CLOUDLIFTER and a DURHAM mk2

CoolCat

Well-known member
I got the Cloudlifter from a suggestion here on HR, and I love it.
Looking at adding another I tried the Cathederal Pipes Durham mk2 , more than 50% cheaper and great reviews too.

Thought I'd add this,,,
Both are similar designs, they are gain circuits from Ribbon mics put in a box, powered off +48v phantom, a no hassle ps cable free and take up no room on the desktop. Clean clean gain, invisible to tone is the design goal.

>50% cheaper is the Durham mk2, so I can deal with that.
It showed up in a small cardboard box like the Cloudlifter.
Quickly noticed it doesnt have the weight of the Cloudlifter but its solid, like you could throw it on the ground and no problem solid...drive it over with a car and probably it will still work. The XLR are plastic, not the heavier metal type of the Cloudlifter. The huge let down was no rubber feet on the Durham...bummer...I need to go buy some $1.39 rubber feet.
My RADIAL JDI has a XLR similar to the Durham, so the plastic vs metal will be fine in a HR environment.
BUILD RATING: 4.5 of 5.........(Cloudlifter gets 5)

Now plugged into my interface mic inputs, the DURHAM 2 supposedly has 5 db more. I dont know and am not running Oscope tests.
Using my eyes on the meters and DAW waves and plugging in my SM58 and/or Fender P-Bass> JDI> DURHAM mk2....I feel there is a
but of a sound difference more than Gain. I prefered the Cloudlifter more. It seemed fuller for me. Made sure all the cables were the same using the same everything but swapping the DURHAM mk2 and CL-1.
SOUND rating: 4 of 5....sound is so subjective.

I'd like to try the SOYUZ Launcher, its hyped as a Transformer design with intentional color. But I didnt plan on spending $600 on small boxes?
To be honest, imo, the DURHAM mk2 is priced right to get 80% there, the CL-1 is $149, not $65....
so in Cost DURHAM gets 5 of 5 points...cost is not subjective. Clouud gets 3 of 5 on cost
 

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Currently, I only have one mic - a condenser, but I have been looking at an SM58/57 and could probably make use of a Durham MKII in the future.
 
oddly, I prefer the Cloudlifter....the subjective sound on the CL is just more pleasant to me. ..in a mix who knows? maybe I like blue better than white? lol
 
relistening to my little comparison loop on bass guitar, Fender Precision US version...(.which was my intention for the Durham) and I dont care for it.

The D actually came in 2nd to last place, above my PBAss> Line6 software,

the JDI Radial >CL-1 came in 3rd.... the best results, include sound and also ease of use and ability to get a fat large wave without effort was the APHEX 207 preamp, not sure if I like the Bass DI in....or the JDI > Aphex 207 Mic In better.

But what does a HR dude want when the mood hits to record? ....simplicity, ease to track and set levels fast, get a fat waveform that sounds good.

relistening test also put the Durham below the CL, in this application with a JDI in front of the Booster. Maybe this is due to the difference of Z?
either way, again, much prefer the Cloudlifter to the Durham. the CL is full while the Durham has a different tone....when it comes to Tone, to each their own.
CL is double the cost but if you like the Durham sound maybe a $20 Behringer booster will work?

Its funny how time takes off some of the GREAT RATING brain buzz....

today I would list the Durham the same except in sound...reduce it to 3 of 5...with the Bass and JDI in front of it, maybe not even the units intentional application. As for the APHEX 207, I can add basically this unit is more in comparison to the interface preamps, not really the Cloudlifter or Durham.

Setup:
SM58 > Cloudlifter or Durham > Aphex 207 Mic In or Interface Mic preamp
Fender P-Bass > JDI > Cloudlifter or Durham > Aphex 207 or Interface Mic preamp

SM58> Aphex 207 Mic In (Line In on interface)
Fender P-Bass > Aphex 207 DI in (Line In on interface)

the SM58 > Cloudlifter > Aphex 207 mic in > Line Out to Line In on interface.....seemed to be preferred.
Fender P-BAss > RADIAL JDI > Aphex Mic In> same.......................................preferred.


