Cloud Microphones Cloudlifter CL-1
Then here's a tool you've got to pick up: the Cloud Microphones Cloudlifter CL-1 Mic Activator! This is one of those amazing little devices that can easily mean the difference between pro and amateur sound. What does a Cloudlifter CL-1 do? Simple, it takes phantom power and turns it into a 25dB boost - just the thing you need to make your low-gain mics (think SM7, RE20, pretty much any ribbon mic) pop. But that's not all, ANY mic will benefit from this incredibly clean gain boost. You see (not to get like uber-technical here or anything, but) the more energy (gain) that's in your signal, the more resistant it is to noise. That's why you can use bare wire for +120dB speaker-level signal, but need to use massively shielded cables for +4dB mic level. And even then, it often not enough. Now, if you boost it up to about +29dB with a Cloudlifter CL-1, that signal instantly gets tough like Chuck Norris. Get the idea?