What's a cloudlifter? CL-1 (review) 

What's your favorite lift? What mic are you lifting?

Smoothest plug for 'smashing' like button yet. Also, I now want one. Thanks a lot Andy.

Very simple and straight to the point. Excellent video explaining this product and showing how it works!

make sure to turn on phantom power otherwise you won't hear anything

YT recommended this. 40 years of recording using ribbons, SM7, RE20s, and using them in Radio too, I never needed to use an inline preamp before hitting the desk. I still don't.

I agree this is absolutely a great way to increase the sound without gaining any noise. Makes the SM7 a more versatile option.

wow so good

Nice video! I'm sure it makes some difference, but I checked the music levels before and after cloud lifter. Are you sure you haven't boosted the overall gain? :D

Uncle Andrew, I appreciate this review. Just got hold to me a Cloudlifter for a dynamic mic (MXL BCD-1) which I'll use between the mic and the Focusrite Scarlett. Really makes a difference! Went from muddy/muffly/rumbly to a brighter signal - WAY more clarity. Just wanted to let you know reviews like these are valuable to people. Thank you!

I have an SM7B but I prefer my RE320 to it. Cloudlifter not needed plus I have some nice preamps with plenty of gain.

Could you please compare the Cloud Lifter with the Radial McBoost if the feeling strikes? I’m gonna need one or the other and haven’t yet found a good side by side comparison.

Sounds great, but no better than the Triton Audio Fethead at less than half the price (I have 7 of them, use them all the time)

I LOVE the enhanced sound. GG

needed this. ordering this. thanx

Another option other than the Cloud Lifter is the Klark Teknik CT-1 Mic Booster. I didn't think I'd use it before but I saw it was only $30 so I said, why not and bought it. Another great product with additional 25db of clean gain.

oh my god the defrent lol

Great sound! Great project! Thanks, Andrew.

I have some $ to use and was considering this mic for multiple uses (vocals, drums). I actually was going to use the SE Dynamite with this. Thank you for the video.

I knew you were on the cutting edge of things to come, but,- seriously,- Nasa? Respect! :)

Andrew, if you like the cloudlifter, you should look at the Soyuz Launcher. Same concept as the cloudlifter, but it's modelled to sound like an old console and give you all that warmth and glue, as well as the extra "clean" gain. A little more expensive than the cloudlifter if I recall, but TOTALLY worth it.

I'm sorry for the like button... seems like he's going through some rough times ahahahah great video as always

Dangit! One more thing to go and buy!

I gotchu with that like bro

Wow

Like button destroyed.

How can i connect cl-1 with my boss rc-505 ?? please

Curious to see what it looks like through a frequency spectrum.

Always wondered about these! Thanks for this, dude!

Ordered one of these a couple of years ago for my Electrovoice RE320 (an RE20 only a bit cheaper, and has a bass drum curve!), and it brings the mic to life! Its actually possible to mic an acoustic guitar with this thing and get a good sound with a Cloud Lifter :)

I purposely chose to not get an SM7B so that I wouldn't need to purchase a cloudlifter. Got an Aston Spirit instead, and it seems to get the job done.

Definitely made a new sub! Thanks for the info bud!

Getting one of these for my SM57. Scarlett i2i2 doesn't have the preamps to handle the mic. Thanks for the review.

it still sounds pretty "noisy to me" idk maybe i am tripping..im sure it can be corrected in post..but if an preamp can do the same thing..what is the point of this..if i also still need an preamp lol?

More A/B comparison, less chat, would seem more appropriate for HEARING the difference between with/without the preamp. Most everyone is able to read the ad copy the manufacturer publishes.

Would this work with my at2020 cause it's Hella queit and it's annoying it's barely record vocals I have a solo 3rd gen..scarlett focus Gen. 3.. is there something wrong with them

LOL The like button appeal, bruh! Hilarious.

