Depends on your definition of clean; for the boom arm my pr40 is mounted on i really don't want anything extra sticking out of the back of my mic, whereas a small extra box on the floor before it runs into the mixer or my Zoom H6 digital recorder is a nicer setup for me. I also do live shows and having that thing sticking out of the back of the mic would be a no-go for many artists who run around the stage with their mics.
@@oldguydiscgolf9631 on tritonaudio's website they have a q&a saying "Can I use the FetHead on the preamp side of the signal chain? " "Yes, it is perfectly possible to use a FetHead on the preamp side of the signal chain". so i'd think so
With out getting too technical, I think your hum issue is due to low Common mode rejection (CMRR) of your pre-amps and less than perfectly balanced interconnects. It is not a "ground loop" because you need 2 sources of ground in the system to create the loop. The cloud lifter or the FETHead MAY make this worse if the outputs aren't perfectly balanced. This is is where it is it is hard to not get technical. For your pre-amps to reject noise (via common mode rejection) the two wires carrying the signal coming into it need to be balanced. This means their impedance (Impedance includes capacitance, resistance, and inductance) to the signal ground needs to be EXACTLY equal. If it isn't, some of the noise that is being induced into the cable, is converted to audio in the pre-amp. This is where good cables come into play. Cables that have precisely balanced conductors help your pre-amps reject that noise. There are some cables that do this better. If you get a quality "Star quad" cable (these have 4 conductors for the signal, 2 for positive and 2 for negative) help reject noise because they are Physically as well as electrically balanced. It is also important to have good connections, you should always use connectors with gold plated pins. these are more consistent in making good connections. I wish that equipment like the Cloud lifter and FETHead had better specs available, like, CMRR of their input, output impedence, and self noise. This would help in making a decision, at least for us engineer types. In the end, If it sounds good, then it is good)
Bill clawsby LOL! That’s the low IQ answer. Really, it doesn’t matter if you didn’t know what he was talking about before because he just explained it. Regardless of which unit you use, you need to get high quality cables. The jury is still out on the whole subject of how beneficial gold plating is on the connectors, but I don’t know enough to argue so I’ll take his word for it.
@@totallyfrozen nah no one is gonna take their time to read that and the cloud lifter is better even in tests it's just better it's been proven and while cables do matter it's barely unless you compare a 50 cent and a 50 dollar cable there will be a difference
Bill clawsby I took my time to read it. 🤷🏻♂️ While I agree with you and will get the CloudLifter, the guy was able to talk tech and explained the need for good cables. You imply that you can’t or won’t bother to talk tech, then you dismiss the argument for better cables. Seems you are invalidating you’re own position, but oversimplifying it. “Better” is such a generic term. And, really, while it may be better for my needs (and yours), saying something is better “because it’s better” just sounds really low IQ. Anyone can make a blanket statement. Being able to explain the reasoning behind the decision is what counts. Given limited funds or limited space requirements, the fethead might be better for someone’s needs.
@@totallyfrozen while I can see your point what I was saying is that the average consumer is gonna have no idea what any of that means and the average guy already probably knows that you have to buy higher quality cables than one from Dollar tree and if you put these 2 things side by side the cloud lifter is just better it's not that I won't talk tech it's that not everyone does If I came to this video knowing nothing and wanted to know just simply which one is better seeing this comment would not help me
Try swapping the Fethead an cloud lifter leaving everything else the same (except for the extra cable needed by the cloud lifter). If the problem moves, it's the fet head, if not it's something in the rest of your setup
@@Deactrals You're kind of overreacting dude. For starters, this is a 3year old comment. Secondly you cant say he's being snarky over text because its fucking text. You could be completely fabricating that perception in your mind because you in particular are annoyed by seeing his old comments in places or your guys' senses of humor are not the same... also he knows quite a lot about mics, if you watch his channel then you know that thats what it was founded on.
Hello, greetings from Danmark (“Denmark”) and thanks for the video. For the time being the Fethead is €69 and the Cloudlifter is €169, so a price difference of €100 (which is $117.54 in early july 2018). And since I already find €69 anything but inexpensive - to me at least - there really isn't much doubt in my mind which one I'll prefer. Also Holland is almost next door.
Cloudlifter is cleaner sounding than the fethead That's what I'm hearing.I use the cloudlifter on an EV RE20 works very well.I owned a fethead and it stopped working after a year or so purchased the cloudlifter four years down the line still working!!
Here in Holland, the Fethead can be had for 70 whereas the Cloudlifter is priced at 180. Friend of mine has the Fethead and has crackling problems with it. Also, it occasionally shocks him badly. A quick check on a retailer's website showed me it appears that they make a Fethead WITH Phantom power these days (it mentions it's for condensor mics, does add 10 to the price). To my ears there's no difference whatsoever at regular volume. Great video once again Mike!
Hello from the Netherlands haha. Didn't bother with either. Based on videos, just directly got a dbx 286s at Thomann for €155 with my procaster. It could use a bit more gain, but the dbx already has 60db+...
I use a Fethead in my set-up (7-10 hours/day plugged into a Shure) works without problems, no noise or hum. Paid €69. Cloudlifter is ridiculously priced in Europe at €167. Easy choice.
The mic on the right picks up more nasally nuances to me, the mic on the left has a deeper low end and overall warmer presence "to me". I could be completely tripping out but it almost sounds like the right mic has a slight low end shelf ducking some of the presence, which I know it most likely not the case but that's the best way I think I can explain it. It's ever so subtle, like 1 - 2 db of a cut. I'm listening through ATH-M50 headphones. Excellent content my dude!
You don't have to put the Fethead on the Mic itself, it just needs to be attached to the mic cable. so it can connect directly to the Audio Box/Input that has the Phantom Power and it will work just the same. :)
untrue, every inch of cable (especially bad ones) is creating some filtering and can get parasited, the shorter the cable and the closer the preamp, the cleaner the sound will be, because the whole chain is gonna be amplified close to 1000x (60dB for a dynamic), you want to amplify the signal ASAP so the parasites will be small in comparison to the signal and will not be amplified as much
@@Leonidas909 Fethead themselves have it posted right there on there FAQ that you can plug it directly into the audio interface or the mic it does not matter. They made the product and they state it does not matter. Not arguing with you simply stating your answer is opposite from the people that created the product give.
@@jhartigan82 it's not the opposite they probably said this because it's gonna work either way, but I would leave the least amount of cable before the 60dbs of total amp. You want lower chances of 1000x amplified parasites
I've a Fethead for my Shure mic. It's been siting behind the mic for at least a year now. No problems to report. It helped to reduce the hiss immensely. The only disadvantage might be that it might not fit on your mic arm depending on the position of the microphone but that's only in rare cases like for Shure 55 or similar vertical mics. In any case you can use 2 XLR cables as well if that is a problem. I would buy another one if I needed it for any reason. Great product. Also thanks Mike for the video.
I tend to use my Fethead at the OTHER end of my XLR cable. I.E. at the input to my pre-amp. It can plug into any XLR female jack. I use an XLR patchbay in my rack, and the Fethead just stays plugged in at that end.
