KLARK TEKNIK CM-1 MIC BOOSTER REVIEW. Podcasters, Voice over artists, check this out!

#cloudlifter #cm-1 #KlarkTeknik #podcasting
Heh guys, it's Steve from Featherlight and today we are checking out the brand new CM-1 Mic Booster from Klark Teknik. This is an inline microphone preamp that boosts the signal for really low output microphones like the Shure SM7b and some ribbon microphones as well and could be a huge help to Podcasters and Voice Over Artists. We test this little device completely to see if it adds significant noise to the signal chain and rather it can compete with the industry standard CL-1 from Cloudlifter.
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All products reviewed here are completely out of pocket with our own money.
This is not a sponsored video
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Happy Holiday and Thank You to all you guys!!
As a thank you...here is a -10% off coupon to Waves Plugins for the Holiday!!
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Gear used in my video reviews:
Klark Teknik CM-1 Mic Booster
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Cubase Pro 11 Audio /MIDI Software
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Cubase Elements 11 Audio/MIDI Software
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Gear Used to make this video:
Coda Music MB-Stealth mic preamp
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Nikon z6ii w/24-70 f4 lens
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Samyang AF 14mm f2.8 lens
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DJI Pocket 2 Creator Combo
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Freewell Glow Mist Filter Set
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GVM 2 pack RGB LED lighting kit w stands
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Neewer LED Bi-Color 18in 70w Flapjack Light
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FEELWORLD T7 7 inch 4K Camera Monitor
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REYTRIC 154 Wh V Mount Battery
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Rode Wireless Go
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Shure SM7b Microphone
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Mackie ProFXv3 10 Channel Mixer
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DJI Ronin-SC - Camera Stabilizer
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IK Multimedia Z-Tone DI Box
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Gear purchased through these links provides the channel
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www.waves.com/...
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#cloudlifter #KlarkTeknik #podcasting
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[@peternapoliello2490]

Most professional and accurate comparison test to date. Thank you kindly for your expertise.

[@Featherlightstudio]

Thank you!

[@boryakaufman]

Yes

[@AndyKow]

This is ultimately hands down the most technically accurate test! Thank you for going through the tests, explaining the details, making the video and sharing your thoughts. Love it!

[@Featherlightstudio]

Thanks Andy!! Appreciate it.

[@garrywindshield1]

I am amazed at how professional and to the point this comparison is. Much respect, sir

[@Featherlightstudio]

I appreciate that!

[@williamj.sheehan2001]

Allow me to "second" that, Garry!

[@vanquestgear]

This was the video that sold me on the CM-1. Been on backorder for almost 3 months now. Excellent tests and overview!

[@Featherlightstudio]

Thanks, I appreciate that!

[@McSlobo]

Finally a proper review with some tests. Excellent stuff, keep up with the good work!

[@Featherlightstudio]

Thanks, Appreciate you checking it out

[@sebastianschneider3171]

Thank you very much. That's how all technical reviews should look like. Best wishes from Germany.

[@Featherlightstudio]

Thanks, I appreciate that

[@Just1n2802]

A test this technical and accurate earns a sub 👍

[@Featherlightstudio]

Thanks, I appreciate that.

[@davidbachy5627]

"it doesn't suck" that's the bar that's high enough for me.

[@Featherlightstudio]

🤣🤣🤣

[@MarkDavidTeo]

wtf this is so ridiculously good. Thank you so much!!! I wish other channels did more technical tests. You deserve more subs!!

[@Featherlightstudio]

Thanks Mark!

[@stringstorm]

The CM-1 not only beats the Cloudlifter but absolutely murders it.

[@ninjacowboy2670]

sounds like a classic case of purchase justification lol. I bet you can't even hear a difference!

[@NormanTiner]

@@ninjacowboy2670 He means based on the price. $35 beats $150 considering they perform almost identically based on the tests in the video.

[@Desecrator6]

@@ninjacowboy2670 buyer envy?

[@LeBeautiful]

Clean, technical, and straight to the point.

[@TechOwnage]

thanks for this review. this is a definitive testing.... i was considering Alctron MA-1 but upon watching reviews it adds noise. This Klark CM-1 seems to be better. thanks again

[@Featherlightstudio]

Thanks, glad it helped

[@TechOwnage]

@@Featherlightstudio thanks again. i subbed to your channel sir. thanks again

[@WangDianqun]

Just received CM-1 today, love it. Great value, thanks for the review.

[@Featherlightstudio]

Your welcome, yeah, its hard to beat for the money!

