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Cloudlifter CL-1 is a single-channel inline mic activator that adds up to 25dB of ultra-clean gain to a dynamic or ribbon microphone using only the 48V phantom power your interface already supplies. It sits between the microphone and the preamp, and it is the original product in a category Cloud invented.
The reason a Shure SM7B finally sounds right on a modest interface.
Low-output dynamics and passive ribbons need far more gain than most interfaces and small mixers can deliver cleanly. Push a budget preamp to 60dB and you get hiss along with the signal. The CL-1 solves that upstream by adding its own clean gain first, so the preamp only has to do the easy part of the job.
The circuit is patented discrete Class A JFET, with no transformers, capacitors or resistors in the direct audio path. It adds gain and correct impedance loading without adding colour, which is the distinction between a mic activator and an inline preamp that imposes a character. It is phantom powered, so there is no wall wart and nothing to charge, and it is built in the United States.
At a Glance
| Brand | Cloud Microphones |
|---|---|
| Model | CL-1 |
| Channels | 1 |
| Gain | Up to 25dB, two stages |
| Circuit | Patented discrete Class A JFET |
| Power | 48V phantom power |
| Connections | XLR in, XLR out |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Warranty | Cloud Microphones limited lifetime warranty |
What Does a Cloudlifter Actually Do?
It adds up to 25dB of clean gain and correct impedance loading before the signal reaches your preamp. That lets a low-output dynamic or passive ribbon microphone reach usable level without running an interface preamp near the top of its range, where hiss becomes audible.
Do I Need Phantom Power to Use the CL-1?
Yes. The CL-1 draws its own power from the 48V phantom supply on your interface, mixer or preamp. It does not pass phantom power through to the microphone, which is why it is safe with passive ribbon mics that phantom power would otherwise damage.
Which Microphones Benefit Most From a Cloudlifter?
Low-output dynamics like the Shure SM7B and Electro-Voice RE20, and passive ribbon microphones of any kind. Condenser microphones already have their own active electronics and generally do not need one.
Where Does the CL-1 Go in the Signal Chain?
Between the microphone and the preamp. Run a short XLR from the mic into the CL-1 input, then XLR from the CL-1 output into your interface or mixer channel with phantom power switched on.
Why Cloud Microphones
Cloud Microphones builds in Tucson, Arizona. The company grew out of Stephen Sank's restoration work on original RCA ribbon microphones and Rodger Cloud's engineering, and it holds the patent on the discrete JFET circuit that every Cloudlifter uses. The Cloudlifter created the mic activator category outright and remains the reference product in it. Ribbon elements are cut, corrugated and installed by hand, and the whole line is manufactured in the United States.