Techivation T-Clarity review

Techivation T-Clarity: What is it?

Techivation is a fledgling developer that has already released a couple of powerful yet simple pay-for plugins (T-Compressor and T-De-Esser Pro) as well as a couple of simpler yet perfectly capable freebies (T-De-Esser and T-De-Esser Plus). 

For its third outing, the company has turned its attention to sorting out your mid-range and the plugin in question is the suitably titled T-Clarity (VST, VST3, AU & AAX). 

In keeping with its other plugins, this features a pretty simple interface, with frequency range selectors (Low, Lo-Mid, Mid, Hi-Mid), attack rate (Sharpness), gain reduction ratio (Intensity), threshold (Processing) and output level slider (Output). 

Metering includes an output Level meter and gain reduction metering on the right, while the filter band-specific input level is indicated by a halo around the Processing control.

To help you hear what’s going on you have two signal monitoring options – Filter and Difference. The first lets you hear in isolation the target frequency set by the range selector, and the second lets you hear just the effect being applied. 

Finally, the dropdown menu in the top right reveals various extra features including the presets (bank of 20), GUI scale (four options) and Oversampling (x1 up to x16). 

Techivation T-Clarity: Performance and verdict

T-Clarity is essentially a dynamic equalizer, but with a focus on the low to mid-frequency area. The labelling for these target regions is vague, but T-Clarity’s manual lists the frequency ranges for each band (50-150Hz, 150-300Hz, 300-500Hz and 500-900Hz). These are broad and when we looked at the analyser, the effect was influencing frequencies beyond those boundaries too. 

This reasonably gentle frequency profile is borne out when you start using T-Clarity, and if you’re looking for the sort of precision you can get with their T-De-Esser Pro you’re going to be disappointed. 

That said, for smoothing out duties this is a good thing. We found T-Clarity particularly good for reshaping the mid-range of vocals, controlling the boxiness in acoustic guitars, and handy for tidying up various aspects of electric guitars, bass and drums. 

What’s more, it’s removing unwanted frequencies, which is often a preferable approach. Plus the dynamic nature of the processing makes it less obvious than straight-up EQ. 

On the downside, the attack (Sharpness), even at its more laid-back settings, can be a bit too lively for legato sounds. Listening to the Difference signal can be particularly revealing as you can hear the edginess that’s being imparted. 

Rather unsurprisingly, the analyser also revealed that the compression can introduce some third-order harmonic distortions. This isn’t particularly surprising but it’s worth bearing in mind if you’re trying to keep things clean.  

Overall, T-Clarity is at its best delivering moderate correction, and its lack of precise frequency settings does compromise its flexibility. That said, it’s super affordable, and if you like the look of Techivation’s other plugins you’d be mad not to look at the bundle/combination offers.

MusicRadar verdict: T-Clarity makes dynamic EQ easy, is good value and provides a great partner plugin to Techivation’s compressor and de-esser.

Techivation T-Clarity: Hands-on demos

Techivation

White Noise Studio

Tim Talks Audio

Techivation T-Clarity: Specifications

• Windows 7 and up as 32 / 64-bit VST and VST3, and 64-bit AAX (PT11 and up).
• Mac OS X 10.11 (OS X El Capitan) and up as 64-bit VST, VST3, and AU, and 64-bit AAX, Intel, and Native M1.
• CONTACT: Techivation