Regarding the hum, it is also present in the CL signal, but less loud. Probably due to the set gain making the two signals not equally loud. This was before you adjusted the gain individually. That is why the hiss is also much louder in this section.
Another thing about form factor is, say you're traveling and want a stereo mobile rig using something like a Babyface Pro and a laptop, two Fetheads will fit MUCH better in your bag than two Cloudlifters and their extra cables.
Color me crazy, but to me, the microphone on the right (viewers perspective) sounded better than the microphone on the left. Before the Phantom amps were plugged in. Might just be me or a slight difference in distance though.
Yeah, I noticed that .. I was paying attention 'cause I thought we were already doing a blind test of "This one" with "This one" ... :P I thought the one on the right sounder better and clearer; also, it had more bass (whereas the one on the left sounded brighter to me). But knowing what we know now, I'm guessing that was probably just proximity effect/mix placement ... ???!
Yeah I noticed that to immediately. The right one sounds better. It seems to be located further into the booth where as the left one is closer to the entrance.
Every dynamic also sounds a bit different. Noticed the same thing. Preferred the left one as it sounded smoother/more even. The right one is slightly brighter and thus slightly spikey. With that said I also think the cloudlifter adds a little highs.
Another thing, and we've tested this on our show - the Fethed, when used in a studio vocal booth, colors the sound a tinge. The Cloudlifter CL1 remains clean and uncolored.
I have owned both for a long time. I wouldn't agree that the CL is better for a mobile setup. The size and the extra needed xlr cable makes it more of a pain. I have always had a little better luck with the Fethead. Last time I used the CL, it created a lot of extra noise but that sound was coming from a mixer to a PA speaker. So I do not know if it is failing. In the end, they both sound very similar. I just find myself using the Fethead more often because I am mobile. I can see if you need a setup that will stay in a permanent position, the CL would be a good choice.
I love how, between your videos, there are commercials... and the sound quality of the commercials, compared to your videos??? Not that great. They should be watching as well... Thanks for all the great videos! You make the world a better place. Fo Sho.
At first I was wondering what commercials you were referring to! Lol. I completely forgot about my AdBlock. If you will install AdBlock Plus it will eliminate all commercials for good. Get your Internet back!
9:55 Interesting. I would say the opposite, that the cloudlifter has always to be reconnected in both xlr cables which can be annoying when you re on the road. The fethead can always stay inside the microphone but when you have it on a desk the cloudlifter can always stay there on the same place.
The FetHead uses two JFETs, while the CloudLifter uses four. That's not always a good thing, so it comes down to the electrical engineering. What I can tell you is that the price of JFET is next to nothing. The price of the CL-1 is kind of outlandish. It's like eight resistors, some capacitors and four JFETs.
I also noticed a hum with my RE-320 with both the CL-1 and FetHead. You know what fixed it? Strangely enough, rotating the microphone until it went away. Not sure how the internals work either, but hey, if it works it works! Great vid once again Mike!
@@chickenmuffin oops. i had the totally wrong mic in mind! you're right, it's a dynamic. should be tough as nails. thanks! ironically, the only bad mic i've ever had was a dynamic; Shure beta 58. but that came from the assembly line messed up.
So it might've been the orientation of your microphone versus the magnetic field of the earth. I think caused by poor ground, or poor shielding, not entirely sure. Anyway, it's something you can sometimes see on CRT televisions. Tv is rotated one way, and picture looks distorted with odd colors. Rotate it 90 degrees, and it becomes perfectly clear
Cloud’s continued commitment to local, sustainable, and environmentally friendly manufacturing, has created new jobs and economic growth throughout the supply chain. From metal fabrication in Tucson, SMT circuit board manufacturing and assembly on the Navajo Nation, powder- coating and finishes in Phoenix, to finally assembly and testing at the Cloud Microphones HQ in Tucson, the products are made regionally, start to finish, benefiting dozens of small businesses in the process.
The advertisement blew out my ears!! The ad came in around 14:53 just when I was listening to the ground hum in the floor noise. Ouch!! Figures it was a loud video game ad. Just thought I'd tell you so you can complain to them. Your viewers won't like it if it happens to them. Great content btw! Very well reviewed! I've listened to a few! Thanks.
i really appreciate how neutral you are throughout the comparison and while listing reasons why go for one of the other. No judgement, just plain facts.
I use a CloudLifter with the dbx 286s for the very low gain dynamic mics I have such as the Shure SM7B, Electro-Voice RE20, and so on to improve noise figure and stay away from using high gain levels on the dbx 286S preamp. Not truly necessary because the dbx 286S has a lot of preamp gain available, but it is a little quieter.
Mike, really impressed with your knowledge, sound and presentation. Maybe most impressive is your willingness to share it with us. Thanks! I have learned a considerable amount in a very short time.
The problem with the Cloudlifter is how expensive it is when compared to the Fethead. I do wish Shure would create an updated version the SM7B like the RE27N/D so we won't need one of these anymore.
I think the problem is more the fault of a lot of today's interfaces that just don't have enough gain. I never had problems with sm58's etc while using analog mixing consoles although sm58's are a bit more sensitive so they need a bit less gain.
BoboButYouCanCallMeTom this. Pro studio setups are always running dedicated pre-amps (that can get quite costly) that have more gain on tap than your average audio interface. So in a professional studio, you wouldn’t likely need one of these devices with a SM7B. You can crank your fancy preamp a bit more and get a wonderful sound. But take it on the road and plug it direct into a Scarlett or comparable interface and it will be too quiet, simply because the preamp inside the interface isn’t powerful enough. It’s not just the SM7B too, a lot of dynamic mics have a lower output level, just part of their design
This. Plus I need TWO XLR cables. It doesn't seem that important, but I'm using very expensive Mogami XLRs and it would be silly of my to use a $80 XLR on one side and a cheap one on the other. Adding the cost of the CL over the Fet it really starts to add up!
Nicely done video! My current setup for voice over (and is overkill for most people), is Shure SM7b > Cloudlifter CL-1 > DBX 286s > DBX 215s > DBX 166xs > MOTU M2 USB Interface > MacPro. Believe it or not, they ALL have some significance in the should of my audio recordings. I know that I can do it in post, but since I would be changing in post, then what's the point. No need to do that now.
Why would you place the Cloudlifter clear at the far end of your mic cable? All you're doing at that point is letting the signal degrade significantly *before* you amplify it. You should *always* add the amplification at the beginning of the chain if you want to maximize sound quality.
If you want 2 channels, and you are looking for convenience, Cloudlifter makes a 2 channel box called CL-2. It's cheaper than buying two single Cloudlifters, but still probably a bit more than two Fetheads. CL-2 is currently $249 at most places.
Hello Mike, Both the FedHead and the Cloudlifter are easy to obtain here in Holland, The Netherlands. Audio store have them in stock and webshops have next day delivery. There are priced around €180,- for the Cloudlifter and €70,- for the FedHead.