I guess this says the interface preamps are a shade less than the outboard 207, and the CL is preferred over the Durham.
My son could use a mic booster so probably will see what he thinks of the Durham Mk2....at $65..its not worth selling, shipping etc... its great price, great build.

The more I think of the sound difference of the Durham and CL, is very likely the Impedance difference, I dont know?
 

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I have to say, the only pieces in your post I am familiar with are the P bass and SM58 (gigs, not recording).

So I'm having to do a lot of reading up on your other stuff. Just read an '02 review on the APHEX 207 preamp. Way above my payscale right now..

Aphex 207 Tube Mic Preamp
 
I figure the U87 8mv/pa(-41db)......U87ai 28 mv/pa (-31.1db).....SM58 at 1.85 mv/pa(-54 db) + Mic Booster of +25db....gets the "volume" up to the U87ai level....the DURHAM mk2 +25db gain booster.

Today and tonight I did a DURHAM mk2 test this time with vocal> SM58> into the boosters then into the 207 preamp(Line IN on the interface).

The Cathderal Pipes DURHAM mk2 sounded really good. Now I get the positive reviews on this thing!

It has a very silent circuit and in addition really pumps up the SM58 (SM7b) dynamic mics.
At the $65 +shipping/tax its really where I would want to see these type pieces is a no brainer.
Now I could give this a better rating in sound....making it really 4.5/5 type thing. So DURHAM booster ups its rating... COST is excellent $65+tx/ship, SOUND is excellent in this application, Build is excellent (and I added some rubber feet $1)
totally different view of things tonight..er...morning.

ADD> my bad.. didnt mention the DURHAM mk2 also has NEUTRIK jacks, in and out....quality part where its needed.
 

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lol....yeah theres a lot of that everywhere I have found same results also.

and no.. A-Designs bass di time. but being a gearhead..the REDDI , for example, is praised and a gear design to be respected..vibe out.
Like someone said the vintage museum stuff isnt about sound as much as having some rare piece or something or the solid design. Engineer brain seems to think parts and labor does cost money, but theres where some low wage countrys can use good parts and low labor and its cheaper, and sometimes the snake oil is poured onto cheap crap and sold as a magic sound...

"what the hells going on out here?" - vince lombardi
 
I gave my son a SM7b, for xmas...as he always liked that one....but he never used it because there was no preamp to boost it.

I gave him the Durham mic booster and boom, there it is. And he commented he loved it also because there is zero hassle, no knobs to remember nothing, just record and do the ITB thing.

an odd thing though is his Shure SM48 sounds the same once the processing is over and it cost like $50...but I digress.

The DURHAM booster is half the price of the cloudlifter too, miniscule differences but then thats the fun for us gearheads is the differences in the details....even if no one else on earth hears it. :guitar:
 
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The price difference between the SM7B/Cloudlifter and SM48/Durham can be a major deciding factor for us bedroom studio guys. With relatively (subjectively?) small differences noticeable in the end product, the "adequate" lower priced gear becomes very attractive.

Though if I may make an analogy .. additions of small amounts of processing here and there throughout a mix, then additional small amounts in mastering can offer a greater cumulative effect... so may several pieces of high quality hardware (such as mics, cloudlifters, cables, etc.), offering subtle improvements, produce a similar cumulative improvement.
 
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lower priced pro-gear ... Durham makes impressive stuff and Shure needs no defending.

you cant knock the SM7 design though, with the metal grill and all that, its really a different body and electronics on it to justfy some cost.the grill alone can offer a great function for consistent proximity control..but yeah the cost keeps climbing...I think when I bought my first one it was like $250 now they are $400. While I saw a SM58 still at $98 and 57 same.

The SM48 is the same pro build , nearly identical to the SM58....which has about the same capsule as the SM7... I choose my SM58 over the SM7 because it works for me and I have it on a spring-arm and the 58 is a lot lighter in weight.
 
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