My favorite 'lift' was using the Cloudlifter at the edge of a swamp and having a hydrophone going through it [underwater] pointed to an amp cranked for slide guitar. I made the hydrophone from a small dynamic pencil mic. I used shogoo, pvc pipe, nuts and bolts for ballast, and some balloons. The cloudlifter works amazing. Can't live with out it. Turns my 58's into great forest mics for when I track drums in the woods. I have the two input model for ''overheads''.
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!
Now imagine what it can do through a better preamp. I use A Scarlet when I do my podcast only because I don't want to put heavy miles on my very expensive gear but I'll tell you right now when I put that shit on my warm audio or my Neve it completely changes that microphone !
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.
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.
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 😀!
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.
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 :)
What do I need for phantom power? I have external EQ for my dynamic mic that’s on Ham Radio equipment, my eq can supply phantom power but it’s only 5 volts
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!
Did you check out the 'almost' launch yesterday!? I cannot wait for Saturday. Andrew and I are obsessed with SpaceX. I love seeing NASA and SpaceX work together.
@@arianamastersofficial Elon Musk´s bois taking of very soon Saturday evening 21:30 (9:30 PM to you) my local time,- have agreed for my son to stay up late so we can watch it together. (Wife will likely be sleeping during the whole thing)...... Going to feel like an eleven years old boy myself again...glorious. Son/Dad prime time " doin´the hygge thing"... :)
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!
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
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.
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.
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!
Well done, thanks. I am a recent Cloudlifter convert -- actually bought one years ago, out of curiosity, but I set it aside, since my SM7b was getting enough gain from the DBX 286s, going into the Scarlett Solo. Then after my second DBX 286d died (mine lasted about 2 years each), I am using the Cloudlifter, and -- wow. Much cleaner sound, and anything I was doing with the many knobs on the DBX can be done in post, if I really want to. I now have a Motu M2 which definitely "can" drive this mic by itself, but....I'm not giving up the Cloudlifter. If you're spending the $400 on the SM7b, do yourself a favor and get a Cloudlifter. Your ears and your interface will appreciate it.
@@AndrewMasters It's a great microphone and a bit cheaper than the SM7B. I like that it has 3 cardioid patterns to choose from and works for pretty much everything. I recorded an upright bass in a live session with it and got nice results (for someone who knows nothing about microphone placement)
As far as I know if you plug something into it and you send +48v to it, it will work. That being said I'm quite certain it's not designed for mics that require +48v.
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!
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.
the lifter with an sm7b works great with vocals, really depends on the performance and the type of tone you're shooting for. Always great to be able to throw it on for higher signal and lower noise.
I'm not sure, definitely not relative to any condenser. But it does technically bring the signal up so whatever is happening in the high mid range would be louder. I would be into doing some more experimenting with them.
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?
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 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?
Thanks Bernie, I haven't tried it on the drums. I don't imagine I would because they have such a high spl going in. I would wind up just turning everything down and padding it.
The two have been measured by Jim Williams at Audio Upgrades. He actually found there to be a pretty significant difference. www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much-gear-so-little-time/588207-triton-audio-fethead-vs-cloud-microphones-cloudlifter-3.html#post7041193
Well in my situation I'm using the SM7 not the SM7b so it actually has an even lower output. I have yet to try the b with my apollo yet, so I can't say either way.
@@ceilingsandfloors The problem is I record with a Focusrite solo the first generation. So that interface does not have enough preamp or power u know? To make the 58 sounds better. I have to make the gain up to record with good level. The problem is when I go up the gain a lot of noyse appears 🙄
@@MannuelSantiago I see. In that case, I'd recommend looking into getting a Klarkteknik CT-1. They should cost less than $30. A lot of cheap mic boosters are a bit rubbish, but not these ones. Someone made a video comparing the CM-1 (same thing just in a cloudlifter style body, only costs a small bit more) with the Cloudlifter, they both displayed similiar frequency reponses I think the cloudlifters self-noise was only about 1dB lower. ruclips.net/video/SHV2QycdiaY/видео.html
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?
Since the NT1 is an LDC and much more sensitive, it wouldn't really be necessary or worth the cost in my opinion. Your forcusrite has more than enough gain in the preamps to get a loud signal before any noise from the preamps would kick in. With the NT1 being a bright mic, I suspect you might have an issue with either the mic or your interface is you're getting a muffled sound.
