Cloudlifter CL-Z Vari-Z Mic Activator - USA Made | Ultra-Clean +25dB Preamp Gain With Variable Impedance Tone Control for Dynamic and Ribbon Mics

Love it. Have a Heil PR-30B that I use for broadcasting that needed some tone adjustment and after switching from the basic cloudlifter to this, the change is perfect. With the APF setting enabled I was able to finally get the right amount of pickup for my voice and volume level while the APF Switch improved my sound clarity and consistency which was an issue I'd had with that mic long before mostly due to its wide frequency pickup range The APF Setting eliminates this and keeps the tone noce and consistent. A perfect buy for Broadcasters using certain mics. I Found that vocal mics with built in bassrolloff seemed not to need more than a standard cloudlifter.

This little box is a unique genius piece. It is a fabulous complement to my Shure SM7B mic. The extra gain makes that mic usable on quiet female vocals, as well as male screamers. The variable impedance gives it a lovely variety of tone. The way that the high-pass filter interacts with the variable impedance is very intuitive, once you get used to it. It feels like I have a whole mic closet, instead of just one mic. If you have to record in a less-than Bob Hodas environment, this is the set-up.

Having invested heavily into the initial setup of my podcasting studio, I needed something for my gain hungry Electro Voice RE20 even in conjunction with my DBX 286s processor. Now my DBX doesn't have to work too hard thanks to the 25 db of CLEAN gain from the Cloudlifter CL-Z, and it can focus on it's job of voice processing. A superb product for ribbon and dynamic mics and people serious about their audio quality.

After 5 years, I give up. Thought there would be special magic and versatility by spending the extra money for the seemingly fabulous fine-tuning/enhancing voodoo "mojo" knob and switches. First sign of possible "mistake! wasted money!" was the inexplicably nebulous nature of the nice smooth Control Knob: adjusts impedance AND simultaneously the bass roll off/tonal balance when that high-pass switch is engaged? Huh? Found the main effect was introducing varying degrees of Additional hum and buzz with a little added RF/ambient Hiss to the signal. Careful orientation far from everything else helps, but still. NONE of that unwanted noise is heard through the basic CL-1 and CL-2 boxes I absolutely love. Not to mention they just sound as good and clean as can be, without variation or exception, no matter what Dynamic/Ribbon element mic is plugged in. Other "red flag" I should have picked up on: the "cute" level pad switch labeled "Max" and "More". So WTF is that supposed to mean: You switch between "More than straight mic output" with the option to go all the way to Maximum capability? Or is average boosted output called "Max", and you have the option to add even "More"? Yeah, you can figure it out by listening to the difference, but it's still hyperbolic kitschy BS labeling for a serious purely plain utility pro audio tool. Anyway - don't waste your money. Just get a regular Cloudlifter box - it's great. And solidly reliable. Or maybe spend a bit more for the new Royer non-powered mic signal booster, which I'm about to do, because I trust the company for ultimate quality. Not that there's a thing wrong with a CL-1 or 2. But most likely the Royer R-DB20 for a bit more will actually perform up to the excellence specs promised by this lousy overpriced CL-Z nonsense box. I'll be happy if it's only slightly more excellent than a plain ol' Cloudlifter.

Obviously you read the product description and this does in fact add a great amount of clean gain, but as other reviews specify this product really shines w its Z control. The z control really changes the way your mic sounds and I have used this w great success on my SM57. The moment I knew I really liked this product was when a cable managed to turn the knob counter clockwise mid recording without my knowledge and I couldn't figure out why my later recordings during the session sat so much better in the mix so be sure to experiment!

I didn't see too many reviews for this product so I was a little unsure. It works tremendously well, almost like magic considering my signal originates with a USB 2.0 audio interface (Steinberg UR22), so, NO AC is being used from the Steinberg, but it has phantom power, which powers this unit. It is UNBELIEVABLE how much gain I am getting, and how much noticeable improvement results from my Rode Promaster, I rarely turn the dial on my UR past the halfway mark, whereas before it was just barely getting the job done at 100%. The extra features on this unit are nice to have, and though I can hear the difference at the extreme ends of the center wheel, there is more experimenting to be done, but it is nice knowing I have the versatility to use this same module with other microphones, even if the exact differences in sound might be difficult to perceive, in order to optimize the signal. Build quality is exceptional, and the lifetime warranty is nice to have. Tremendous product from a great company!

I had bought the CL-1 to make better use of a ribbon mic that had been collecting dust in my mic cabinet. I like the sound enough to take a chance on the CL-Z, and I'm glad I did. The flexibility of being able to vary the impedance, as well as the hi-pass filter gives a much wider, useable range of tones.

I really wanted to like this product. It seems like a great idea. But... For my ribbon mic, a Shinybox MXL, it accomplished next to nothing. Or better put, it did not accomplish $200 worth of sound improvement. Still lots of signal noise and no drastic amount of gain change. Underwhelmed by its application with my gear. But take it with a grain of salt. The overwhelming opinion is that Cloudlifter products are the best thing since sliced bread.

Había escuchado hablar de estos aparatos, tengo un sm7b que alimentaba con una Antelope zen quadro, que tiene la suficiente ganancia para moverlo, pero es cierto que por muy bueno que sea un previo, si lo pones a una ganancia rozando el máximo, genera algo de ruido de fondo. Con este aparato puedes poner la ganancia por la mitad, sin nada de ruido y con un volumen y detalle impresionante. Lo de la variación de la impedancia es una opción interesante para generar cambios sutiles en voces y adaptar el micro a tu tipo de voz. Muy recomendable.

I have a standard cloud lifter and wanted to see what doors this variable one would open with my collection of mics and wow…. This is an amazing tool! It creates so many new levels of character with mics of all kinds being vintage dynamics or new for that matter! It turns each mic into many! I am so excited to see what this can do with my entire mic locker. Exciting times ahead with tools like this! Selectable high pass filter first of all is great but the sweepable tone control with the variable impedance changes everything!!! In love!!! Thank you cloud