The Cloud Microphones Cloudlifter CL-Z mic activator uses phantom power from your preamp to solve an array of common issues with dynamic and ribbon microphones while maximizing your signal quality, making it an essential tool for both studio and live applications. Acting as a transparent middleman between your mic and preamp, the CL-Z preserves signal integrity while driving long cable runs with ease. Its direct-coupled, discrete JFET circuitry keeps your tone intact, while variable input impedance, adjustable output gain (+12dB to +24dB), and a variable low-cut filter give you precise control before the signal ever reaches your preamp.
The Cloudlifter CL-Z delivers up to +25dB of clean gain with Cloud’s patented Vari-Z impedance control, sweepable from 150 ohms to 15k ohms. This allows you to creatively load a microphone’s output transformer, unlocking a wide range of tonal variations and helping you extract the best possible sound from any dynamic or ribbon mic.
Many preamps introduce hiss and artifacts when pushed to higher gain levels. By boosting the signal at the source, the Cloudlifter CL-Z lets your preamp operate more efficiently, delivering strong, clear levels without unwanted noise or coloration.
Designed around direct-coupled, discrete JFET circuitry, the Cloudlifter CL-Z preserves the natural character of your microphones. Even with significant gain applied, what you hear is the true sound of your mic — just louder, clearer, and more defined.
Ribbon microphones often require more gain than standard preamps can cleanly provide. The Cloudlifter CL-Z converts phantom power into up to +25dB of ultra-clean gain, effectively transforming even modest preamps into ribbon-friendly front ends without risking damage to delicate mics.
In large studios, live venues, or multi-room setups, long cable runs can rob your signal of detail and clarity. With its powerful gain and drive capability, the Cloudlifter CL-Z ensures your sound stays full and vibrant — even over hundreds of feet of cable.
Cloudlifters are compatible with any tube, dynamic, or ribbon microphone on the market today, including a wide range of industry-standard models trusted by professionals worldwide.
While Cloud Microphones’ Cloudlifters are designed for compatibility with a wide range of microphones, variations in microphone specifications may exist. We recommend confirming compatibility with your microphone manufacturer or contacting us for assistance.
Cloudlifters increase microphone sensitivity and bring natural tonal characteristics into focus. The CL-1, CL-2, and rack-mountable CL-4 deliver up to +25dB of ultra-clean gain with fixed 3kΩ impedance loading, dramatically improving the performance of low-output microphones. By boosting signal at the source, Cloudlifters allow your preamp to operate in its optimal gain range, reducing noise and distortion while revealing more of the microphone’s true character.
Hear more detail and clarity from dynamic and ribbon microphones with up to +25dB of ultra-clean gain delivered in two distinct stages with optimized impedance loading. Cloudlifters use +48V phantom power but do not pass it through to the microphone, keeping ribbon and tube mics safe.
By increasing sensitivity and reducing the amount of gain required from your preamp, Cloudlifters help lower noise, improve frequency response, and deliver more gain before feedback in live and studio environments.
Select models feature Vari-Z variable impedance control, continuously variable high-pass filtering, and multiple gain modes for precise tonal shaping. All Cloudlifters use patented discrete JFET circuitry for maximum transparency and are ruggedly built in the USA, backed by a free lifetime limited warranty.
