regret this purchase.

Got this to boost my shure sm 7b on my scarlett 6i6. Does it fantastically! Painless and easy setup.

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. 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 and the low frequency noise with the CL-1 is high. OTOH, it allowed me to drop the Studio 24c mic gain and the output level both to about 50% with much better recorded audio levels even at about 12 inches from the mic. Although recordings have a much higher noise level the signal level is also much better making it possible to either ignore the noise because I couldn't hear it or to remove it with digital noise reduction at much less aggressive settings than I required with the microphone and no pre-amp. Now recordings result in much cleaner final results with pretty much flatline, zero level background and the voice being clear at much higher level than without.

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.

Good quality and works well

It has a good metal texture, the quality is quite good, and the effect is nice.

The cloud lifter let me use my sm7b

Ich nutze den Cloudlifter CL-1 in Kombination mit meinem Shure SM7B, und das Teil hat mein Setup auf ein ganz neues Level gehoben. Wer ein dynamisches Mikrofon mit niedriger Ausgangsleistung verwendet, wird den Unterschied sofort merken! Klarer, rauschfreier Gain: Der Cloudlifter liefert +25 dB ultra-sauberen, transparenten Gain – kein hörbares Rauschen, keine Klangverfälschung. Das Signal kommt stärker und klarer am Interface an, ohne dass ich den Preamp bis zum Anschlag aufdrehen muss. Robuste Verarbeitung – Made in USA: Das Gehäuse ist stabil, solide verarbeitet und sieht auch noch hochwertig aus. Man merkt sofort: Das ist kein Billigprodukt. „Made in USA“ steht hier definitiv für Qualität. Plug & Play: Einfach per XLR zwischen Mikrofon und Audiointerface (mit Phantomspeisung) anschließen, und schon läuft alles – ganz ohne zusätzliche Einstellungen oder Software. Super einfach, super effektiv. Verbessert jedes Setup: Egal ob Podcast, Voice-over, Streaming oder Gesangsaufnahmen – der Cloudlifter sorgt für eine deutliche Signalverbesserung und bringt auch aus „leisen“ Mikros das Maximum heraus. Gerade in Kombination mit Interfaces, die wenig Gain liefern, ein echter Gamechanger. Fazit: Der Cloudlifter CL-1 ist nicht günstig, aber jeden Cent wert, wenn man mit dynamischen oder Bändchenmikrofonen arbeitet. Klare Kaufempfehlung für alle, die mehr Headroom, weniger Rauschen und professionellen Klang wollen – ganz ohne Kompromisse!

L'ho acquistato perchè moltissime recensioni su YouTube ne raccontano miracoli e mi sono fidato. Mi serviva un po' di "botta" per un Rode Podmic collegato ad una Focusrite Scarlett 4i4. Purtroppo il microfono col solo gain dell'interfaccia audio inizia a funzionare solo quando il gain è fra il 9.5 e il 10 di volume. Questo però significa catturare troppo rumore di fondo e di ambiente, il che rende il tutto inutilizzabile. Ho allora inserito nella catena il Cloudlifter e la vera magia del microfono è venuta subito fuori. Ora col gain pressochè a 5 il mio setup ha iniziato a funzionare come sperato. Inutile dire che la qualità è altissima. Il CL-1 è esteticamente molto bello, solidissimo, grande poco meno di un palmo di una mano. Facilmente trasportabile se necessario e si alimenta con la phantom 48v della Focusrite. Portarselo dietro è un gioco da ragazzi viste le dimensioni e la incredibile sensazione di robustezza e qualità al tatto. Non costa poco, è vero, e sul mercato ci sono altri prodotti a prezzo decisamente più basso. Personalmente posso solo dire che è un acquisto TOP e consigliato per tutti coloro che hanno le necessità che ho spiegato sopra. Il Cloudlifter si ripaga da solo nel tempo regalando un suono caldo e perfetto al mio studio.