{"id":1772027,"date":"2022-02-08T14:20:13","date_gmt":"2022-02-08T14:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/?post_type=articles&#038;p=1772027"},"modified":"2026-04-28T16:00:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T20:00:12","slug":"tc-electronic-clarity-m-setup-guide","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/tc-electronic-clarity-m-setup-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"TC Electronic Clarity M Setup Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Clarity M Loudness Meter is a very helpful tool to have in your studio, so in this guide, we will show you how to register, set up, and connect the Clarity M for the first time. Follow the sections below to get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li><a href=\"#Register-the-Clarity-M\"><strong>Register the Clarity M<\/strong><\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Download-the-plug-in\"><strong>Download the plug-in<\/strong> <\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#How-to-update-the-Clarity-M-firmware\"><strong>How to update the Clarity M firmware<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#Setup-and-connections\"><strong>Setup and connections<\/strong><\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#USB\"><strong>USB<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><strong><a href=\"#AES-and-Optical\">AES and ADAT<\/a><\/strong> <\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><strong><a href=\"#How-to-Use-the-TC-Electronic-Clarity-M\">How to Use the TC Electronic Clarity M<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"Register-the-Clarity-M\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft noUnderline customh2 swheader\">Register the Clarity M<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While it\u2019s always exciting to take gear out the box and start using it, you\u2019ll first need to register the device with TC Electronic. Once you register the hardware, you\u2019ll receive an extended three-year warranty. We should note that you need to register the Clarity M within the first 90 days of purchase. Check out our TC Electronic registration guide to learn more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/tc-electronic-warranty-registration\/\" class=\"relatedcontent_link\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-related-content\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_block\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2022\/09\/Register_your_TC_Electronic.jpg);background-size:cover;background-position:center\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_overlay_content\"><\/div><div class=\"relatedcontent-text relatedcontent_content\"><p class=\"relatedcontent_title\" style=\"color:#fff\">How to Register your TC Electronic to Get the Full Warranty<\/p><p class=\"relatedcontent_subhead\" style=\"color:#fff;border:none\"><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/a>\n\n\n\n<p>Don&#8217;t forget to download the <strong>user manual <\/strong>and <strong>quick start guide <\/strong>from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcelectronic.com\/en\/products\/0842-AAA\">Clarity M product page<\/a> on the TC Electronic website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"Download-the-plug-in\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">Download the plug-in<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You can use the Clarity M Loudness Meter on its own, but TC Electronic has also created a software counterpart in the way of VST, AU, and AAX plug-ins. Available for both PC and Mac, the plug-in works in many DAWs such as Cubase, Pro Tools, Logic, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Go to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcelectronic.com\/en\/products\/0842-AAA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Clarity M product page<\/a> on the TC Electronic website. Click <strong>Downloads<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Locate the newest version of the software for Windows or Mac. Download and install the package for your computer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While you are on the page, be sure to download the owner&#8217;s manual and the quick start guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"How-to-update-the-Clarity-M-firmware\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">How to update the Clarity M firmware<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>TC Electronic will release firmware updates periodically, which often improves the performance of your Clarity M. Updating the firmware is a breeze, too! It\u2019s just a matter of connecting it to your computer, downloading the firmware file, then copying and pasting the file into the Clarity M\u2019s firmware folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#f3f2f1\"><strong>TIP<\/strong>: Before updating the firmware, press the <strong>SYS <\/strong>button to view the current firmware version installed on your device. If it matches that of the latest version on the download page, then you\u2019re all set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Press the <strong>SYS <\/strong>button, set your Clarity M to Disk Drive Mode, then connect it to your computer. <\/li><li>Go to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcelectronic.com\/en\/products\/0842-AAA\">Clarity M product page<\/a>, and click <strong>Downloads<\/strong>. Locate and download the newest version of the firmware. <\/li><li>Open<strong> File Explorer <\/strong>(PC) or <strong>Finder <\/strong>(Mac), then access the Clarity M drive. <\/li><li>Copy the firmware file you downloaded, then paste it into the Firmware folder of the Clarity M drive. <\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/how-to-safely-eject-an-external-hard-drive\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Safely eject<\/a> the Clarity M, then press the <strong>Reboot <\/strong>button to install the firmware. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"Setup-and-connections\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft noUnderline customh2 swheader\">Setup and connections<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the Clarity M is registered with TC Electronic, it\u2019s time to get everything set up and connected. With the types of connections it has, the possibilities are endless. Depending on your setup, you may choose one over the other, but TC Electronic has made it easy no matter what.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"USB\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">USB<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-very-dark-gray-color has-text-color has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff5c7\"><strong>IMPORTANT: <\/strong>The Clarity-M <strong>will not work<\/strong> via USB unless you have the plug-in loaded. Also be sure you properly eject the drive to prevent data loss when switching from Disk Drive to Plug-in Mode. Check out our guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/how-to-safely-eject-an-external-hard-drive\/\"><strong>safely ejecting USB devices<\/strong><\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you connect via USB, you can set the Clarity-M to Plug-in Mode or Disk Drive Mode. Disk Drive mode is used to organize your presets, incorporate your company logo, transfer screenshots, and update the firmware. When set to Plug-in Mode, you can use the Clarity-M hardware with its plug-in counterpart. Follow these steps to use it in your DAW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Press the <strong>SYS<\/strong> button, then use the encoder to switch from Disk Drive Mode to Plug-in Mode. <\/li><li>Launch your DAW, place the Clarity-M plug-in as the <strong>last <\/strong>plug-in on your track, then press play.  <ul><li>The name of the audio source where the plug-in is loaded will appear on the display. <\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/how-to-safely-eject-an-external-hard-drive\/\" class=\"relatedcontent_link\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-related-content\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_block\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2020\/06\/USB-external-drive-featured-image.png);background-size:cover;background-position:center\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_overlay_content\"><\/div><div class=\"relatedcontent-text relatedcontent_content\"><p class=\"relatedcontent_title\" style=\"color:#fff\">How to Safely Eject an External Hard Drive<\/p><p class=\"relatedcontent_subhead\" style=\"color:#fff;border:none\">Learn more about how to safely eject external storage devices from your PC and Mac.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/a>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"AES-and-Optical\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">AES and Optical<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If\nyou have these connections on your interface, you can use the AES and\noptical connections to meter your audio. When using these\nconnections, you\u2019re able to meter audio outside of your DAW and you\nwon\u2019t need to use the native plug-in. This is especially useful in\nenvironments where there are guidelines for how soft or loud the\naudio can be (e.g., the radio or TV). Follow these steps to use your\nClarity-M if you\u2019re using AES or optical connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#f3f2f1\"><strong>TIP: <\/strong>You can use the included BNC to XLR cable to connect the Clarity-M to an AES\/EBU device. You\u2019ll need two additional <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/store\/detail\/NA2FBNC--neutrik-na2fbnc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">BNC to XLR adapters<\/a> if you&#8217;re working with surround sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Press the <strong>SYS <\/strong>button , then use the encoder to switch to Disk Drive Mode. <\/li><li>Press the <strong>DOWN <\/strong>button, then use the encoder to switch between optical or AES1. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Why you need a loudness meter for your recording setup\" width=\"620\" height=\"465\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pIx6wQ-ZPw0?wmode=transparent&amp;rel=0&amp;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Why you need a loudness meter for your recording setup<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"How-to-Use-the-TC-Electronic-Clarity-M\">How to Use the TC Electronic Clarity M<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Head on over to our next SweetCare guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/how-to-use-the-tc-electronic-clarity-m\/\" class=\"relatedcontent_link\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-related-content\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_block\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2022\/01\/20220126_TC_Electronic_Clarity_02.jpg);background-size:cover;background-position:center\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_overlay_content\"><\/div><div class=\"relatedcontent-text relatedcontent_content\"><p class=\"relatedcontent_title\" style=\"color:#fff\">How to Use The TC Electronic Clarity M<\/p><p class=\"relatedcontent_subhead\" style=\"color:#fff;border:none\"><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/a>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1772196,"template":"","categories":[142726],"tags":[365929,36524,142663,61759],"storecat":[],"itemids":[151096,151097],"manufacturers":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v17.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Set up and connect a TC Electronic Clarity M and its plugin for macOS and Windows. 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