Are you sure this is a not sponsored review? I'm not. I don't mean to imply you sold a sponsored review as unsponsored. I merely say, because of the way this video is done in post, one cannot be clear. To explain why, lets break this video down. So the ambiance noise in the beginning will probably not have been from the SM7, will it? It's either that or the microphone was closer to whatever device I could distinctively hear louder and clearer at 0:05 than what i could hear at 2:15. Also the kind of ambiance noise has changed between those two instances of us being able to hear the overall noise. But what is the reason? I have multiple theories here. A) It was another microphone at 0:05 - as one could believe, judging by the microphone not being in place. But with that microphone tripod - or whatever it is the SM7 is connected to - it could also be, that B) the SM7 was simply at another place - closer to the source of the ambiance noice. C) Whatever makes noise in the background was turned off, or at least turned down when the Cloudlifter was connected. This is apparent, because the tone of the noise in the background changed significantly. And even this doesn't tell the whole story here. This would only be my guess, if I believed, there was no post processing done. But it's obvious, this video used varying amounts of compression. Part A at 0:07 - before the unboxing - had very subtle compression, if any. Part B, The B-Roll with the unboxing (see what I did there?) at 1:28 either had a very strong compression on it or was recorded with a microphone with very bad rejection of ambiance noise. Part C starting at 1:32 (after the unboxing but before the connecting of the Cloudlifter) again has very subtle, if any compression on it. Part D, starting at 1:57 (the initial part after connecting the Cloudlifter) has the second strongest compression on it, very audible in the voice and - if one as nerdy as me did look at the waveform, very visible as well. Part E, starting at 2:07 (after the allegedly reduced gain) uses significantly less compression, but still noticeably stronger, compared to part A and C. The cause for the varying amounts of compression could be either the fact, that you actually used the CloudLifter and used the same compression everywhere, which compressed Part D the hardest, simply because it was the loudest part, or it could be, because you never really used the CloudLifter. Since with your Interface, it does not make a difference anyways, one cannot tell. But whatever the cause of varying amounts of compression will be: Because of this, it's impossible to tell, whether the Cloudlifter was even used or not. Yes, Part D and E sound clearer, but that can be done with two things: adding gain (whether you do it with a Cloudlifter or in software doesn't matter for the effect) or by adding more compression. It gives off the impression of the signal being clearer, but with a low noise preamp as the one found in your audio interface, the actual signal from the microphone will not have changed at all, apart from being significantly louder on the output of the Cloudlifter. After all, if the microphone sound would change by connecting the Cloudlifter, it would be unusable for any professional. The most important thing for any preamplifier today is to NOT COLOUR THE SOUND. And like I said: Since varying levels of compression affected this video, it is perfectly possible, that compression was the only thing, that actually changed. Why did i find it important to write down all of this? Because of Part D. Because of the post processing, one could get the impression, that you merely pretended to add the Cloudlifter. With THAT audio interface, the Cloudlifter makes pretty much no difference in terms of reducing the equipment’s self-noise. The probably uncompressed sound in parts A and C still peaked at -3.7 dBFS and -3.9 dBFS. Remember, the Cloudlifter gives us 25 dBV of gain. it doesn't matter how gain translates to a digital signal here. IF You neither did change the volume before part D, nor added gain in post on parts A and C, maybe with the compression used, the sound on Part D would have been heavily distorted, due to clipping. No matter if it was meant to be like this or not: This video sells the effect of the Cloudlifter, without ever letting the viewer experience, what the cloudlifter really can do. And this done without communicating it in a video, that is supposed to be a not sponsored review for the Cloudlifter, makes the informational value questionable.

uff. when you start investing on your gears. There is no going back

You mention it's great for speaking, but is it good for singing as well? I sing rock and metal, and I currently use an SM7B and Scarlett 2i2.

This is basically a DI box for a mic. Nothing more.

I bought an sm58 cause I didn't have so many money to get a better mic, now I'm looking for the cloud and it's more expensive than the sm58 🙄🤔

Omg that knuckle crack! Please tell me that wasn’t all your knuckles. You had to have blended in some external sound haha? The cloud lifter is great tho. I have used these for years especially with the sm7b on podcasting. Used to work with a large podcasting network and the first thing I ordered after an Apollo was 4 cloudlifters. Must have!

Fantastic video! Was on the fence with the Cloudlifter CL-1, but clearly this things kicks butt. Will be opting for the CL-2 for double the lifting! 😸 thanks for the awesome review 😀!

I'd need it to record guitars with a sm58 I don't have more options. Should I buy it?

Great video, Andrew. Your channel Is incredible

I just got the cloudlifter CL-1and tried it out and there was absolutely no difference in the sound I had before.

Is it works just with m7 or any mic like shure sm58 ?

Great review thanks. To me, the sibilance would be irritating as my voice is sibilant to start with and the cloudlifter seems to boost those frequencies that I would normally cut!

Hi Andrew! Love you, your channel, your advice, your entertainment! Is there audible improvement with the Sm7 on your hihat (or side of snare), too? Or, is it not as dramatic with those instruments possibly be a louder source than your voice?

dOES A CLOUDLIFTER BENEFIT A CONDENSOR MIC

Thank you for getting to the point holy heck, bless you!

Talking about Cloudlifter, outro Song something with lifted. That's detail guys

So if you use the shure sm7b and the Apollo twin will you get a good sound?

You use an Apollo? I have the solo…Would you suggest using a lifter to record vocals or can I get enough juice just out the Apollo pre-amp? I’m thinking of getting the 7B sometime this week. I currently use a Rode NT1A.

Fethead and sm7b

what is holding your microphone ??

did anyone tell you you look like WWE edge? Before😉

isn't it just louder? and therefor just going louder into your compressor and compressing more?

Do you also recommend a Cloudlifter for the UA Apollo Interface which can handle the Gain for the Sm7b? Thx

What about live? Dynamic mics?