[@steveswain2355]

Just Ordered the CM1 last night, hopefully it will improve my SM7b,,

[@groupcall6570]

The best and most professional, informative Review I have seen on the internet. Well done!!!👍 yes I just bought the Klark Teknik CM1. Thank you for saving my hard worked £££!

[@CarbCutter75]

Exactly the video I was looking for. Well done. 👍

[@abnzg]

this is one of the best comparison videos of audio components I've ever seen. Thanks @featherlitestudio!

[@ceilingsandfloors]

Thankyou for this! Normally I could easily figure this out was by comparing their EIN specs, but it seems the published specs are all suspiciously vague. The Klarkteknik simply claims >120dB unweighted, which still gets them points for honesty because Triton and Cloud don't even list their specs. Some people figured it out to be -128 dB or so for both devices, but I didn't know if they meant A weighted or not. The pres on my interface are around the same, some of the newer low-end interfaces have already hit the -130dB(A) mark. I went and brought the CM1 a few months ago, but when I compared the noise levels at the same signal levels, with the booster and without, with +25dB gain (which is also the point where the pre runs out of clean gain, and just turns up the noise floor), I found it only gave maybe half a dB or so of more headroom. Interesting to see that the cloudlifter is not much different in noise. Unless you're using a 10 year old interface or something, I don't think you really "need" a cloudlifter. I do notice that the cloudlifter looks a slight bit smoother in frequency response, and people often claim it adds to the tone, while the CM-1 is supposedly very transparent, so I guess it does have that element for it.

[@Featherlightstudio]

Agreed, I think the biggest advantage of products like these is when you are using interfaces or audio mixers that have lower EIN specs or consumer/prosumer grade components that typically are noisier when run wide open. These products simply allow you a way around that limitation. With the overwhelming amount of home podcasting and streaming , there are more people in that category than ever before.

[@Gajeman]

Damn, man... That was a great video. Thanks, so much! Subbed.

[@jamestheradioman]

Incredible test! Well done!

[@themindunset]

Thanks, Steve! This was super helpful as I'm trying to decide whether or not to purchase another SM7b for my audio book tracks. I love the sound of the mic but I don't have a full studio rig to push it through and the noise floor is a major concern with my UR22 mic pre. This was helpful.

[@Featherlightstudio]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JoeH1538]

Great video. Perfectly explained. Thank you.

[@vincent_veenenberg]

This helpfull! Amazingly good video, nicely done. Great job!

[@RaymanuelMuzik]

Thanks to this review I bought it and man it was worth it.

[@Roddo731]

Great review and as somebody else said the most professional definitely professional accurate comparison I’ve seen this really helps me process when I need to do… And I have just hit the subscribe button :-)

[@SAJSOUND]

Thank you so much for this content ♥️♥️♥️

[@Featherlightstudio]

Thanks, I appreciate that!

[@The5thVolt]

So I couldn't buy the CM-1 anywhere here in Australia, but I did get my hands on the Klark Teknik CT-1 Mic Booster. Do you think that the CT-1 is about the same thing as the CM-1 but in a different package (attached directly to the mic instead of on the floor)?

[@Featherlightstudio]

Most of the info Ive been able to find points to the difference between the two models being largely the chassis housing ( the CM-1 for desktop and the CT-1 for on Mic ) Hoping to get one in here to test.

[@designvoid372]

This is so clinical I love it

[@JohnDoe-fu4qd]

That was an awesome review.

[@diegosoares1956]

Alctron has made the mp5 + preamp available, it will be very interesting if you can test it

[@Featherlightstudio]

Great suggestion!

[@randomjosephvlogs6733]

Hi! Great review. I'd like to ask if I can also use this mic booster when I do live performance? I usually sing in a bar, and uses not so expensive mic, (Superlux TM58) that looks like SM58. I'm just, wondering if the mic booster is prone to feedback if i use it on live performance or bar gigs.

[@Featherlightstudio]

Its just a signal booster primarily for really low output Mics like the Shure SM7b. It won't really do much for regular dynamic Mics except make them louder.

[@benoittissier58]

Why didn't you include the Cloudlifter in the comparison ? By the way, these devices kind of expand the usable dynamic of a mic. Before I got a Triton Fethead, I got nothing good out of the SM57. Then I realized how many nuances it can deliver.

[@Featherlightstudio]

As both the Cloudlifter and Fethead products have been out for a while, there is a wealth of info about them and their sonic performance. This video simply tries to determine rather the CM-1 can compete with those well known specs. After testing, its clear that it can.