@@tonygunz21 Thank you, Tony. RODE accepted the mic back for repair. I've temporarily been using a Shure M58 with a Cloudlifter and it sounds WAY better. It must've been a busted-up mic.
@@jerrysander Absolutely, glad to help. That's great to hear, and from what I've read, Rode is good about standing behind their gear. You can't go wrong with Shure/cloudlifter combo!
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
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.
Sort of. The low output results in needing lots of compression which raises the level but also raises the noise floor. Resulting in lots of noise. The cloud lifter adds 25dB of output without raising the noise floor, its smooth and clean but much louder.
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
Hey awesome video. I do RUclips videos. Do I need this cloudlifter to lift for the Rode NGT3? I do have the Zoom H6. Would it be unnecessary or helpful?
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??
@@AndrewMasters I use the Line 6 V35 wireless mic with a TC Helicon MiMechanic and usb mixing board. I got the cloudlifter because in order to turn my mic up to a loud enough volume it produces a high level of “space noise.” So it was my understanding that the cloudlifter would allow me to get that volume and cut down on the space noise enough to record in A DAW with this mic.
If by space noise, you mean noise in the room - no. It just increases the level of what’s going into the mic preamp. It reduces the mic pre noise since you don’t have to crank the pre as much.
@@AndrewMasters No I'm not talking about the noise in the room. I'm talking about the noise the mic makes when its on that gets louder the higher the volume or gain you use. I need a completely silent line to record vocals in a Daw like my condenser mic produces. It's not really a "static" sound so the best I can describe is as "space noise." You are probably describing the same thing when you call it "mic pre-noise". But at any rate. Everything really sounds the same with or without the cloudlifter on this mic.
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!
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.
Amen. Interestingly enough I did a bare minimum comparison of my sm7 vs. the sm7b and for whatever reason my sm7 is roughly 10 dB lower than an sm7b off the shelf. So in my case, the cloud lift really helps getting a lower noise floor, when desired of course. Sometimes that noise is cool.
I know SM7 is good, but there are so many great mics that do not have a cloudlifter and some even cost noticeable less that Shure. I see SM7 basically everywhere on RUclips, so much that it gets funny, like this is the only microphone that can be used for a speaking voice. :)
Will the cloud lifter somewhat increase the presence of background noise? I mostly stream but my mic picks up my partner's voice (albeit I have a condenser mic). I'm planning to buy a dynamic mic but from what I've gathered, the scarlette is too low of a gain. Any tips?
The cloud lifter only works to get more gain with less noise (hiss, hum, etc.) so it would increase the background noise the same as increasing the gain without the cloud lifter
No because condenser mics are very sensitive, that's why you really won't see them being used live on stage. It's just the nature of the beast. Condenser mics need 48v Phantom power. Dynamic mics are not made for 48v phantom power. You can actually damage a dynamic microphone like the sm7B or sm57 if you give it phantom power. Learn dynamic mics vs condenser mics vs ribbon mics. All the cloud lifter does is match impedance. That's it.
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.
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.
No because condenser mics are very sensitive, that's why you really won't see them being used live on stage. It's just the nature of the beast. Condenser mics need 48v Phantom power. Dynamic mics are not made for 48v phantom power. You can actually damage a dynamic microphone like the sm7B or sm57 if you give it phantom power. Learn dynamic mics vs condenser mics vs ribbon mics. All the cloud lifter does is match impedance. That's it.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
What's your favorite lift? What mic are you lifting?
My favorite 'lift' was using the Cloudlifter at the edge of a swamp and having a hydrophone going through it [underwater] pointed to an amp cranked for slide guitar. I made the hydrophone from a small dynamic pencil mic. I used shogoo, pvc pipe, nuts and bolts for ballast, and some balloons. The cloudlifter works amazing. Can't live with out it. Turns my 58's into great forest mics for when I track drums in the woods. I have the two input model for ''overheads''.
The Royer dBooster - mo' better for ribbon mics,
I agree this is absolutely a great way to increase the sound without gaining any noise. Makes the SM7 a more versatile option.