Why not make 10 louder and make that be the highest number? But these go to 11.

Ty. Been wondering about these guys.

Super helpful video! Looking to get into podcasting and this looks like a great tool.

Will this do any good for a condenser mic?

I personally don't think the cloudlifter is necessary for the SM7/RE20. It's not a branded product with those microphones, and do you think Shure or Electro-Voice designed those microphones to 'need' another product. What I most dislike about this, is that I had an SM7b for a while and when I sold it to the local music store the guy looked at me like I was an idiot for not having one. "I hope you didn't plug this in without one!" and I, as a seasoned audio professional, wanted to go off on it. If you like the way those mics sound with the Cloudlifter, then go ahead and use it. Audio is all about experimentation, but that's exactly why you don't "need" one. A microphone is a microphone and it will still function as designed.

How to order that cloud lifter

Hey Andrew! I bought one of the cloud lifters and the SM7B and have it plugged into my Apollo 8XP. The issue I'm having I'm getting no signal whatsoever on my UAD Console going through the CL. I have brand new cables so I'm curious if there's something I'm doing wrong? I plug the interface directly into the mic and it works but going into the cloudlifter there's nada, any advice??

Would this work with a baby bottle blue mic?

Can you please compare your old Focals Alpha with A7x? Not in a video, in a comment, here, thanks :)

Yes! Loved this project.

How is the Cloudlifter powered? A passive device cannot produce a gain...

OR you could just buy a quality tube pre. Everyone always looking for the cheap way out.

I kind of liked it before

Hey awesome video. I do RU-vid videos. Do I need this cloudlifter to lift for the Rode NGT3? I do have the Zoom H6. Would it be unnecessary or helpful?

Great Video! Finally, someone admitted that this does the job; all the videos I watched gave me undecided opinions. God bless you, Dude. I just bought it. Thank you!

I ordered the SM7B. I will use it for live broadcasts. I'm using SSL 2+, do you think I should buy Cloudlifter?

EV RE-20. I have wondered if I need a Cloudlifter from the beginning. I running an E.V. RE-20 into an A.R.T. TPS II 2 channel preamp. I can't get the LEDs to light up or the output VU meter to swing irregardless of of settings. It was my understanding, the TPS II was supposed to be the amp. Thank you for this video. I guess I'll order a Cloudlifter and an XLR patch cord. #$RFGTY*)*(TRF^*(GH!!!!!!! :-( Oh, FYI, I am using this with my ham radio gear which would be the same a live podcast so, no post production to boost the audio. Do you agree I need one?

Hi! I have an apollo twin duo and want to record 2 mics at the same time for a podcast. I have an akg c414 mic and will be getting a rode podmic. I also have a bae dmp 1073. How would u suggest I hook up these mics since we have some really good but not podcast specific equipment? Thank you for your time and video!

Would you recommend this for a condenser mic?

Inspired by Stephan Graham

Do you need an audio interface with cloudlifter?

Your before after bit is not on the same db signal, yes it does sound clearer but you would need to do a comparison with the same db´s. Louder sometimes sounds cleaner or better. But either side of the box opening you get a better demo, db signal is similar and yes it sounds like the cloud lifter really cleans up the signal

Excellent video! Thank you...

Hey Andrew, I have a TC Helicon Perform-V for live vocal effects, the gain on the Perform-V always drops and the sound guy always has trouble getting enough volume. Do you know if the cloudlifter can be used in this workflow? From a wireless Shure Beta 58 - to a cloudlifter - to a TC Helicon Perform-V - to a mixer desk? Would it improve the output volume or will there always be a throttle from the Perform-V? Thanks!

Did you tried the Triton Audio FetHead?

Well i'll be at GC first thing in the morning, Great vid!

150 for a slight difference, maybe one day

Wouldn’t an external preamp do the same thing?

Would it be good to use a cloudlifter with the cardioid condenser at2020 audio Technica microphone in a presonus audiobox 96 interface

A 7b is dreadful without a cloud lifter in my book unless you run it thru a Neve or Warm 1073. Even then I always use my lifter . I find it just makes me sound even deeper. It's fantastic.

If there's no cable in the package, then how do we plug? Should we buy external cable or?

I"m curious what this would do with a condenser mic such as the Rode NT1. I'm getting a somewhat muffled bassy sound through my Focusrite 2i2. Thoughts?

what if i use audio interface with EIN 130.5? will it make a difference?

I'd love to know what this Apolo is and which one you use, thanks for sharing this great video

Thanks for the video. Do I need a cloud lifter for my Rode NT1 ?

What is your Apollo preamp setting at? I feel like when I use the Neve unison preamp or 1073 I have to really crank it in console.

It's awkward, every channel never failing to beg the viewer for "likes" and subscriptions. It's weird.

hmm i decided to buy sm7b and cloudlifter but not sure which interface can u help

@1:50

is it a slight bit more sibilant with it? sounds good though