The_Big_Piano_Player
active member
Joined: 13/05/04
Posts: 1423
Loc: Lincolnshire
|
A Decent VU Meter Plug-in?
#989100 - 23/05/12 09:32 AM
|
|
|
A know it's like trying to emulate apples with an orange, but does anyone know of a good
VU Meter Plug-in? I'm running my mixes a little too hot, so maybe a more
analogue-style meter will help. Like most reasonable people, I don't mind
paying for quality. Thanks in advance, Andy
-------------------- www.thediplomatz.com
|
Maplewood Studio
...
Joined: 02/06/07
Posts: 22
Loc: Kent
|
|
Waves Dorrough is good with 3 different flavours of display and 3 window sizes.
-------------------- http://www.youtube.com/maplewoodstudio
|
ef37a
Joined: 29/05/06
Posts: 5629
Loc: northampton uk
|
|
|
Not a plugin but nice is vuplayer.com
If you want an "always on top" pair of
strip meters: pauldarkwood.demon.co.uk
Both free.
Dave.
|
Hugh Robjohns
SOS Technical Editor
Joined: 25/07/03
Posts: 18399
Loc: Worcestershire
|
|
The problem with a VU meter is that it doesn't show transient peaks, and so it is only
usable if you work with a very generous headroom margin... which is why the SMPTE decided
on setting 0VU to -20dBFS. If you're happy to work that way then that's good and to be
commended... but I suspect you'll struggle with it if you are used to running things very
hot all the time.
A decent peak meter is actually much easier to use if you
want to work with less headroom.
I like the Zplane PPMulator a lot. It offers
peak metering rather than VU, and if you opt for the XL version you get loudness and
true-peak metering too which are extremely handy. You can set the meter reference points
to whatever you like. I find -12dBFS works very well for most things where I don't need
the generous headroom margin associated with the standard -18 and -20dBFS references.
http://products.zplane.de/index.php?page=ppmulatorxl
Hugh
-------------------- Technical Editor, Sound On Sound
|
Mixedup
active member
Joined: 03/09/03
Posts: 4254
Loc: Cambridge, UK
|
Re: A Decent VU Meter Plug-in?
[Re: Hugh Robjohns]
#989133 - 23/05/12 11:45 AM
|
|
|
Quote Hugh Robjohns:
I like the
Zplane PPMulator a lot.
+1.
There's also the freeware PSP Vintage Meter, which is pretty good, despite the price.
I also tend to use the metering on various limiters or compressors set to bypass: UA
Precision Limiter is good, for example.
|
The_Big_Piano_Player
active member
Joined: 13/05/04
Posts: 1423
Loc: Lincolnshire
|
Re: A Decent VU Meter Plug-in?
[Re: Hugh Robjohns]
#989231 - 24/05/12 06:54 AM
|
|
|
Thanks Hugh, that looks ideal(!)
-------------------- www.thediplomatz.com
|
Martin Walker
Watcher Of The Skies
Joined: 28/02/01
Posts: 16390
Loc: Cornwall, UK
|
|
I also like Klanghelm's VUMT, once again capable of both VU and PPM ballistics and MS
metering:
www.klanghelm.com/VUMT.html
Martin
-------------------- YewTreeMagic
|
Richie Royale
Joined: 12/09/06
Posts: 3370
Loc: Bristol, England.
|
|
I use this meter a lot recently (not a VU style though) http://www.dynamicrange.de/es/es/downloadHas a useful mono
button on it as well.
-------------------- http://soundcloud.com/richie-royale
http://www.mixcrate.com/richieroyale
|
The_Big_Piano_Player
active member
Joined: 13/05/04
Posts: 1423
Loc: Lincolnshire
|
Re: A Decent VU Meter Plug-in?
[Re: Martin Walker]
#989504 - 25/05/12 08:44 AM
|
|
|
Quote Martin Walker:
I also like
Klanghelm's VUMT, once again capable of both VU and PPM ballistics and MS metering:
www.klanghelm.com/VUMT.html
Martin
All that for six Euros! I'm totally there! Thanks, Martin!
--------------------
www.thediplomatz.com
|
InactiveX
Joined: 22/07/05
Posts: 321
Loc: England
|
|
|
Klanghelm recommended here too.
The only thing I wish it would do is allow one
to type in negative values in the volume control, but it's a small niggle. I requested the
feature from the author, and he said he'd add it at some point.
|
Hugh Robjohns
SOS Technical Editor
Joined: 25/07/03
Posts: 18399
Loc: Worcestershire
|
Re: A Decent VU Meter Plug-in?
[Re: InactiveX]
#989874 - 27/05/12 04:19 PM
|
|
|
|
I expect you've already found a workaround, but the easiest way is to create a second
master channel, insert the meter in that along with a gain adjusting plugin, and then
calibrate as necessary.
hugh
--------------------
Technical Editor, Sound On Sound
|
Trebor Flow
Joined: 29/11/05
Posts: 235
|
|
Quote The_Big_Piano_Player:
A
know it's like trying to emulate apples with an orange, but does anyone know of a good VU
Meter Plug-in?
I'm running my mixes a little too hot, so maybe a more
analogue-style meter will help.
Like most reasonable people, I don't mind
paying for quality.
Thanks in advance,
Andy
If your running your mixes too hot, then
free yourself of meters altogether and set up your monitoring to the K-Standard and mix at
say K14.
Once you have your monitors calibrated so that "loud" has an actual
physical meaning to your ears your mixes will really take on a new life and dynamic.
I mix so that -18dBFS = a virtual 0dBU. It's an analog style gain staging inside
my DAW and for me also in real terms feeding my converters into my outboard when I'm
mixing.
My kick drum starts a mix at about -23dBFS (seriously) which is roughly
= to -5dBU on an analog desk - which is how I mixed on large format desks back in the
day!
However using calibrated monitoring -23dBFS it still sounds loud on my
monitors, I then build my mix from there and by the time the mix is done I'm about -12dBFS
on the main stereo channel of my DAW's stereo bus.
The whole mix really
breathes and sounds really dynamic, running digital like this just sounds better, plugins
sound better and at the mastering stage mixes made like this can sound better and louder
if you want.
I switched to the K system a few years ago and have never looked
back - and never looked at a meter again whilst mixing!
Maybe something to
try.
tf
|
Hugh Robjohns
SOS Technical Editor
Joined: 25/07/03
Posts: 18399
Loc: Worcestershire
|
Re: A Decent VU Meter Plug-in?
[Re: Trebor Flow]
#989887 - 27/05/12 05:15 PM
|
|
|
Absolutely! ^ What he said!  hugh
-------------------- Technical Editor, Sound On Sound
|
InactiveX
Joined: 22/07/05
Posts: 321
Loc: England
|
Re: A Decent VU Meter Plug-in?
[Re: Hugh Robjohns]
#990035 - 28/05/12 02:30 PM
|
|
|
Quote Hugh Robjohns:
I expect
you've already found a workaround, but the easiest way is to create a second master
channel, insert the meter in that along with a gain adjusting plugin, and then calibrate
as necessary.
hugh
Cheers Hugh, the workaround I use is simpler - I use the knob!
I
often like to type numbers in addition to using knobs and sliders - just the way I work I
suppose (perhaps because I cut my teeth on the old number-based, non-WIMPS sequencers).
Being able to type in negative values would be useful to me.
Edited by InactiveX (28/05/12 02:33 PM)
|
Previous
Topics
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