Was hoping you would switch the Fethead and the Cloudlifter to the opposing mics just to be sure the suspected ground hum wasn't part of the set-up you had configured. I'll take your word that it is something that exists in the booth and the Cloudlifter just suppresses it.
As always, another great show, Mike. Only since I had previously noted some bad video quality on another show, I thought I'd note that this show's video quality is very good. Highlights are very well controlled with no clipping and with a good color gamut. Keep on boothing! Always a pleasure to hear your valuable guidance. It's a testament to the value and quality of your shows that one has to stoop to commenting on video quality to say anthing other than SUPERB :-) TK Anthony
My SM7B needs about 99% pre amp gain and about75% output too my compressor. and yes i get the hiss and pop noises all the time. i need to get a cloud lifter or FETHEAD. good video once again Booth.
Thank you for this video! and your others, as well.. I would suggest that you rearrange your cabling and location of the CL-1.. meaning keep the CL-1 close to your SM7-B and use the short XLR cable between the mic and the Cloudlifter. That way the boosted and more robust signal will be traveling the longer distance and reach the preamp with less degradation. Might not make a world of difference.. but theoretically, that would be the way to go.
I think the ground-hiss may be an exaggeration from ground because of the extra dB the FetHead delevers, but it's just speculation of course. Remember that dB's are a logarithmic scale 3 dB's are approx DOUBLE the volume intensity (if i remember correctly)
PS. You can easily use the FetHead directly into your interface instead of the microphone. The Fethead set's sort of in the way of the SM7b's shock mount so i have mine in my Focusrite 2i4. It can also be used in between XLR cables like the CloudLifter
I bought a 286 back in the mid 90's, it was a great piece of gear and I highly recommend it. The expander/gate is worth the price of admission alone. Especially in noisey environments.
Another timely and topical video Mike. Thanks. As one who records VO daily with my Shure SM7B, I went through the evaluation process of these products just over a year ago. Ultimately, I chose the Fethead and am delighted with its performance in my signal chain. It works alongside a PreSonus TubePre preamp (with Tung-Sol 12AX7 tube) and a 2i2. The gain is clean, plentiful, and reliable. FWIW, I bought the Fethead for $75 on eBay. Congrats on hitting 20k subscribers.
Firstly remembering my manners Thank-you 🌟✨🤛 Next time swop the inputs over so we can gather more data to evaluate why or why-not this may be occurring as you have them both set up its worth kinder worth knowing, at least id be interested anyway cheers again. P.S as you asked: Amazon UK prices are: Cloud lifter £180.50 + £14.99 shipping Fet head £72.12 free delivery 🌈PEACE✨ 〽️🕶
Not having extra weight hanging off a mic XLR makes it an easy choice for me. Thank you for posting both sound good on your SM58. IF i need this I’ll get the cloud lifter since later I 90% likely will get a SM7B next year... and it will mean less weight on the arm. Thank you for posting.
FYI I have the Cloudlifter & Fethead and DBX286's and must say I only get that ground hum only on the Fethead when you bring the gain all the way up the Cloudlifter clean in my home studio I stay on the DBX 286's but I do use both the FetHeads and Cloudlifters in the field
I wish my beard looked like yours... but I digress, I think I'll go with the Cloud Lifter. The ground hum was one of the reasons. The other reason was that I don't like the idea of attaching a device directly to the mic and another reason is because it's "assembled" in the U.S.A. - I think you're right about the "components" probably being made in China.
I noticed your two SM58 microphone sound fundamentally different to begin with. (Edit) Perhaps the tuning of the one on the right right makes it sound ‘warmer’ and more ‘dull’, possessing more low frequency as compared to the tuning of the one on the left which gives it a more ‘airy’ sound that is richer in the higher frequencies which can be heard in the sibilance it picks up and more flat in the lower frequency spectrum; hence, the exaggerated difference in sound characteristic when the two external preamps are attached. That is why the left picks up so much more subtleties than the right.
Does anyone notice the remarks about the "placement" of the devices? This is not correct. They are identical, both XLR female and male, so you can put them anywhere in the chain. The Fethead doesn't necessarily have to be mounted on the mic directly. You can also mount it to the pre-amp or somewhere in between using two cables :-) Big plus for all of these devices for my setup is that I can (have to) turn on phantom power for all of my channels (other mics are condensors) without risking to feed 48V to my SM7B. From my Focusrite, phantom power can only be switched on/off in groups of 4, so I always have to fiddle and improvise with the input assignment.
Hey Mike, there's a third, somewhat cheaper alternative to the FetHead, in the same form factor, made by a guy in the UK. Seller "MartiAudio" on eBay. Seems to work well. I couldn't find a FetHead anywhere for less than $80, the MartiAudio inline pre-amp was about $45 plus shipping.
I've bought and tested the MartiAudio back when I had a Rode M1 and for some reason it seemed to boost both the microphone signal and the "preamp hiss" at the exact same time, regardless of whether I used my Fast Track (1st gen) or Scarlet 2i4, or even connected my microphone directly to the Marti and the Marti to the preamp (thus, eliminating the cable). Because of this, the adapter didn't do the job I wanted so I sold it, the next owner of my unit seemed to be happy with it. Now, I use a Shure SM58 and Mackie USB Mixer and am tempted to try a FetHead, but at the same time I'm worried that I'd get the same problem..
I got two Fetheads for the price of one Cloudlifter... like the design of the CL better but twice the price is too much of a difference... Based in Europe over here.
Honestly, most people can't tell the difference between a recording that was clean and one that had a simple VST noise reducing algorithm run over it. Personally unless your microphone demands it I'd have without either, record at a slightly lower gain and then boost it in post after the noise suppression.
Excellent comparison, thanks. Was thinking of boosting my studio RE-20 with a FetHead (or either one). Actually I already run it through a dbx (a 266) which does great on the gating but I still have to floor the mixer.
Ha! The 58s sound great! Seems an obvious difference between them is that sturdy (Cloudlifter) box is an I/O that doesn't require plugging directly into mic, which may be problematic depending on mic architecture
i just bought a more expensive condenser because i had the exstra $150. I saved because don't need a cloudlifter for a condenser.the sure ksm32.i had no idea of this expensive issue until my resent mic shopping research.these cloud lifter videos are great.i definitely don't want to buy a condenser.because i sing but you podcast talkers need dynamic mics.thanks for video
i just bought the cloudlifter because its a solid box. I had a similar but different gadjet to the fethead years ago and with freequent assembly and dissasembly it fell apart. totally different product but same sort of design. always go for a rugged steel box for touring and moving around a lot which i do
I'm not totally certain about this, so don't quote me, but I _think_ an audio cable tends to pick up more interference, including the 60Hz hum, if there are places where the cable is looped around a couple times. Sound folks know how to wind cables so that the twists cancel out, but in this case, I don't think even that technique will mitigate it because it's not a matter of twists but of loops. So if the cable is too long, the interference might be mitigated by going with a more laissez-faire attitude about slack, or pair up opposite loops. So if the cable needs to loop six times to take out the slack, you could loop it three times in one direction, and three times in the other direction, and if those loops are close enough together, the interference might balance out.
