Bugfix update for the VU Meter with auto gain staging
We’ve just updated VUMeter MK4, our VU meter plugin with automatic gain staging.
The HoRNet VUMeter MK4 is a digital VU meter plugin that provides automatic gain adjustment and grouping capabilities. One of its standout features is the ability to name your tracks and groups, and send parameter changes to any instance of VUMeter MK4, even across different groups. You can also view the levels of any other instance within your project without having to close the interface or switch tracks.
VUMeter MK4 is useful during both recording and mixing. While recording, the VU meter gives you a clear picture of your signal’s perceived loudness with its 300ms integration time. You can pair it with peak meters to get a better understanding of your signal and ensure that both loudness and peak levels remain balanced.
The plugin also includes a calibration feature, allowing you to set the 0 VU point according to the optimal level for your A/D converters. By default, this is set to -18dBFS, but it’s recommended to adjust it based on your converter’s specifications to prevent overloading the analog stage, which can occur if levels are too close to 0dBFS.
During the mixing phase, VUMeter MK4 becomes even more valuable. It works well alongside your DAW’s peak meters to help identify problematic tracks that might have excessive transient energy but insufficient loudness.
The most powerful feature of VUMeter MK4 is the auto-gain function. Proper gain staging is key in mixing, especially when working with analog-emulating plugins, which can distort if hit with too much gain. This distortion can build up and negatively impact your overall mix.
To prevent this, you can activate the automatic gain feature, which adjusts the gain to keep your signal within the desired range. You can set this level between -3 and +3 VU. For transient-heavy material, the auto-gain might push the track too high, causing clipping. To counter this, we’ve included a max peak ceiling that prevents the signal from exceeding the set limit.
The grouping feature lets you organize multiple instances of the VU meter. For example, you can group all your drum tracks and apply auto-gain, calibration, or color settings to all meters in the group at once. With the “Send to all” option, you can also propagate parameter changes to all VUMeter MK4 instances across your project, even if they’re not part of the same group.
The new 4.1.3 version is a maintenance update and includes:
This update is free for existing plugin owners and can be downloaded from the user area.
