ARC X room correction plug-in interface by IK Multimedia

ARC X: Room Correction and Monitoring Plug-in by IK Multimedia

ARC X is a room correction and monitoring plug-in from IK Multimedia that measures your room's acoustic response and applies a correction profile to your master bus. It runs in VST3, AU and AAX formats on Windows and macOS.

VST3AUAAXWindowsmacOS64-bit

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01Overview

ARC X is aimed at producers and engineers who want their monitoring to reflect the sound of the room more accurately. The plug-in uses IK's VRM (Volumetric Response Modeling) technology to build a picture of how your space colors the sound. Based on that measurement, it creates a correction profile. Because it works as a plug-in, it is suited to in-the-box workflows, where correction sits directly on the master bus and stays under your control inside the DAW.

Best for

Home studio room correction
Master bus monitoring
Reference speaker emulation
Loudness checking while mixing
In-the-box mastering prep

Developer: IK Multimedia
Category: Referencing Tools
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Room measurement with 1-, 3-, 7- and 21-point options
Volumetric Response Modeling (VRM) based correction
Natural and Linear phase correction modes
Adjustable low and high correction ranges
Variable correction filter resolution and smoothing
9 selectable target curves
Emulation of more than 20 reference monitors
Peak, RMS, LUFS and Dynamic Range metering

03In depth

Room measurement and correction

ARC X is built around measurement. You connect a measurement microphone to your audio interface and follow the guided analysis. The plug-in offers 1-, 3-, or 7-point quick measurements for fast setups, and a 21-point scan for more precise work.

From that data, ARC X creates a correction profile for your space. Correction ranges can be adjusted so you keep the original voicing of your monitors where you want it. You can also choose between Natural and Linear phase modes and set the resolution of the correction filter, moving between surgical correction and a broader, more natural balance.

Target curves and metering

The plug-in includes 9 target curves, so you can aim for a flat response or a specific tonal shape. Virtual monitoring adds reference speaker emulation, with the developer stating that the plug-in can replicate the frequency and phase response of more than 20 industry-standard monitors and playback systems.

The DAW plug-in also includes metering powered by T-RackS technology, covering Peak, RMS, LUFS and Dynamic Range, so you can check loudness while you work.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	IK Multimedia
Type	Plugin
Category	Referencing Tools
Formats	VST3, AU, AAX
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats does ARC X support?

ARC X is available in VST3, AU and AAX formats. It is a 64-bit plug-in.

Which operating systems does ARC X run on?

ARC X runs on Windows and macOS. On Windows it needs Windows 10 (64-bit) or newer, and on macOS it needs macOS 10.15 or newer, with macOS 11 or newer required for Apple Silicon processors.

What do I need to measure my room with ARC X?

You need a measurement microphone connected to an audio interface with a phantom-powered XLR mic input and a pair of monitoring outputs. The measurement process requires a 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz sampling rate. On Windows, the interface also needs ASIO drivers, and the system needs an OpenGL 2 compatible graphics adapter.

Can ARC X be used with monitors from other brands?

Yes. The developer states that the ARC X plug-in is intended for users with iLoud Micro Monitors or studio monitors from other brands who want to keep calibration within the DAW.