Made in XXX should mean majority of product component costs are manufactured in XXX. Assembled in XXX means components mostly sourced else where but final build/value originated in XXX. So both products claimed their components are largely sourced locally instead of low cost mass manufacturing countries in Asia or similar. Some manufacturers may lie, but if so may be subject to fines and other penalties etc. (only parroting what I’ve heard in CZcams videos, not my subject matter)
11:11 Shouldn't you reverse the cables so that the short cable sits between the microphone and the CL-1? I read elsewhere that doing so reduces the chance of interference in the pre-pre amplified source. Try it?
Thanks for a great video mate. I’m going to go with the cloudlifter simply because I have a mic soundshield on my boom arm and a fethead will effectively push my mic (Rode Podmic) so far forward that the shield will be useless. Removing the shield isn’t an option as I’m close to a window that overlooks a busy London street.
I think the humming was audible in the cloudlifter as well, but not as loud. Did you tried turning up the gain? (as the fethead provides a little bit more of gain)
I appreciate the comparison, for us old studio guys, I would have liked you to address the signal chain from the console to the mic, such as using phantom power to provide power to the cloud lifter. I bought the two channel cloud lifter and had to ask my sales guy, how to hook it up........dumb moment I have a SM7b , sm 58's and a RE 20. After chasing the condenser train I find myself returning to dynamic mics. !!!! Thanks for your work !t
After some thought, there is a problem with this comparo. To be fair you should have at least tried the FETHEAD with two cables. Moving the power section of the amp away from the mic might be quieter. Just a thought. I own the cloudlifter and find it, more or less, perfect. Great vids. Thanks.
FetHead is 88€ (on Thomann, german audio onlinestore) and the Cloudlifter is 166 (also on Thomann) so nearly twice as expensive... The DBX 286 S is even cheaper than the Cloudlifter on Thomann. I think it's funny :D
Hey Mike, have you ever thought about doing a comparison video on XLR cables, like Mogami Gold vs cheap inexpensive cables? I’d love to see you do that video. Thanks. You’re the best.
User reviews on Amazon noted that some people's Fetheads died after a time or arrived DOA. Cloudlifter also had a few complaints, but the ratio of happy to sad was *much* more encouraging. 4% negative for Cloudlifter versus 15% negative for the Fethead. -By negative, I mean 1 and 2 star reviews. -And that's with Cloudlifter having a much bigger sample. 750 reviews versus 60. Not to mention.., several of the 1 star reviews with the Cloudlifter sounded like user error: One thing to keep in mind is that you should put the pre-amp as close to the mic in your audio circuit as you can; I originally put mine at the long end of a run of cheap cable and the line noise was amplified along with the mic signal. You don't want to do that.
*Fethead sounds much better. Would be interesting to hear it on condenser microphones. After your gain adjustment to Cloudlifter, I like more Cloudlifter. :) Not sure if it's because of a gain boost.*
amazing content, honest and detailed, though the delivery time is too long I think, if you make this kind of review cut down to 5 or 10 min its highly recommendable, reviewing a product shouldn't be taking longer than 10 min, people watch reviews of more than one product usually, so keep this in mind and respect your client's time and they will more likely trust and respect you back, and more time spent on a product doesn't make it more suitable to one's unique needs, just a suggestion for your next stuff! Thanks, I'm gonna get the fethead because of lower cost and no real difference in sound.
Mike, I love the videos, so thank you for all the terrific content. In this video you mention a travel setup. Could you do a comparative review of tools like the Blue Icicle, Shure X2U, and maybe one or two other small preamps/mic adapters? Thank you again for the great reviews and advice.
I suspect as a streamer, the DBX 286s' compressor features might be one of the more attractive features as well. Cool that it provides equivalent gain though. I ended up hooking my ATR2100 to a Cathedral Pipes Durham which seems to be the least expensive of them (at $65) aside from the SS-1 ($75) and it does a pretty great job. My guess is that it feels similar in quality to the cloudlifter because the electronics are enclosed in a steel chassis.
The FetHead is a cleaner setup. No need for extra cables, no extra box to take space on your desk.
Depends on your definition of clean; for the boom arm my pr40 is mounted on i really don't want anything extra sticking out of the back of my mic, whereas a small extra box on the floor before it runs into the mixer or my Zoom H6 digital recorder is a nicer setup for me. I also do live shows and having that thing sticking out of the back of the mic would be a no-go for many artists who run around the stage with their mics.
@@Worthless. +1 :)
@@syzyphyz Can you not plug the FetHead into your interface instead of your mic?
@@oldguydiscgolf9631 on tritonaudio's website they have a q&a saying "Can I use the FetHead on the preamp side of the signal chain?
"
"Yes, it is perfectly possible to use a FetHead on the preamp side of the signal chain". so i'd think so
You can put the fethead in to your mixer. No extra cable nothing on end of microphone
6 years since you posted this and this is the best video ive seen about these devices!!! THANKS!!
With out getting too technical, I think your hum issue is due to low Common mode rejection (CMRR) of your pre-amps and less than perfectly balanced interconnects. It is not a "ground loop" because you need 2 sources of ground in the system to create the loop. The cloud lifter or the FETHead MAY make this worse if the outputs aren't perfectly balanced.
This is is where it is it is hard to not get technical. For your pre-amps to reject noise (via common mode rejection) the two wires carrying the signal coming into it need to be balanced. This means their impedance (Impedance includes capacitance, resistance, and inductance) to the signal ground needs to be EXACTLY equal. If it isn't, some of the noise that is being induced into the cable, is converted to audio in the pre-amp. This is where good cables come into play. Cables that have precisely balanced conductors help your pre-amps reject that noise. There are some cables that do this better. If you get a quality "Star quad" cable (these have 4 conductors for the signal, 2 for positive and 2 for negative) help reject noise because they are Physically as well as electrically balanced. It is also important to have good connections, you should always use connectors with gold plated pins. these are more consistent in making good connections. I wish that equipment like the Cloud lifter and FETHead had better specs available, like, CMRR of their input, output impedence, and self noise. This would help in making a decision, at least for us engineer types. In the end, If it sounds good, then it is good)
Not many people are gonna know all this technical stuff basic thing is cloudlifter is better that's it😂
Bill clawsby
LOL! That’s the low IQ answer. Really, it doesn’t matter if you didn’t know what he was talking about before because he just explained it.
Regardless of which unit you use, you need to get high quality cables. The jury is still out on the whole subject of how beneficial gold plating is on the connectors, but I don’t know enough to argue so I’ll take his word for it.
@@totallyfrozen nah no one is gonna take their time to read that and the cloud lifter is better even in tests it's just better it's been proven and while cables do matter it's barely unless you compare a 50 cent and a 50 dollar cable there will be a difference
Bill clawsby
I took my time to read it. 🤷🏻♂️
While I agree with you and will get the CloudLifter, the guy was able to talk tech and explained the need for good cables. You imply that you can’t or won’t bother to talk tech, then you dismiss the argument for better cables. Seems you are invalidating you’re own position, but oversimplifying it.
