Cloudlifter CL-1 Teardown | Mic Activator Series Video 1

This is a deep teardown of the Cloudlifter CL-1 microphone activator / preamp. In this video we will open the device, catalog the on-board components/values, and desolder the JFETs so we can get a better look at the traces on the PCB.
Note: I do not have any affiliation with Cloud Microphones, the manufacturer of the Cloudlifter CL-1. The content in this video is being provided for entertainment/educational purposes. Some links below are affiliate links.
Mic Activator Series (⭐ = you are here)
1. ⭐ • Cloudlifter CL-1 Teard...
2. • KiCAD Circuit / Schema...
3. • KiCAD PCB Design Tutor...
4. • Building a Custom Clou...
Video For LC Meter Build • Auto-ranging LC Meter ...
Cloudlifter CL-1 amzn.to/3tcClnO
GitHub KiCad Project Files github.com/MostlyBuilds/micro...
Cloudlifter CL-1 Components / Values
Note: My analysis of these parts is a best effort, and not guaranteed to be correct. The provided links are what I THINK are good candidates for the actual parts used in a Cloudlifter CL-1.
• LSK389C JFETs: store.nacsemi.com/products/de...
• 1.8nF 1206 PEN Film Capacitor: www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/...
• 3K 1206 Thin Film Resistor: www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/...
• 33K 1206 Thin Film Resistors: www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/...
• 22Ohm 1206 Thin Film Resistors: www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/...
• 39Ohm 1206 Thin Film Resistor: www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/...
• Neutrik NC3MD-L-1 3-Pin XLR Male Connector: www.markertek.com/product/nc3...
• Neutrik NC3FD-L-1 3-Pin XLR Female Connector: www.markertek.com/product/nc3...
Other Links
• Cascode Amplifier: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascode
• LSK389 Datasheet: www.linearsystems.com/_files/...
Tools
• Andonstar AD407 digital microscope: amzn.to/485RplR
• SRA No-Clean Soldering Flux Pen: amzn.to/3TfhQkQ
• NTE No-Clean Solder Wick: amzn.to/3Tg6Nrw
• Weller digital solder station: amzn.to/48bnubQ
- This is the new version of the one that I have.
• Quick 957DW hot air station: amzn.to/48ahEaU
• High temp tape: amzn.to/41h1gTR
• MG Chemicals - 824-1L 99.9% isopropyl alcohol: amzn.to/41gXcTh
• Anti-static ESD brush: amzn.to/3uZvVsr
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[@ryanonvr2267]

I looked for this today and it was released 2 weeks ago. Cool.

[@MostlyBuilds]

Hah that’s awesome. Good timing! Hope you check out the other 3 videos in the series. 1 and 4 are the best. 2 and 3 are cool intros to PCB design with KiCad

[@bryce6326]

The work that went into getting the capacitance values here is incredible. Love it!

[@PrincipalAudio]

I might have to try building this circuit if I can get hold of those chips. I just got myself a Rigol DHO804 with the intent of building audio circuits, so this would be a great one to give a go! Thanks for the teardown. Great vid. 👌

[@MostlyBuilds]

Awesome! Would love to hear how it turns out if you end up doing it. Links to all the parts are in the video description.

[@masonmag]

Your dedication is inspiring.

[@Delorean29]

I am building the world's smallest CL-1 according to your scheme found capacitors 1.8 NF. mini grid size 5 MM. pcb will be aprox 2.5 X 1 CM. little I have Digigram pcb uax220 which can handle 2 pcs. SHURE SM7B. right away I'm going to build everything into a mini studio box a SHURE 1 DJ number 2 guest mick SHURE both with cloud CL-1 Crazy that you can play radio with USB 2.0 just like that!

[@VKRATCE]

Большое спасибо за видео. Лайк для продвижения канала!

[@sergionicolis664]

Fantastico! Muito bom seus vídeos, Preciso tentar criar algo entre o Cloudlifter, o Dynamite e o Alctron,... Dificil está sendo conseguir bons Fet's aqui abaixo da linha do Equador, componentes somente pelo Ali Express, com a dúvida de serem ou não originais,.... enfim, vou tentar assim mesmo; estou com 4 Shures SM 7B para um estúdio de podcast, a mesa de som não tem o alcance de ganho necessário e a grana já acabou,... vamos pro DIY,.....

[@wileu]

6:19 Well, now it's clear why the market has run out of cloudfilters.

[@MostlyBuilds]

Haha yeaaaaa

[@GeorgeDita-YO3ICW]

Can you please tell me why I can't use LSK389B. It is not available in Europe and if I buy it from the USA it costs a lot...

[@MostlyBuilds]

My observation in the video is just that Cloud uses the C variant. You may be able to use the B variant. I don’t know if there is a practical difference for this application. You can compare the differences by looking at the data sheet. Short of that, trying it and seeing if you can observe an audible difference may be all you can do.

[@MostlyBuilds]

Take all this with a grain of salt because I'm a hobbyist (not a professional EE). I took a look at the datasheet. Electrically the only difference between the B and C variants appears to be the IDSS (drain to source saturation current) -- the range is a bit higher on the C part. So the LSK389B can operate at a lower saturation current than the LSK389C, meaning you don't have to worry about it not fully switching on. I'm not sure what is required at the top end for the max value the B lists 12mA and the C lists 20mA. I think a higher IDSS value may have a lower on-state resistance, which would result in lower power dissipation as well. At these current ratings I kinda suspect that won't be an issue (maybe?). I don't know what the current draw is of the circuit though. You could totally experiment with the LSK389B and see how it performs. I've also found the electrical engineering stack exchange to be a great resource if you feel comfortable asking questions there: electronics.stackexchange.com Anyway, best of luck! Would love to hear back from you if you have any interesting insights from experimenting!