[@Giovy-Perez]

thanks! so much ! God bless you

[@KandonEntertainmentGroup]

this was amazing, thank you

[@regnadkcin1]

I know this is audio nerd stuff. PODCASTER or PLASTERCASTER not my problem...this is an elegant solution if you use dynamic mics. It's also 3/4 le$$ than a much hyped alternative.

[@Solotos]

Отличный материал и подача! Спасибо за полезный обзор! Всем мира и добра!

[@Zyablow]

cool test!🤟🏼 thank you very much. if there is an opportunity to do the same with KLARK TEKNIK CT-1

[@Featherlightstudio]

Hoping to get one in studio to test alongside the CM-1 soon.

[@j1o2h3n4ify]

I was waiting for a sound comparison

[@Featherlightstudio]

03:36

[@gerykis]

Would be awesome if you could open with a screwdriver what is inside , what circuit

[@Featherlightstudio]

Im sure someone out there does a teardown video of this, let us know if ya find one?

[@SimurghMyTube]

How does the CM-1 compare to sE electronics DM2 T.N.T. ?

[@Featherlightstudio]

The DM2 offers the ability to switch between +15-30db boosts and also lets you choose different Impedance settings compared to the CM-1 basic boost. Its also 3 times the cost.

[@justincalhoun7438]

This man gonna make them raise the price😭

[@Featherlightstudio]

lol

[@jamestheradioman]

The prices have already been raised!? The CM2 is up +$20 😮 from $49 to $69😢. Get it while they're still available.

[@kevinisaacs6930]

I just order mines.

[@princeljmusic4803]

Can I use this on a condenser microphone?

[@Featherlightstudio]

This is not meant for condenser microphones as it IS a booster and condenser microphones already have quite hot outputs.

[@williamj.sheehan2001]

Please allow me to pose a rudimentary question: if I'm plugging my SM58 or similar dynamic mic into the XLR Mic Input of my acoustic amp (and having to turn up the gain on the amp pretty high to get a decent signal), and my amp doesn't offer phantom power, am I out of luck or can I still use the CM-1 in conjunction with a free-standing 48V phantom power unit?

[@Featherlightstudio]

Sure, any phantom power source will operate the CM-1

[@williamj.sheehan2001]

@@Featherlightstudio Thanks! And with regard to the signal chain, would it be "microphone - to - CM-1 - to - phantom power unit - to - amp"?

[@Featherlightstudio]

@@williamj.sheehan2001 Yes, the CM-1 has to 'see' the phantom power coming from the XLR cable

[@williamj.sheehan2001]

@@Featherlightstudio THANK YOU !!

[@jamestheradioman]

Great question!

[@annekedebruyn7797]

About time people started making cheaper alternatives. It isn't rocket science what's inside. No need for it to be over 50 euros.

[@SnappyScience]

This is an amazing technical review Steve! Really helpful. Question. Will the CM-1 still work with a condenser that requires 48V power?

[@Featherlightstudio]

Thanks, The CM-1 and really none of the current Mic boosters are designed to work with condenser microphones, as the CM-1 and other units cannot pass phantom power and condensers dont really need the added gain the booster provides.

[@MonicaSterling]

@@Featherlightstudio What about the Fethead Phantom?

[@Featherlightstudio]

@@MonicaSterling The Fethead Phantom does pass phantom power but was not included in this comparison because it focuses mostly on Dynamic/Ribbon Mics that need the extra gain and condenser mics generally dont. Plus passing phantom power to a ribbon Mic could potential damage it.

[@SanedFeliciano]

Awesome comparison! Do you know what's the difference between the Klark Teknik cm-1 vs. the ct-1?

[@Featherlightstudio]

Heh Miranda, the ct-1 is a smaller form factor version of the cm-1 that eliminates the need for an additional cable run between the mic and preamp but I haven't be able to get one to check and see if there are actual performance differences, hopefully soon.

[@Itslegitman]

@@Featherlightstudio have you got it by now? Really curious if there is any difference

[@StarbucksBob]

At around 1:24, you've mentioned short XLR cable was recommended, I am foreign to audio technology, so how much would be considered short. 10/ 15/ 25 feet or are we talking dongle length? I recently bought myself a podmic, and is looking to pick up a ext. preamp, probably the inline version, Klark Teknik CT 1. Would I have the same issue?