“Better” is such a generic term. And, really, while it may be better for my needs (and yours), saying something is better “because it’s better” just sounds really low IQ. Anyone can make a blanket statement. Being able to explain the reasoning behind the decision is what counts.
Given limited funds or limited space requirements, the fethead might be better for someone’s needs.
@@totallyfrozen while I can see your point what I was saying is that the average consumer is gonna have no idea what any of that means and the average guy already probably knows that you have to buy higher quality cables than one from Dollar tree and if you put these 2 things side by side the cloud lifter is just better it's not that I won't talk tech it's that not everyone does If I came to this video knowing nothing and wanted to know just simply which one is better seeing this comment would not help me
Try swapping the Fethead an cloud lifter leaving everything else the same (except for the extra cable needed by the cloud lifter).
If the problem moves, it's the fet head, if not it's something in the rest of your setup
Whichever one you buy, either of these can make a world of different for most people's setups.
NO STOP YOU DON'T DESRVE BOOTH JUNKIES CHANNEL YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT MICS
@@dark_sunset yes I see this guy everywhere in tech comments, making snarky remarks and trying to sound funny so I reply
@@Deactrals You're kind of overreacting dude. For starters, this is a 3year old comment. Secondly you cant say he's being snarky over text because its fucking text. You could be completely fabricating that perception in your mind because you in particular are annoyed by seeing his old comments in places or your guys' senses of humor are not the same... also he knows quite a lot about mics, if you watch his channel then you know that thats what it was founded on.
@@stardustslyfer joke
@@Deactrals jokes are supposed to be funny, you know?
“Fethead makes it two inches longer”
That’s it I’ve decided, thanks!
underated comment
😂😂😂
Order 2 - Double the fun
I don't know if anyone also noticed this but he sounds like Jerry Smith, from Rick and Morty. 😅
Yes he dose lol
omg yes
effortless perfect impression
Holy fuck I just started this video and now I can only hear Jerry
And he looks like mark hamill! Wild lol
Hello, greetings from Danmark (“Denmark”) and thanks for the video.
For the time being the Fethead is €69 and the Cloudlifter is €169, so a price difference of €100 (which is $117.54 in early july 2018). And since I already find €69 anything but inexpensive - to me at least - there really isn't much doubt in my mind which one I'll prefer. Also Holland is almost next door.
This is exactly what I was looking for. A review and comparison of each FETHEAD and Cloudlifter. non belabored and clarified.
Cloudlifter is cleaner sounding than the fethead That's what I'm hearing.I use the cloudlifter on an EV RE20 works very well.I owned a fethead and it stopped working after a year or so purchased the cloudlifter four years down the line still working!!
The Cloudlifter has more low end IMO.
Here in Holland, the Fethead can be had for 70 whereas the Cloudlifter is priced at 180.
Friend of mine has the Fethead and has crackling problems with it. Also, it occasionally shocks him badly.
A quick check on a retailer's website showed me it appears that they make a Fethead WITH Phantom power these days (it mentions it's for condensor mics, does add 10 to the price).
To my ears there's no difference whatsoever at regular volume. Great video once again Mike!
Thanks for the info JazzCat
Am proud Dutch FetHead user. No complaints here.
Hello from the Netherlands haha. Didn't bother with either. Based on videos, just directly got a dbx 286s at Thomann for €155 with my procaster. It could use a bit more gain, but the dbx already has 60db+...
I use a Fethead in my set-up (7-10 hours/day plugged into a Shure) works without problems, no noise or hum. Paid €69. Cloudlifter is ridiculously priced in Europe at €167. Easy choice.
As of 2020, both are easily available in German online stores. 70-80€ for the Fethead and 170€ for the Cloudlifter.
The mic on the right picks up more nasally nuances to me, the mic on the left has a deeper low end and overall warmer presence "to me". I could be completely tripping out but it almost sounds like the right mic has a slight low end shelf ducking some of the presence, which I know it most likely not the case but that's the best way I think I can explain it. It's ever so subtle, like 1 - 2 db of a cut. I'm listening through ATH-M50 headphones. Excellent content my dude!
4:30 Came for the review. Stayed for the asmr.
You don't have to put the Fethead on the Mic itself, it just needs to be attached to the mic cable. so it can connect directly to the Audio Box/Input that has the Phantom Power and it will work just the same. :)
untrue, every inch of cable (especially bad ones) is creating some filtering and can get parasited, the shorter the cable and the closer the preamp, the cleaner the sound will be, because the whole chain is gonna be amplified close to 1000x (60dB for a dynamic), you want to amplify the signal ASAP so the parasites will be small in comparison to the signal and will not be amplified as much
@@Leonidas909 Fethead themselves have it posted right there on there FAQ that you can plug it directly into the audio interface or the mic it does not matter. They made the product and they state it does not matter. Not arguing with you simply stating your answer is opposite from the people that created the product give.
@@jhartigan82 it's not the opposite they probably said this because it's gonna work either way, but I would leave the least amount of cable before the 60dbs of total amp. You want lower chances of 1000x amplified parasites
Best layman description I found on youtube, helped me a lot to understand it easily.
I've a Fethead for my Shure mic. It's been siting behind the mic for at least a year now. No problems to report. It helped to reduce the hiss immensely. The only disadvantage might be that it might not fit on your mic arm depending on the position of the microphone but that's only in rare cases like for Shure 55 or similar vertical mics. In any case you can use 2 XLR cables as well if that is a problem. I would buy another one if I needed it for any reason. Great product. Also thanks Mike for the video.
I tend to use my Fethead at the OTHER end of my XLR cable. I.E. at the input to my pre-amp. It can plug into any XLR female jack. I use an XLR patchbay in my rack, and the Fethead just stays plugged in at that end.
@@fmuscari ooh nice. is there a difference?
I like the sound with the Fethead more. The sound is more thick.
True
the thiccer the better
@@leonruvalcaba1549 Your profile pic is mad scary but I absolutely agree with you
This could be misleading, as his mouth is more direct on the Fethead and off-axis with the CloudLifter
Regarding the hum, it is also present in the CL signal, but less loud. Probably due to the set gain making the two signals not equally loud. This was before you adjusted the gain individually. That is why the hiss is also much louder in this section.
Another thing about form factor is, say you're traveling and want a stereo mobile rig using something like a Babyface Pro and a laptop, two Fetheads will fit MUCH better in your bag than two Cloudlifters and their extra cables.
Color me crazy, but to me, the microphone on the right (viewers perspective) sounded better than the microphone on the left. Before the Phantom amps were plugged in.
Might just be me or a slight difference in distance though.
Yeah, I noticed that .. I was paying attention 'cause I thought we were already doing a blind test of "This one" with "This one" ... :P I thought the one on the right sounder better and clearer; also, it had more bass (whereas the one on the left sounded brighter to me). But knowing what we know now, I'm guessing that was probably just proximity effect/mix placement ... ???!
