The Cloud Microphones Cloudlifter CL-Z Mic Activator uses phantom power from your preamp to solve an array of common issues with dynamic and ribbon microphones while maximizing your audio quality, making it a must-have box for your studio or live toolset. It's designed to be a middleman between your mic and preamp, maximizing the signal quality by providing an additional +25dB of ultra-clean gain. This can dramatically improve the sound quality when using preamps that are noisy in their upper gain range, and with long cable runs. The CL-Z provides a spectrum of new possibilities with its comprehensive feature set. Continuously variable input impedance from 150 ohms to 15k ohms allows for ultimate control over your microphones character, while the variable low-cut filter allows for custom tonal shaping and control over the microphone's natural proximity effect. This is especially useful for voice and other sources where lower frequencies need a gentle or drastic reduction. The CL-Z, like all Cloudlifters, requires phantom power to operate, yet does not pass phantom to the input. For this reason, Cloudlifters are an ideal solution for ribbon, dynamic, and tube microphones alike!