Cloudlifter CL-2

I have had one for five years. Use phantom power to 1) preamp for ribbon mic. great preamp with minimal noise-floor where you have to EQ it up a bit in hi mids, and 2) same for all dynamic mics to give you a bit more level to play with. Would recommend unconditionally. for anyone recording with ribbon mics, which I have found makes more forward sound in the mix. Especially good for female vocals and acoustic guitars.

I’ve got two of these now and use them the Shure SM7B mics. I record podcasts for the company I work for and these products give the mics that little boost I need to get solid recordings every time. Super easy to set up, just make sure you can provide them with phantom power. They can be pricey, but having used a fethead and I can safely say these give b superior performance in every environment I find myself in when recording.

I've used both a Blue spark mic and a Shure SM7B and both require post production edits to raise the volume. Turning up the gain on my pre-amp simply wouldn't cut it since it introduced the inevitable hiss. I noticed that many people recommended the Cloudlifter and a 'must-have' if you own an SM7B. Since I just bought an SM7B and was witnessing the same need to pump up the volume, I took the plunge. No power is necessary which is a bonus, since it draws the phantom power from the pre-amp and essentially powers itself (and obviously the mic). There's nothing to shout about other than the unit does EXACTLY what it reports to do. It raises the volume of the mic without any unwanted noise. The phantom power is not eradicated using a dynamic mic, it's EMPLOYED - as it should be! The result is that I'm managed to be able to reduce my gain by a quarter on the dial...and no post-production volume changes are necessary! Perfect! This takes away from my workload since I churn out instructional videos by the dozen and something forget that I need to pump up the volume. The unit is solid metal and built like a tank. I imagine this to be the ideal solution fr those people who might use this in the road. though mine is 'on display' lying on its side with the logo showing, the unit has large rubber feet which allows it to sit securely on a desk. The XLR's snap in nicely and firmly. There's shady copies of the cloudlifter on the market for a fraction of the price, but people have stripped them down to see that the 'meat' inside is far inferior in contrast. The copies produce a loud of unwanted noise too. I'm with those people who recommend the cloudlifter for the SM7B, since it works a charm. I see no reason why it wouldn't work great for other dynamic mics too. If you're looking for that boost in volume, just buy one.

Incredible piece of kit. Just plug and play and has eliminated my crackle and hissing from how high I had to turn the gain up for my SM7B!

Works perfectly with my Shure SM7B.

retuned did not make that much difference to justify the price

Does what it says on the tin.

Cloudlifter is a very simple device, it uses the phantom power from your interface to amplify the signal from your microphone. It does this really well. The build quality is exceptional, it's a chunk of metal with XLR input and output with quality connectors. It's pretty small and can be stuck to the underside of a desk with velcro to keep it out of the way. It provides a significant gain boost to dynamic mics (about 25dB) which reduces the amount of preamp gain needed, which can result in a lower noise floor. People say it also enhances the sound, I didn't notice if it did. The Cloudlifter is good for use with hard to drive dynamic microphones or audio interfaces which doesn't have powerful enough preamps. I used this with a Shure SM7B. The difference what immediately noticeable using the entry level Focusrite Scarlett. The price is pretty steep, I would seriously consider getting a DBX 285s if you have the room for it, this will give you plenty of power and a fairly decent channel strip. If you need portability though and a boost in gain the Cloudlifter is a good solution.