Agreed. Either the mic or the ... who know? ... the Zoom H5's preamp channel? the mic cable? Something was just "better" on the right.
Yeah I noticed that to immediately. The right one sounds better. It seems to be located further into the booth where as the left one is closer to the entrance.
I felt the opposite. But the important point is: this was not a controlled test. I expect it was acoustics.
Every dynamic also sounds a bit different. Noticed the same thing. Preferred the left one as it sounded smoother/more even. The right one is slightly brighter and thus slightly spikey.
With that said I also think the cloudlifter adds a little highs.
Another thing, and we've tested this on our show - the Fethed, when used in a studio vocal booth, colors the sound a tinge. The Cloudlifter CL1 remains clean and uncolored.
I have owned both for a long time. I wouldn't agree that the CL is better for a mobile setup. The size and the extra needed xlr cable makes it more of a pain. I have always had a little better luck with the Fethead. Last time I used the CL, it created a lot of extra noise but that sound was coming from a mixer to a PA speaker. So I do not know if it is failing. In the end, they both sound very similar. I just find myself using the Fethead more often because I am mobile. I can see if you need a setup that will stay in a permanent position, the CL would be a good choice.
I love how, between your videos, there are commercials... and the sound quality of the commercials, compared to your videos??? Not that great. They should be watching as well... Thanks for all the great videos! You make the world a better place. Fo Sho.
At first I was wondering what commercials you were referring to! Lol. I completely forgot about my AdBlock. If you will install AdBlock Plus it will eliminate all commercials for good. Get your Internet back!
9:55 Interesting. I would say the opposite, that the cloudlifter has always to be reconnected in both xlr cables which can be annoying when you re on the road. The fethead can always stay inside the microphone but when you have it on a desk the cloudlifter can always stay there on the same place.
What if the cloudlifter is the same as the fethead and they put it in a box for looks. Open it up and see....
The FetHead uses two JFETs, while the CloudLifter uses four. That's not always a good thing, so it comes down to the electrical engineering. What I can tell you is that the price of JFET is next to nothing. The price of the CL-1 is kind of outlandish. It's like eight resistors, some capacitors and four JFETs.
I also noticed a hum with my RE-320 with both the CL-1 and FetHead. You know what fixed it? Strangely enough, rotating the microphone until it went away. Not sure how the internals work either, but hey, if it works it works! Great vid once again Mike!
Probably some loose wiring that wasn't properly insulated inside of it. whatever it was, glad to hear it's fixed.
sounds like a problem with your mic. ribbons are pretty delicate.
@@slavesforging5361 320 is a ribbon?
@@chickenmuffin oops. i had the totally wrong mic in mind! you're right, it's a dynamic. should be tough as nails. thanks! ironically, the only bad mic i've ever had was a dynamic; Shure beta 58. but that came from the assembly line messed up.
So it might've been the orientation of your microphone versus the magnetic field of the earth. I think caused by poor ground, or poor shielding, not entirely sure. Anyway, it's something you can sometimes see on CRT televisions. Tv is rotated one way, and picture looks distorted with odd colors. Rotate it 90 degrees, and it becomes perfectly clear
Cloud’s continued commitment to local, sustainable, and environmentally friendly manufacturing, has created new jobs and economic growth throughout the supply chain. From metal fabrication in Tucson, SMT circuit board manufacturing and assembly on the Navajo Nation, powder- coating and finishes in Phoenix, to finally assembly and testing at the Cloud Microphones HQ in Tucson, the products are made regionally, start to finish, benefiting dozens of small businesses in the process.
Thanks for that! That information alone would steer me to the Cloudlifter..
The advertisement blew out my ears!! The ad came in around 14:53 just when I was listening to the ground hum in the floor noise. Ouch!! Figures it was a loud video game ad. Just thought I'd tell you so you can complain to them. Your viewers won't like it if it happens to them. Great content btw! Very well reviewed! I've listened to a few! Thanks.
i really appreciate how neutral you are throughout the comparison and while listing reasons why go for one of the other. No judgement, just plain facts.
This was very helpful. Thank you.
I don't know if its a difference in the microphones but I prefer the "meatier" sound of the Fethead
I use a CloudLifter with the dbx 286s for the very low gain dynamic mics I have such as the Shure SM7B, Electro-Voice RE20, and so on to improve noise figure and stay away from using high gain levels on the dbx 286S preamp. Not truly necessary because the dbx 286S has a lot of preamp gain available, but it is a little quieter.
Indeed! I have a RE20 and DBX286S.. I prefer the Cloudlifter but still works well without the Cloudlifter..
Mike, really impressed with your knowledge, sound and presentation. Maybe most impressive is your willingness to share it with us. Thanks! I have learned a considerable amount in a very short time.
The problem with the Cloudlifter is how expensive it is when compared to the Fethead. I do wish Shure would create an updated version the SM7B like the RE27N/D so we won't need one of these anymore.
I think the problem is more the fault of a lot of today's interfaces that just don't have enough gain. I never had problems with sm58's etc while using analog mixing consoles although sm58's are a bit more sensitive so they need a bit less gain.
BoboButYouCanCallMeTom this. Pro studio setups are always running dedicated pre-amps (that can get quite costly) that have more gain on tap than your average audio interface. So in a professional studio, you wouldn’t likely need one of these devices with a SM7B. You can crank your fancy preamp a bit more and get a wonderful sound. But take it on the road and plug it direct into a Scarlett or comparable interface and it will be too quiet, simply because the preamp inside the interface isn’t powerful enough. It’s not just the SM7B too, a lot of dynamic mics have a lower output level, just part of their design
This. Plus I need TWO XLR cables. It doesn't seem that important, but I'm using very expensive Mogami XLRs and it would be silly of my to use a $80 XLR on one side and a cheap one on the other. Adding the cost of the CL over the Fet it really starts to add up!
Nicely done video! My current setup for voice over (and is overkill for most people), is Shure SM7b > Cloudlifter CL-1 > DBX 286s > DBX 215s > DBX 166xs > MOTU M2 USB Interface > MacPro. Believe it or not, they ALL have some significance in the should of my audio recordings. I know that I can do it in post, but since I would be changing in post, then what's the point. No need to do that now.
Why would you place the Cloudlifter clear at the far end of your mic cable? All you're doing at that point is letting the signal degrade significantly *before* you amplify it.
You should *always* add the amplification at the beginning of the chain if you want to maximize sound quality.
The Fethead can also be just plugged into the interface/preamp. You dont *HAVE* to put it directly in the mic. Or am i wrong?
My understanding is that it is actually preferable to plug it in at the interface.
Your videos are unbelievable man... So very helpful... No joke no sarcasm... Just a happy viewer thank you.
If you want 2 channels, and you are looking for convenience, Cloudlifter makes a 2 channel box called CL-2. It's cheaper than buying two single Cloudlifters, but still probably a bit more than two Fetheads. CL-2 is currently $249 at most places.
I keep Fethead plugged to audio interface not mic :) still works like a charm.
