Recording - December 2012 - 45

in “Hi-Z guitar input”. The Z knob starts in the 12 o’clock position at 3k Ohms, which is the stock setting in all of the other CL models. Moving it to the right increases the impedance all the way up to 15k, and moving it left brings it down to 150 Ohms. One way to use this control would be to scour the Internet or your microphone manuals and match the CL-Z to each microphone’s designed impedance, or you could take Cloud’s recommendation of setting the CL-Z anywhere from 3 to 20 times the mic’s output impedance for peak performance. Another option still, and maybe my favorite of all, would be to simply go “by ear” and tweak it to the sound you want—thick, forward and huge or thin and pseudo-lo-fi. Filtered, More, and Max The next feature of this box is a highpass filter switch, but this is not your typical 80 Hz variety found on most modern mic pres and mics. Instead, like the impedance, it is variable from 20 to 250 Hz. What’s even more interesting is that when engaged it interacts with the impedance—so as you move up in load, which typically makes the mic sound fuller and thicker, it shelves off more and keeps the low end more consistent as the signal fills out. It took me a while to get the hang of this and its use, but in my mind this enforces the use of the CL-Z as a “feel” box rather than one where you fuss scientifically over “proper” settings. The last control on the CL-Z is a twoposition switch marked More and Max. When set to More it offers +12 dB of gain and at Max it gives you the full +25 dB level similar to the other CL boxes. A better way to view this switch is that the More setting can be thought of as a 12 dB pad setting, useful when you desire the benefits of the variable Z and/or highpass filter on loud sources like snare drum and guitar cabinets. In use My favored use of ribbon mics is on vocals and quiet acoustic instruments in folk and jazz sessions, rather than just for guitar cabs (which seems to be “what you use ribbons for” these days). Normally I find myself pushing my preamps past their comfort level and living with the sheen of induced noise. I used the CL-Z with ribbons such as the Cascade Fat Head, the sE Voodoo and the Royer R121, and in each case it gave me a clean, clear sound that was free from said noise. I could get used to that! Even better—I could still dial in the impedance for each source like a unique presence eq. The CL-Z was equally awesome on dynamic mics, specifically the Shure SM7B. As you may know, the SM7B can be an industry-favored secret weapon—especially

on powerhouse vocalists, bass cabs, kick drum and more. Of course, all of these are loud sources, and like many ribbons, the SM7B is very level-challenged on quiet ones. One of my favorites is its original intended use as a broadcast mic for spoken word. Time and time again I have tried to use the SM7B for voiceovers, books on tape and general narration duties, and usually it sounds like the voice was recorded in a hiss factory. But with the Cloudlifter CL-Z’s added gain, the signal was clear as a bell. Conclusions This box delivers on all of its promises with top-notch quality! Whether you’ve been enticed by the ribbon-mic revolution or not, this is still a device that every studio should consider, since every studio typically has a dynamic mic or two laying around. Bottom line, the Cloudlifter CL-Z is a great way to breathe new life into them all. Price: $369 ($299 street) More from: Cloud Microphones, www.cloudmicrophones.com; distributed by Wave Distribution, www.wavedistribution.com.

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Recording - December 2012

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