SM7 or 57? I'm looking for something to increase the power
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!
Now imagine what it can do through a better preamp. I use A Scarlet when I do my podcast only because I don't want to put heavy miles on my very expensive gear but I'll tell you right now when I put that shit on my warm audio or my Neve it completely changes that microphone !
I LOVE the enhanced sound. GG
Me too!
Great sound! Great project! Thanks, Andrew.
Thanks Laney!
needed this. ordering this. thanx
Do it!
Thank you for getting to the point holy heck, bless you!
Very simple and straight to the point. Excellent video explaining this product and showing how it works!
Great video, Andrew. Your channel Is incredible
Always wondered about these! Thanks for this, dude!
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.
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.
Dangit! One more thing to go and buy!
I gotchu with that like bro
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 😀!
Smoothest plug for 'smashing' like button yet. Also, I now want one. Thanks a lot Andy.
Thanks Sam!
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.
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 :)
make sure to turn on phantom power otherwise you won't hear anything
What do I need for phantom power? I have external EQ for my dynamic mic that’s on Ham Radio equipment, my eq can supply phantom power but it’s only 5 volts
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!
Getting one of these for my SM57. Scarlett i2i2 doesn't have the preamps to handle the mic. Thanks for the review.
Super helpful video! Looking to get into podcasting and this looks like a great tool.
Definitely made a new sub! Thanks for the info bud!
Yes! Loved this project.
Thanks love.
Curious to see what it looks like through a frequency spectrum.
Ty. Been wondering about these guys.
I knew you were on the cutting edge of things to come, but,- seriously,- Nasa?
Respect! :)
Did you check out the 'almost' launch yesterday!? I cannot wait for Saturday. Andrew and I are obsessed with SpaceX. I love seeing NASA and SpaceX work together.
@@arianamastersofficial Elon Musk´s bois taking of very soon Saturday evening 21:30 (9:30 PM to you) my local time,- have agreed for my son to stay up late so we can watch it together. (Wife will likely be sleeping during the whole thing)......
Going to feel like an eleven years old boy myself again...glorious.
Son/Dad prime time " doin´the hygge thing"... :)
wow so good
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!
How can i connect cl-1 with my boss rc-505 ?? please
I'm sorry for the like button... seems like he's going through some rough times ahahahah
great video as always
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
Excellent video! Thank you...
Glad you liked it!
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.
I have an SM7B but I prefer my RE320 to it. Cloudlifter not needed plus I have some nice preamps with plenty of gain.
Talking about Cloudlifter, outro Song something with lifted. That's detail guys
Killing it! Wonderful video !
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.
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!
haha just some good ol knuckle crack sound fx.
@@AndrewMasters Okay phew!
Well done, thanks. I am a recent Cloudlifter convert -- actually bought one years ago, out of curiosity, but I set it aside, since my SM7b was getting enough gain from the DBX 286s, going into the Scarlett Solo. Then after my second DBX 286d died (mine lasted about 2 years each), I am using the Cloudlifter, and -- wow. Much cleaner sound, and anything I was doing with the many knobs on the DBX can be done in post, if I really want to. I now have a Motu M2 which definitely "can" drive this mic by itself, but....I'm not giving up the Cloudlifter. If you're spending the $400 on the SM7b, do yourself a favor and get a Cloudlifter. Your ears and your interface will appreciate it.
So if you use the shure sm7b and the Apollo twin will you get a good sound?
Great combo! On almost anything
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.
One of the best rock vocal mics
Wow! So simple & effective!
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.
Nice, i'm going to check that out.
@@AndrewMasters It's a great microphone and a bit cheaper than the SM7B. I like that it has 3 cardioid patterns to choose from and works for pretty much everything. I recorded an upright bass in a live session with it and got nice results (for someone who knows nothing about microphone placement)
Would this work with a baby bottle blue mic?
As far as I know if you plug something into it and you send +48v to it, it will work.
That being said I'm quite certain it's not designed for mics that require +48v.
Well i'll be at GC first thing in the morning, Great vid!
I ordered the SM7B. I will use it for live broadcasts. I'm using SSL 2+, do you think I should buy Cloudlifter?
Would you recommend this for a condenser mic?
what is holding your microphone ??