Hello Mike,
Both the FedHead and the Cloudlifter are easy to obtain here in Holland, The Netherlands. Audio store have them in stock and webshops have next day delivery. There are priced around €180,- for the Cloudlifter and €70,- for the FedHead.
Was hoping you would switch the Fethead and the Cloudlifter to the opposing mics just to be sure the suspected ground hum wasn't part of the set-up you had configured. I'll take your word that it is something that exists in the booth and the Cloudlifter just suppresses it.
This. Let the scientist within you run free, Mike!! :)
In Europe the price difference is huge. The Cloudlifter costs around 162€ while the FetHead costs 63€.
i use the Fathead on my sm7b since 15+ years. Still the first one.
This was a TREMENDOUS help, Brother!
As always, another great show, Mike. Only since I had previously noted some bad video quality on another show, I thought I'd note that this show's video quality is very good. Highlights are very well controlled with no clipping and with a good color gamut. Keep on boothing! Always a pleasure to hear your valuable guidance. It's a testament to the value and quality of your shows that one has to stoop to commenting on video quality to say anthing other than SUPERB :-) TK Anthony
Great stuff. Thank you. I use an sm57 and have the same gain issue with focusrite interface. This will help!
My SM7B needs about 99% pre amp gain and about75% output too my compressor. and yes i get the hiss and pop noises all the time. i need to get a cloud lifter or FETHEAD.
good video once again Booth.
Which did you get? I'm trying to figure out which is better for the sm7b.
Thank you for this video! and your others, as well..
I would suggest that you rearrange your cabling and location of the CL-1.. meaning keep the CL-1 close to your SM7-B and use the short XLR cable between the mic and the Cloudlifter. That way the boosted and more robust signal will be traveling the longer distance and reach the preamp with less degradation. Might not make a world of difference.. but theoretically, that would be the way to go.
I think the ground-hiss may be an exaggeration from ground because of the extra dB the FetHead delevers, but it's just speculation of course. Remember that dB's are a logarithmic scale 3 dB's are approx DOUBLE the volume intensity (if i remember correctly)
PS. You can easily use the FetHead directly into your interface instead of the microphone. The Fethead set's sort of in the way of the SM7b's shock mount so i have mine in my Focusrite 2i4. It can also be used in between XLR cables like the CloudLifter
I bought a 286 back in the mid 90's, it was a great piece of gear and I highly recommend it. The expander/gate is worth the price of admission alone. Especially in noisey environments.
Daws come with exp/gate🤦🏽♂️🤷🏽♂️
Why was it satisfying watching Mike whisper, imagine of he did all videos like that 😂
It was, and it's considered ASMR. 😊
Another timely and topical video Mike. Thanks.
As one who records VO daily with my Shure SM7B, I went through the evaluation process of these products just over a year ago. Ultimately, I chose the Fethead and am delighted with its performance in my signal chain. It works alongside a PreSonus TubePre preamp (with Tung-Sol 12AX7 tube) and a 2i2. The gain is clean, plentiful, and reliable. FWIW, I bought the Fethead for $75 on eBay.
Congrats on hitting 20k subscribers.
Firstly remembering my manners
Thank-you 🌟✨🤛
Next time swop the inputs over so we can gather more data to evaluate why or why-not this may be occurring as you have them both set up its worth kinder worth knowing, at least id be interested anyway cheers again.
P.S as you asked: Amazon UK prices are:
Cloud lifter £180.50 + £14.99 shipping
Fet head £72.12 free delivery
🌈PEACE✨
〽️🕶
Not having extra weight hanging off a mic XLR makes it an easy choice for me. Thank you for posting both sound good on your SM58. IF i need this I’ll get the cloud lifter since later I 90% likely will get a SM7B next year... and it will mean less weight on the arm. Thank you for posting.
FYI I have the Cloudlifter & Fethead and DBX286's and must say I only get that ground hum only on the Fethead when you bring the gain all the way up the Cloudlifter clean in my home studio I stay on the DBX 286's but I do use both the FetHeads and Cloudlifters in the field
I wish my beard looked like yours... but I digress, I think I'll go with the Cloud Lifter. The ground hum was one of the reasons. The other reason was that I don't like the idea of attaching a device directly to the mic and another reason is because it's "assembled" in the U.S.A. - I think you're right about the "components" probably being made in China.
I noticed your two SM58 microphone sound fundamentally different to begin with. (Edit) Perhaps the tuning of the one on the right right makes it sound ‘warmer’ and more ‘dull’, possessing more low frequency as compared to the tuning of the one on the left which gives it a more ‘airy’ sound that is richer in the higher frequencies which can be heard in the sibilance it picks up and more flat in the lower frequency spectrum; hence, the exaggerated difference in sound characteristic when the two external preamps are attached. That is why the left picks up so much more subtleties than the right.
Does anyone notice the remarks about the "placement" of the devices? This is not correct. They are identical, both XLR female and male, so you can put them anywhere in the chain. The Fethead doesn't necessarily have to be mounted on the mic directly. You can also mount it to the pre-amp or somewhere in between using two cables :-) Big plus for all of these devices for my setup is that I can (have to) turn on phantom power for all of my channels (other mics are condensors) without risking to feed 48V to my SM7B. From my Focusrite, phantom power can only be switched on/off in groups of 4, so I always have to fiddle and improvise with the input assignment.
Straight to the point from 4:21 and really well explained.
What an amazing quality content video and recommendations!
I just subscribed!
Exactly the information I've been looking for. Thank you!
Hey Mike, there's a third, somewhat cheaper alternative to the FetHead, in the same form factor, made by a guy in the UK. Seller "MartiAudio" on eBay. Seems to work well. I couldn't find a FetHead anywhere for less than $80, the MartiAudio inline pre-amp was about $45 plus shipping.
That's a good item to know about. Thanks!
Agreed. I have one of those and it is pretty good (especially for the price).
I've bought and tested the MartiAudio back when I had a Rode M1 and for some reason it seemed to boost both the microphone signal and the "preamp hiss" at the exact same time, regardless of whether I used my Fast Track (1st gen) or Scarlet 2i4, or even connected my microphone directly to the Marti and the Marti to the preamp (thus, eliminating the cable). Because of this, the adapter didn't do the job I wanted so I sold it, the next owner of my unit seemed to be happy with it.
Now, I use a Shure SM58 and Mackie USB Mixer and am tempted to try a FetHead, but at the same time I'm worried that I'd get the same problem..
I will use both because good to have backup source, anything can happen with electronic devices. You should be safe than sorry
I got two Fetheads for the price of one Cloudlifter... like the design of the CL better but twice the price is too much of a difference... Based in Europe over here.
So the cloudlifter is double the price, you need an extra xlr cable and the fethead still ads a little bit more gain. :)
I use the Fethead for >1 year now on Rode Procaster and Shure SM7B without hum or other issues.
Honestly, most people can't tell the difference between a recording that was clean and one that had a simple VST noise reducing algorithm run over it. Personally unless your microphone demands it I'd have without either, record at a slightly lower gain and then boost it in post after the noise suppression.
