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Cloudlifter CL-Zi is a combined active DI and mic activator with variable impedance, taking either an XLR microphone or a quarter-inch instrument input. It delivers up to 25dB of clean gain on the microphone input and up to 15dB on the instrument input, with the same Vari-Z control and variable high-pass filtering as the CL-Z.
One box that lifts a ribbon mic and takes a bass direct, with impedance control on both.
Bass, guitar and keyboard players going direct rarely get to choose their input impedance, and a passive pickup loaded at the wrong impedance loses top end and feel. The CL-Zi puts that control in the player's hands with a continuously variable Vari-Z knob, then adds up to 15dB of clean gain on the way out.
The combo input means the same unit covers microphone duty. Plug in an XLR and it behaves as a CL-Z, up to 25dB of gain with the same impedance shaping and variable high-pass filter. For a studio that switches between miking a cabinet and going direct, that is one box instead of two. Built in the United States.
At a Glance
| Brand | Cloud Microphones |
|---|---|
| Model | CL-Zi |
| Inputs | Combo XLR and quarter-inch instrument |
| Gain, microphone | Up to 25dB, three settings |
| Gain, instrument | Up to 15dB |
| Impedance | Continuously variable Vari-Z |
| Filter | Variable high-pass, 6dB per octave |
| Power | 48V phantom power |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Warranty | Cloud Microphones limited lifetime warranty |
Can the CL-Zi Be Used as a Regular DI Box?
Yes. The quarter-inch input takes bass, guitar or keyboard and delivers up to 15dB of clean gain, with the Vari-Z control letting you set the loading impedance the pickup sees. That is more control than a standard passive or active DI offers.
Is the CL-Zi a Replacement for the CL-Z?
It covers everything the CL-Z does on the microphone input and adds the instrument input. If you never go direct, the CL-Z does the microphone job for less. If you do both, the CL-Zi replaces two boxes.
Why Does Impedance Matter on a Bass or Guitar Input?
A passive magnetic pickup is sensitive to the load it sees. Too low an impedance rolls off the top end and softens the attack. Setting the load correctly restores clarity and feel, which is why the Vari-Z knob is on the instrument path as well as the microphone path.
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.