Thanks bra!!
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!
Thanks for the video. Do I need a cloud lifter for my Rode NT1 ?
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.
the lifter with an sm7b works great with vocals, really depends on the performance and the type of tone you're shooting for. Always great to be able to throw it on for higher signal and lower noise.
Like button destroyed.
My dude
I demolished it too.
What about live? Dynamic mics?
is it a slight bit more sibilant with it? sounds good though
I'm not sure, definitely not relative to any condenser. But it does technically bring the signal up so whatever is happening in the high mid range would be louder. I would be into doing some more experimenting with them.
@@AndrewMasters I seriously thinking of adding one of these to my SM57 on the snare to capture a bit more bite
I'd need it to record guitars with a sm58 I don't have more options. Should I buy it?
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?
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 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?
Thanks Bernie, I haven't tried it on the drums. I don't imagine I would because they have such a high spl going in. I would wind up just turning everything down and padding it.
How to order that cloud lifter
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)
The two have been measured by Jim Williams at Audio Upgrades. He actually found there to be a pretty significant difference. www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much-gear-so-little-time/588207-triton-audio-fethead-vs-cloud-microphones-cloudlifter-3.html#post7041193
Do you also recommend a Cloudlifter for the UA Apollo Interface which can handle the Gain for the Sm7b? Thx
Well in my situation I'm using the SM7 not the SM7b so it actually has an even lower output. I have yet to try the b with my apollo yet, so I can't say either way.
@@AndrewMasters Ok - would be interesting :) Thx
Is it works just with m7 or any mic like shure sm58 ?
Wow
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 🙄🤔
You don't really need it for a 58
@@ceilingsandfloors The problem is I record with a Focusrite solo the first generation. So that interface does not have enough preamp or power u know? To make the 58 sounds better. I have to make the gain up to record with good level. The problem is when I go up the gain a lot of noyse appears 🙄
@@MannuelSantiago I see. In that case, I'd recommend looking into getting a Klarkteknik CT-1. They should cost less than $30. A lot of cheap mic boosters are a bit rubbish, but not these ones. Someone made a video comparing the CM-1 (same thing just in a cloudlifter style body, only costs a small bit more) with the Cloudlifter, they both displayed similiar frequency reponses I think the cloudlifters self-noise was only about 1dB lower.
ruclips.net/video/SHV2QycdiaY/видео.html
@@ceilingsandfloors Opaa. Nice bro thanks for that precious info 🙏 I'm going to read about that pre amp thanks man
Did you tried the Triton Audio FetHead?
I have not, I would love to try one out!
If there's no cable in the package, then how do we plug? Should we buy external cable or?
Will this do any good for a condenser mic?
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?
Since the NT1 is an LDC and much more sensitive, it wouldn't really be necessary or worth the cost in my opinion. Your forcusrite has more than enough gain in the preamps to get a loud signal before any noise from the preamps would kick in. With the NT1 being a bright mic, I suspect you might have an issue with either the mic or your interface is you're getting a muffled sound.
@@tonygunz21 Thank you, Tony. RODE accepted the mic back for repair. I've temporarily been using a Shure M58 with a Cloudlifter and it sounds WAY better. It must've been a busted-up mic.
@@jerrysander Absolutely, glad to help. That's great to hear, and from what I've read, Rode is good about standing behind their gear. You can't go wrong with Shure/cloudlifter combo!
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
Do you need an audio interface with cloudlifter?
You need +48v phantom power
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.
isn't it just louder? and therefor just going louder into your compressor and compressing more?
Sort of. The low output results in needing lots of compression which raises the level but also raises the noise floor. Resulting in lots of noise. The cloud lifter adds 25dB of output without raising the noise floor, its smooth and clean but much louder.
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.
Wouldn’t an external preamp do the same thing?
You can make it louder but you're raising the noise floor also, the cloud lifter manages to raise the output by 25dB without raising the noise floor.
@@AndrewMasters exactly.
Andrew Masters thanks man. Good info as always
hmm i decided to buy sm7b and cloudlifter but not sure which interface can u help
Would it be good to use a cloudlifter with the cardioid condenser at2020 audio Technica microphone in a presonus audiobox 96 interface
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
Fethead and sm7b
Hey awesome video. I do RUclips videos. Do I need this cloudlifter to lift for the Rode NGT3? I do have the Zoom H6. Would it be unnecessary or helpful?
