Help! Cloudlifter makes my Shure SM7B worse?

ggbriandee

New member
I have a Focusrite 2i2 pre-amp, the SM7B and the Cloudlifter. If I use the Cloudlifter with the SM7B, the audio gain is incredibly low with the gain knob at 50%. If I raise the gain in adobe audition, it has so much white noise/hiss. However, if I don't use the Cloudlifter, and crank the gain knob at 100%, my audio is at a pretty good level with less white noise/hiss than using the Cloudlifter. I don't believe it's a cable problem, and I even used a second brand new Cloudlifter but to no avail. Am I missing something? Thank you for your time.
 
GG!
I did not read that you turned on the 2i2's phantom power, for the CL-1. It is easy to overlook that step. The CL-1 needs 48V phantom power. That is my first guess. Especially, since you tried two different units.
Dale
 
GG!
I did not read that you turned on the 2i2's phantom power, for the CL-1. It is easy to overlook that step. The CL-1 needs 48V phantom power. That is my first guess. Especially, since you tried two different units.
Dale

Thank you for the quick reply! Yes, the phantom power is on. Forgive my negligence for not mentioning.
 
GG-
No problem on not mentioning the phantom power... I only asked that because I have been guilty of not hitting the phantom power, for my CL-1, on more than one occasion.

When you said that it is "incredibly low with the gain knob at 50%", what are you using as your reference? Is it low in your ears, low on a meter, low in Adobe? Are you seeing a green ring only, some occasional yellow ring, on the 2i2 gain knob?

You said that you don't think it is a cable problem. Are you using XLR to XLR, for all of the connections?
Dale
 
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GG-
No problem on not mentioning the phantom power... I only asked that because I have been guilty of not hitting the phantom power, for my CL-1, on more than one occasion.

When you said that it is "incredibly low with the gain knob at 50%", what are you using as your reference? Is it low in your ears, low on a meter, low in Adobe? Are you seeing a green ring only, some occasional yellow ring, on the 2i2 gain knob?

You said that you don't thinks it is a cable problem. Are you using XLR to XLR, for all of the connections?
Dale

I am using the gain knob on the Focusrite pre-amp in terms of 50% as a reference. In Adobe with Cloudlifter at 0db the standard, the audio is incredible low and I can barely see the waveform. If I increase the gain on either the pre-amp knob or increase the gain in Adobe, it has all sorts of hiss. Again, at 0db Without Cloudlifter, cranking the pre-amp knob to 100%, I can see the waveforms and has little hiss.

The cable route is as followed: Focusrite 2i2 XLR > Cloudlifter > XLR > SM7B.
 
You don't happen to have a condenser mic to plug in to confirm the phantom power is passing through the cable going to the CL-1, do you?

Or, if not, do you \have other cables to try, or at least swap around the pair you've got? Hard to believe you got 2 bad ones in a row.
 
You don't happen to have a condenser mic to plug in to confirm the phantom power is passing through the cable going to the CL-1, do you?

Hard to believe you got 2 bad ones in a row.

I'm with ya, Keith. Although I do not have a 2i2, but do have a CL-1 driving my RE-20 and SM7-B through my channel strip, I am beginning to wonder if the bus-powered 2i2 lacks the oomph to run that CL-1.
Dale
 
You don't happen to have a condenser mic to plug in to confirm the phantom power is passing through the cable going to the CL-1, do you?

Or, if not, do you \have other cables to try, or at least swap around the pair you've got? Hard to believe you got 2 bad ones in a row.

Hmm...I didn't think that I might have two bad XLR cables. Currently I only have 3 so I may have to purchase another one. Unfortunately I do not have a condenser.

Dale: (Apologies, I don't know how to quote two people in the same quote post) I know that the 2i2 can run the CL-1 as I've got it to work before. In a weird happenstance, I have two 2i2 and have tried them both. I thought perhaps it was a setting that somehow changed, but that wouldn't make any sense since to my knowledge the CL-1 doesn't need to be recognized by any sort of DAW. Again, thank you to everyone for putting in their two cents.
 
I cannot find a decent specc' for the CL-1 but the current draw seems to be about 3mA and it will work on supplies down to 18V so I doubt the 48v PPower is the issue.

...................BUT!............Once again can I urge ALL musical peoples to GET A FRIGGING METER! The cheapest RadShack digital or annyloggy meter will tell you if you have phantom power twixt 2 and 1 and 3 and 1. Almost all meters have a mA range so having found the voltage, switch to current when, in theory you should get 7mA 'per leg' but 1/2 that would work for almost any mic or gadget.

Dave.
 
ggbriandee,

Could you take a few pics of your setup with the connectors shown clearly and post them? (not sure how many posts are needed for noob to have permission to post pics(?))

Secondly is the 2i2 plugged into a laptop or a desktop PC and have you tried different USB ports or even another computer if lucky enough to have one available? Where the interface and CL1 had once worked, have you changed computers? A few years back I had an older PC that for some reason could not supply adequate power to an interface if a mic was plugged in that required phantom power. The audio levels were low and had hiss when phantom was used. I was however able to get the interface to work using a powered USB hub.
 
"to my knowledge the CL-1 doesn't need to be recognized by any sort of DAW. "

Just a WAAAY out there idea..Freakin WIN 10? Is it possible that an update has caused the PC NOT to recognise a device that is not actually a USB data device and thus not supply it with power?

I do know that USB power IS in the gift of the OS because you can set it to stay on or off when you shut a PC down. Pretty sure all the OP's other tests rule this out but had to say it.