Excellent comparison, thanks. Was thinking of boosting my studio RE-20 with a FetHead (or either one). Actually I already run it through a dbx (a 266) which does great on the gating but I still have to floor the mixer.
Ha! The 58s sound great! Seems an obvious difference between them is that sturdy (Cloudlifter) box is an I/O that doesn't require plugging directly into mic, which may be problematic depending on mic architecture
i just bought a more expensive condenser because i had the exstra $150. I saved because don't need a cloudlifter for a condenser.the sure ksm32.i had no idea of this expensive issue until my resent mic shopping research.these cloud lifter videos are great.i definitely don't want to buy a condenser.because i sing but you podcast talkers need dynamic mics.thanks for video
Let’s also mention Marti Audio’s Barrel Booster! Sometimes it’s available on their website, often on eBay.
Hi thank you by the video. We buy feathheadand work very well, we use SM7 B and the gain now works well.
Greetings from Brazil
Ricardo Beccari
i just bought the cloudlifter because its a solid box. I had a similar but different gadjet to the fethead years ago and with freequent assembly and dissasembly it fell apart. totally different product but same sort of design. always go for a rugged steel box for touring and moving around a lot which i do
Asmr @5:00
I'm not totally certain about this, so don't quote me, but I _think_ an audio cable tends to pick up more interference, including the 60Hz hum, if there are places where the cable is looped around a couple times. Sound folks know how to wind cables so that the twists cancel out, but in this case, I don't think even that technique will mitigate it because it's not a matter of twists but of loops. So if the cable is too long, the interference might be mitigated by going with a more laissez-faire attitude about slack, or pair up opposite loops. So if the cable needs to loop six times to take out the slack, you could loop it three times in one direction, and three times in the other direction, and if those loops are close enough together, the interference might balance out.
Made in XXX should mean majority of product component costs are manufactured in XXX.
Assembled in XXX means components mostly sourced else where but final build/value originated in XXX.
So both products claimed their components are largely sourced locally instead of low cost mass manufacturing countries in Asia or similar.
Some manufacturers may lie, but if so may be subject to fines and other penalties etc. (only parroting what I’ve heard in CZcams videos, not my subject matter)
11:11 Shouldn't you reverse the cables so that the short cable sits between the microphone and the CL-1? I read elsewhere that doing so reduces the chance of interference in the pre-pre amplified source. Try it?
I hear the difference. I would choose Fethead. It accentuates different frequencies than Cloudlifter.
Thank you!! you are fantastic at these. honest, intelligent, and thorough!!
Thanks for a great video mate. I’m going to go with the cloudlifter simply because I have a mic soundshield on my boom arm and a fethead will effectively push my mic (Rode Podmic) so far forward that the shield will be useless. Removing the shield isn’t an option as I’m close to a window that overlooks a busy London street.
could have plugged it into the interface
I think the humming was audible in the cloudlifter as well, but not as loud. Did you tried turning up the gain? (as the fethead provides a little bit more of gain)
Thinking the same thing .. Remember that 3 dB's of gain is essentially doubling the effect over a certain threshold :S
I believe they were at the maximum gain.
Me: Tries to hear the hiss
Also me: *Remembers that he has tinnitus and can hear hiss even if he plugs both of his ears*
I appreciate the comparison, for us old studio guys, I would have liked you to address the signal chain from the console to the mic, such as using phantom power to provide power to the cloud lifter. I bought the two channel cloud lifter and had to ask my sales guy, how to hook it up........dumb moment I have a SM7b , sm 58's and a RE 20. After chasing the condenser train I find myself returning to dynamic mics. !!!!
Thanks for your work !t
After some thought, there is a problem with this comparo. To be fair you should have at least tried the FETHEAD with two cables. Moving the power section of the amp away from the mic might be quieter. Just a thought. I own the cloudlifter and find it, more or less, perfect. Great vids. Thanks.
FetHead is 88€ (on Thomann, german audio onlinestore) and the Cloudlifter is 166 (also on Thomann) so nearly twice as expensive...
The DBX 286 S is even cheaper than the Cloudlifter on Thomann. I think it's funny :D
Hey Mike, have you ever thought about doing a comparison video on XLR cables, like Mogami Gold vs cheap inexpensive cables? I’d love to see you do that video. Thanks. You’re the best.
so you're surprised you heard more ground hum in the preamp with 8% more db. Brilliant.
I am an extreme ear and the cloudlifter sounds way better to me. Cleaner conversion. The signal is much better
I live is Austria and Fethead costs about $69 and Cloudlifter is $182 on Amazon Germany
Please answer quickly. I have Shure MV7 and it has some noise, so the sound is low. Will it help in this case TritonAudio FetHead Filter ?
Connect the fethead into the cloud lifter and turn it to 11
User reviews on Amazon noted that some people's Fetheads died after a time or arrived DOA. Cloudlifter also had a few complaints, but the ratio of happy to sad was *much* more encouraging. 4% negative for Cloudlifter versus 15% negative for the Fethead. -By negative, I mean 1 and 2 star reviews. -And that's with Cloudlifter having a much bigger sample. 750 reviews versus 60.
Not to mention.., several of the 1 star reviews with the Cloudlifter sounded like user error: One thing to keep in mind is that you should put the pre-amp as close to the mic in your audio circuit as you can; I originally put mine at the long end of a run of cheap cable and the line noise was amplified along with the mic signal. You don't want to do that.
I own both, Fethead is nice a portable and both work the same +-
So you wouldn’t use either on a condenser mic right?? Like a nt1a? This is just for dynamic mics??
Correct.
*Fethead sounds much better. Would be interesting to hear it on condenser microphones. After your gain adjustment to Cloudlifter, I like more Cloudlifter. :) Not sure if it's because of a gain boost.*
*Fethead is 2 times cheaper, plus you don't need to buy the extra cable. Fethead is my choice.*
amazing content, honest and detailed, though the delivery time is too long I think, if you make this kind of review cut down to 5 or 10 min its highly recommendable, reviewing a product shouldn't be taking longer than 10 min, people watch reviews of more than one product usually, so keep this in mind and respect your client's time and they will more likely trust and respect you back, and more time spent on a product doesn't make it more suitable to one's unique needs, just a suggestion for your next stuff! Thanks, I'm gonna get the fethead because of lower cost and no real difference in sound.
Mike, I love the videos, so thank you for all the terrific content. In this video you mention a travel setup. Could you do a comparative review of tools like the Blue Icicle, Shure X2U, and maybe one or two other small preamps/mic adapters? Thank you again for the great reviews and advice.
I suspect as a streamer, the DBX 286s' compressor features might be one of the more attractive features as well. Cool that it provides equivalent gain though. I ended up hooking my ATR2100 to a Cathedral Pipes Durham which seems to be the least expensive of them (at $65) aside from the SS-1 ($75) and it does a pretty great job. My guess is that it feels similar in quality to the cloudlifter because the electronics are enclosed in a steel chassis.
great video best explanation I've seen on the internet why you need one.
Hi! Are you going to review sE's DM1 "Dynamite" inline Preamp anytime soon :)?