[@Featherlightstudio]

The reasoning here for the short cable from the microphone is so you are not 'pre-amping' any more noise than you have to between the Mic and the Preamp. But this is a subtle amount compared to the rest of the signal chain. I just wouldn't go over 20-25 feet before the pre-amp if you can help it. And any preamp would work the same way including the CT-1.

[@jamestheradioman]

Great question and great answer. I was wondering the same thing: What is considered a short mic cable for this application or what's too long? Thanks for the info everybody!

[@StefanGenov7]

this video need more exposure.

[@guenstigkochen]

Thanks for your review. This made me to buy the CM-2 for 69€ instead of more then 300€ for the CL-2. Regards from Austria 🇦🇹 Where people are living in the woods (like Trump said 😂) and no kangooroos 🦘

[@fergx2429]

Do these things remove that annoying static, hissing white noise?

[@Featherlightstudio]

No, all mic boosters simply take what you put into them...and make that louder. If your input source is noisy to start, this will make that louder.

[@The1TheOnle]

Anyone have any idea how the cm-1 compares to klark teknic's ct-1?

[@Featherlightstudio]

Would be curious to know as well as the CT-1 has a lot less room in the chassis to work with compared to the CM-1.

[@apock88]

According to the specification document they should be exactly the same, the only different between the CT-1 and CM-1 and CM-2 are the form factor, the later two are "floor" friendly and require 2 cables. The CT-1 connects directly to the microphone.

[@stringstorm]

Can confirm. Tore both open and they use the same guts just one is more compact than the other. One is meant for floor while the other is meant for attaching directly to the mic.

[@thetruthexperiment]

Okay, so it doesn’t color the sound with germanium or anything so I still need a 1073 clone. Okay. I knew it.

[@Featherlightstudio]

lol

[@kimkelvin]

how does the cm-1 compare with their ct-1? :D as the only available here in Australia at the moment is the CT-1, gonna use it on a Rode Procaster , cheers!

[@Featherlightstudio]

The ct-1 is VERY similar to the cm-1 just in a more compact package that hangs off the end of the Mic. Should be a good match for the 320 ohm output of the Rhode Podcaster

[@kimkelvin]

@@Featherlightstudio cheers thank for clarifying :) imma grab one!

[@DJHoodShaka]

lets you know how marketing has made the cloud lifter seem like god!!!! The cloud lifter is 100$ at sweet water and the CM-1 is 29$ at sweet water.

[@ricardoprieto6401]

Cloudlifter is $149

[@DJHoodShaka]

@@ricardoprieto6401 so they went up? SMH thats the price of popularity.

[@JVJF7]

So when you use this, you'll have to turn the phantom power on?

[@Featherlightstudio]

Heh Jamie, yes, like almost all other mic boosters, its powered from the phantom power provided by your audio interface/mixer input.

[@JM-eq3sx]

What is the range for "fairly short?" 1 ft? 6 ft? Thanks.

[@Featherlightstudio]

The shortest possible for you recording setup. If you can use a 1ft cable, that's the best, if not, then the longer the cable, the more chance for noise to be introduced into the signal path. I have been using about a 6ft cable and that works great as long as you're not running parallel to power lines or over noisy wall warts.

[@JM-eq3sx]

@@Featherlightstudio Thanks, would you recommend this for live performance? I was thinking that a 6 foot cable would allow it to sit on the floor. Would it make you more susceptible to feedback, or possibly less?

[@Featherlightstudio]

@@JM-eq3sx The CM-1 is just a pre-amp. It really doesn't change the frequency response of the signal in any way that we could measure so it wouldn't change the feedback characteristic of the Mic, it simply makes it louder. You can, of course, make any mic feed back if you turn it up loud enough but I've used the sm7b lots live and the really tight cardioid pattern of that mic helps a lot!

[@FreakyChumy]

Great thanks for Sharing. Therefore we can conclude "Cloudlifter" is just about the same electronics circuitry as the "Kalrk Teknik on the inside", BUT only with a fancy name, and a ridiculously overpriced tag.

[@Featherlightstudio]

The circuits for this type of inline booster are pretty well known but the quality of the caps and resistors used can vary, although, in all our tests, the Klark Teknik has proven to be pretty decent quality.

[@ninjacowboy2670]

All that fancy gear and the speech audio sounds like it was recorded on a toaster lol

[@Featherlightstudio]

Yeah, our transmitter was starting to go on parts of this one. Even good gear fails from time to time.

[@soundscenesdcmusicmedia2709]

Sigh... shoulda known... It's behringer... that kills it for me. won;t buy UB's stuff . won't spec it for clients.

[@kevinisaacs6930]

I just order mines.