It's all about gain and impedance. While some of the best sounding microphones out there are low-output dynamics and ribbons, pre-amplification can be challenging due to the gain and impedance requirements. Cloudlifters address this by giving passive microphone signals a major inline boost -up to +25db of ultra-clean gain- while properly loading the microphones' transformer for optimal performance. The Cloudlifter CL-1 is completely self contained, driven only by the phantom power from your mixer or preamp. Ideal for dynamics and ribbons alike, the CL-1 turns phantom power into the extra gain required for using passive microphones. The immediate dose of extra gain can make even a budget microphone/preamp combination sound clean and professional. For broadcasting and live sound, the active output signal of the CL-1 can prevent added noise over long cable runs. With endless uses, Cloudlifters are quickly becoming a standard workhorse solution for audio and broadcast professionals.