LM6n
by TC Electronic · Utility · Surround loudness meter
Not rated yet
LM6n is TC Electronic's loudness and true-peak meter for mono, stereo and surround tracks.
It adds detailed loudness statistics and PPM metering to the Radar display; the developer lists it at $199.
Best for: Mastering, Mix Bus. Genres: Ambient & Cinematic.
Keywords: metering, broadcast, true-peak, post-production, film & game audio, full mix, AAX, bus processing, cinematic, mastering, mix bus, utility.
What it does
LM6n is the surround member of TC Electronic's loudness meter range. It measures loudness and true peak on mono, stereo and 5.1 tracks, using the same Radar display as LM2n, and adds the logging that broadcast and post-production deliveries need.
- Radar display: loudness history drawn around a circle, with an enlarged view for reading from a distance.
- Surround support: measures mono, stereo and 5.1 surround material.
- Logging: detailed logging for documenting delivery specs to the major broadcast standards, which LM2n lacks.
- Momentary and Short Term: dedicated settings for showing Max Momentary or Max Short Term loudness.
- Standards: complies with BS.1770, ATSC A/85, EBU R128, TR-B32 and OP-59, with true-peak measurement.
- Offline measuring: in Pro Tools, files can be measured offline as well as in real time.
The current version is 1.2.0.42. It launched in 2014. TC Electronic's own product pages currently return a 404 error, so the details here come from KVR and the reviews below.
Source: TC Electronic product page
When to use it
LM6n is for post-production and broadcast mixers who must measure 5.1 programmes and keep a log as proof of compliance. Compared with LM2n it adds surround and logging but otherwise measures and looks the same, so stereo-only users pay more for nothing. Compared with Youlean Loudness Meter 2 Pro and NUGEN VisLM it keeps TC's Radar view, while those meters are more actively developed. Against Waves WLM Plus it is closer in purpose, with a more visual display but no built-in gain correction.
- Best for: film, TV and broadcast deliveries in 5.1 that need a loudness log.
- Genres: cinematic, broadcast and post-production work.
- Look elsewhere if: you only mix in stereo (LM2n costs much less, Youlean is free), or you work in Atmos and other immersive formats beyond 5.1.
What producers say
Coverage is explanatory rather than critical: reviewers see LM6n as LM2n plus surround and logging, aimed at broadcast facilities.
- Production Expert (Mike Thornton, 2019) said the logging is the crucial difference from LM2n, making LM6n the choice for broadcast delivery work.
- Music Connection (Barry Rudolph, 2014) noted all three LM meters measure identically and differ mainly in display options and channel support.
- Criticisms: no reviews list faults, and KVR has no user ratings yet.
Where to buy
- Thomann: $111 (TC Electronic no longer sells its plugins directly)
Tutorials and reviews
- Understanding TC Electronic LM2n and LM6n Loudness Meter
- LM6n Offline Loudness Measuring in Pro Tools
Similar plugins
- VisLM by NUGEN Audio · Broadcast loudness meter · $449
- LM2n by TC Electronic · Stereo loudness meter · $111
- Meter Pro by Solid State Logic · Loudness and multichannel metering suite · $99
- Dorrough Surround by Waves · Surround loudness meter · $32.93
- WLM Plus Loudness Meter by Waves · Loudness meter · $32.93
- Insight 2 by iZotope · Metering and analysis · $99.50
- Youlean Loudness Meter 2 by Youlean · Loudness meter · Free
- BUTE Loudness Analyser 2 by Signum Audio · Loudness meter · $85
- dpMeterXT3 by TBProAudio · Loudness meter · $89.70
- Decibel by Process.Audio · Customisable metering suite · $89
More from TC Electronic
- VSS4 HD by TC Electronic · Reverb · $124.50
- VSS3 by TC Electronic · Reverb · $99.50
- TC 8210 by TC Electronic · Reverb · $69
- TC 2290 by TC Electronic · Delay · $99.50
- TC 1210 by TC Electronic · Chorus · $99
- DVR 250 by TC Electronic · Reverb · $99.50
- NONLIN2 by TC Electronic · Reverb · $99
- Brickwall HD by TC Electronic · Limiter · $74.50