How the problem appeared
The stream sounds gritty and noisy, especially when people speak softly. The operator keeps turning up gain and it gets worse.
Problem
The preamp is being pushed too hard to make up for a low mic signal, which raises noise and can make the sound feel harsh.
Fix
Use a Cloudlifter to add clean gain before the preamp. Bring your preamp gain down and let the system breathe.
Mic → Cloudlifter → Preamp/Interface (phantom power +48V ON) → Stream/Recording
Note: Cloudlifters work with passive dynamic and passive ribbon microphones. They are not compatible with condenser microphones that require phantom power through their XLR connection.
Choose your Cloudlifter
If you want the simplest setup: use the CL-25 Mini. It's the quickest "one connection" way to add clean gain. With the CL-25 Mini, it plugs directly onto the mic's XLR output, and your single XLR cable connects from the CL-25 Mini to the preamp or interface.
If you already own a Cloudlifter: the CL-1, CL-2, and CL-4 do the same job (clean mic activation). They use the standard inline connection in your mic chain.
Anecdote
"We got the 'broadcast' sound back — louder didn't mean noisier anymore."
FAQs
Does my interface or preamp need to supply phantom power? Yes. The Cloudlifter requires +48V phantom power from your interface or preamp to operate. Enable phantom power on the channel the Cloudlifter is plugged into. The Cloudlifter uses that phantom power to provide up to +25dB of clean gain — without it, no signal passes.
