HoRNet VU Meter MK4, digital VU Meter with automatic gain staging updated
The HoRNet VUMeter MK4 is a digital VU meter plugin that offers automatic gain setting and grouping functions. VUMeter MK4 lets you name your tracks and groups. You can send every parameter change to any instance of VUMeter MK4, not just the ones in the same group. Additionally, you can view the level of any other instance in the project without closing the GUI or switching tracks.
VUMeter MK4 assists during both the recording and mixing stages. When you record your tracks, you can rely on the VU meter’s loudness indicator to get a clear view of your signal’s perceived loudness. With its 300ms integration time, the VU meter effectively measures your signal’s loudness. You can also combine it with peak meters to enhance your miking technique. Keeping the loudness and peak value as close as possible ensures a better result.
VU Meter MK4 offers a calibration setting that allows you to adjust the 0VU point to the optimal level for your A/D converters. By default, we set the calibration to -18dBFS. However, you should consult your A/D converter’s specifications and adjust the calibration accordingly to match its internal headroom. This calibration proves crucial because every A/D converter has an analog front-end. If you record too hot, close to 0dBFS, you risk overloading that analog stage.
In the mixing stage, VUMeter MK4 becomes even more valuable. You can use it alongside the peak meter in your DAW to identify critical tracks. These tracks carry too much energy in the transients but lack sufficient loudness.
The most powerful feature of VUMeter MK4 is its auto gain. Gain staging plays a key role in every mix, especially if you use analog-emulating plugins. When you apply too much gain, you risk generating excessive distortion, which can accumulate and damage the overall mix.
To avoid this issue, simply activate the automatic gain function in VUMeter MK4. This feature adjusts the internal gain so your signal peaks at the desired level. You can set this level between -3 and +3 VU.
With transient-heavy sounds, auto gain might boost your tracks too much and cause clipping. To prevent this, we included a max peak ceiling. This ceiling ensures your signal doesn’t exceed the set value.
The grouping function lets you group instances of VU meters together. For instance, you can group all your drum tracks and apply auto gain, reference, and color settings to every instance in the group with just one click. You can also choose the “Send to all” option for any parameter, quickly copying that value to every VUMeter MK4 in your project, even if they don’t belong to the same group.
We fixed a crash in Cubase on macOS and GarageBand when closing the plugin window.
We improved the color scheme of the VU meter bar.
We fixed the issue where draggable controls set to the lowest value on the first click.
We added plugin window size saving with the project.
We added the option to reset controls to default using alt+click.
We fixed an issue where plugin names didn’t get removed from the display dropdown after you remove them from the session.