Dave.
 
ggbriandee,

Could you take a few pics of your setup with the connectors shown clearly and post them? (not sure how many posts are needed for noob to have permission to post pics(?))

Secondly is the 2i2 plugged into a laptop or a desktop PC and have you tried different USB ports or even another computer if lucky enough to have one available? Where the interface and CL1 had once worked, have you changed computers? A few years back I had an older PC that for some reason could not supply adequate power to an interface if a mic was plugged in that required phantom power. The audio levels were low and had hiss when phantom was used. I was however able to get the interface to work using a powered USB hub.

I have used the CL-1 on a Mac Laptop before with no issues. Tried it again, and got the same results. I've tried different USB ports as well. I'll try ordering new XLRs though I should mention, I've used the same XLRs on a Scarlett Cm25 Mk2 microphone which I completely forgot is a condenser. I tested the Cm25 again without the CL-1 and 48v. It works just fine. With the CL-1 I get nothing. No sound at all. Tried different XLRs, still nothing.

Here are pictures of my simple setup. Thanks for helping out.36864567_1958691327474549_8003368494613659648_n.jpg36864582_1958691527474529_728323825158062080_n.jpg36812686_1958691480807867_7936538734768422912_n.jpg36854866_1958691600807855_1398067315760693248_n.jpg36890698_1958691687474513_8157155480888672256_n.jpg
 
GG,
The pictures helped to answer a question that I have been pondering of whether or not you might be using 50' long XLR cables. I am assuming the purple-flagged cable is not, and the red cable is the one that came with the FR.

I see your mic gain knob at 12-1 o'clock. When you are speaking into the mic, are you seeing any color activity: green, yellow, or red ring around the knob?
How close are you, when addressing the mic? This is a broadcaster-type mic that likes for you to be closer to it, unlike your CM-25, which is more sensitive.

Like ECC, I want to throw another WAY OUT there test: have you tried flipping the switches, on the butt-end of the mic. Set them to Flat Response, test, then other settings, etc.
Dale
 
GG,
The pictures helped to answer a question that I have been pondering of whether or not you might be using 50' long XLR cables. I am assuming the purple-flagged cable is not, and the red cable is the one that came with the FR.

I see your mic gain knob at 12-1 o'clock. When you are speaking into the mic, are you seeing any color activity: green, yellow, or red ring around the knob?
How close are you, when addressing the mic? This is a broadcaster-type mic that likes for you to be closer to it, unlike your CM-25, which is more sensitive.

Like ECC, I want to throw another WAY OUT there test: have you tried flipping the switches, on the butt-end of the mic. Set them to Flat Response, test, then other settings, etc.
Dale

The purple XLR is 10ft. Not sure what the red is, I'm assuming it's 10ft as well. Third XLR pretty sure is a 50ft.

The way I was taught when speaking into mics is to make the "I Love You" hand sign, spread my thumb and pinky as far away as possible. Then put that distance between my mouth and the mic. That has worked with the SM7B before. Doing another test, I don't get any color around the knob. On the playback of a recording I can hear myself but it's about -45db. Again, when I crank the knob to 5 O'clock, the audio waves are nice, and the knob is green. I tried adjusting the frequency switches on the rear. No change.
 
You can get literally right on the windscreen of an SM7B. The diaphragm is quite a ways behind the end of the foam.

But I don't think that will solve your problem. It sounds like a cable issue but the condenser working on those cables argues against that guess.
 
I have used the CL-1 on a Mac Laptop before with no issues. Tried it again, and got the same results. I've tried different USB ports as well. I'll try ordering new XLRs though I should mention, I've used the same XLRs on a Scarlett Cm25 Mk2 microphone which I completely forgot is a condenser. I tested the Cm25 again without the CL-1 and 48v. It works just fine. With the CL-1 I get nothing. No sound at all. Tried different XLRs, still nothing. ...
Just to be clear, the CL-1 does not pass the 48v through, so you should not hear anything with a condenser plugged in.

Now, I'm wondering if the 48v [milliamps] coming from that computer is just too pathetic to drive the CL-1. The cables are ruled out, since they've all been tested with the condenser (right?). The CL-1 + SM7b works with the same cables on another computer, then it must be the computer.

A short test, but not one recommended for permanent use, would be to get a powered USB hub (one that plugs in via a wall wart), and insert that between your computer and the interface.
 
Minor correction to ggbriandee, not that it changes things much..... the thread started out about the Focusrite 2i2. The interface in the pic is the Solo :)

- I don't know if it makes any difference, but evidently the USB ports you're using in the pic are USB 3.0 which can supply a higher current for charging devices than what a USB 2.0 can do. As long as it's "clean" DC from the port and there isn't some weird setting in the computer on how it works, the red USB 3.0 port should provide adequate power to the Solo. You said you had tried other ports. Were those also red USB 3.0 ports? If so try a non red one which may be a non-charging port. Charging a battery in a device does not need 'clean' power and might be less filtered (just speculating on this).

- Something to try (not sure if this will prove anything)..... With headphones plugged into the Solo, SM7b, CL1 connected and phantom off, setup the Solo so you can playback and hear a recording from the computer in the headphones at a comfortable listening level. While listening turn on the phantom power to the CL1 and SM7b (no need to talk into the mic) and see if the audio being played through the headphones changes in volume, quality, hiss, etc. If it does it may be the USB power isn't playing nicely with the interface.
 

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Long shot, but test your known-to-work condenser microphone straight into the interface, once with each cable.
That's just an easy no-meter way of making sure all three cables are balanced and working.
 
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