Can you please compare your old Focals Alpha with A7x? Not in a video, in a comment, here, thanks :)
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??
It requires +48v. Turn on phantom power when using the cloud lift.
@@AndrewMasters I figured that out right away afterwards but I so kindly appreciate your response so fast! Keep up the great work 👍
I just got the cloudlifter CL-1and tried it out and there was absolutely no difference in the sound I had before.
It’s not supposed to change the sound, it’s an increase in level without a change in tone. If there’s no change in level you should exchange it.
@@AndrewMasters I use the Line 6 V35 wireless mic with a TC Helicon MiMechanic and usb mixing board. I got the cloudlifter because in order to turn my mic up to a loud enough volume it produces a high level of “space noise.” So it was my understanding that the cloudlifter would allow me to get that volume and cut down on the space noise enough to record in A DAW with this mic.
If by space noise, you mean noise in the room - no. It just increases the level of what’s going into the mic preamp. It reduces the mic pre noise since you don’t have to crank the pre as much.
@@AndrewMasters No I'm not talking about the noise in the room. I'm talking about the noise the mic makes when its on that gets louder the higher the volume or gain you use. I need a completely silent line to record vocals in a Daw like my condenser mic produces. It's not really a "static" sound so the best I can describe is as "space noise." You are probably describing the same thing when you call it "mic pre-noise". But at any rate. Everything really sounds the same with or without the cloudlifter on this mic.
Que diferença incrível no som
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!
what if i use audio interface with EIN 130.5? will it make a difference?
oh my god the defrent lol
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.
Amen. Interestingly enough I did a bare minimum comparison of my sm7 vs. the sm7b and for whatever reason my sm7 is roughly 10 dB lower than an sm7b off the shelf. So in my case, the cloud lift really helps getting a lower noise floor, when desired of course. Sometimes that noise is cool.
I know SM7 is good, but there are so many great mics that do not have a cloudlifter and some even cost noticeable less that Shure. I see SM7 basically everywhere on RUclips, so much that it gets funny, like this is the only microphone that can be used for a speaking voice. :)
What microphone do you suggest?
@@SOCOMJOHN I suggest trying and listening to Oktava MK-319. Incredible capsule, very affordable.
Will the cloud lifter somewhat increase the presence of background noise? I mostly stream but my mic picks up my partner's voice (albeit I have a condenser mic). I'm planning to buy a dynamic mic but from what I've gathered, the scarlette is too low of a gain. Any tips?
The cloud lifter only works to get more gain with less noise (hiss, hum, etc.) so it would increase the background noise the same as increasing the gain without the cloud lifter
What about a condenser mic?
Are you asking about using a cloud lifter for a condenser microphone?
Andrew Masters yes
No because condenser mics are very sensitive, that's why you really won't see them being used live on stage. It's just the nature of the beast. Condenser mics need 48v Phantom power. Dynamic mics are not made for 48v phantom power. You can actually damage a dynamic microphone like the sm7B or sm57 if you give it phantom power. Learn dynamic mics vs condenser mics vs ribbon mics. All the cloud lifter does is match impedance. That's it.
@@380stroker I understand that, and the 48v but you said all the cloud lifter does is match the impedance, what does that mean?
@@380stroker I have a rode NT1 and was wondering if it’d be. A good addition to it
uff. when you start investing on your gears. There is no going back
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.
How is the Cloudlifter powered? A passive device cannot produce a gain...
48v
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.
dOES A CLOUDLIFTER BENEFIT A CONDENSOR MIC
I don’t think so, condensers generally have very good output levels.
@@AndrewMasters Thanks Andrew
No because condenser mics are very sensitive, that's why you really won't see them being used live on stage. It's just the nature of the beast. Condenser mics need 48v Phantom power. Dynamic mics are not made for 48v phantom power. You can actually damage a dynamic microphone like the sm7B or sm57 if you give it phantom power. Learn dynamic mics vs condenser mics vs ribbon mics. All the cloud lifter does is match impedance. That's it.
Why not make 10 louder and make that be the highest number? But these go to 11.
@1:50