Waves VU Meter

The Time-Tested Reality Check for Mixes

Digital meters are fine for showing peaks, but an analog VU meter’s moving needle ballistics accurately reflect audio’s average signal level. This correlates far more closely with how our ears perceive musical energy, giving you insight into perceived levels and helping you achieve better mixes and masters.

The challenge for this plugin wasn’t modeling sound, but mechanical realism. That challenge has been met—with the most accurate software emulation ever of the venerable VU meter.

• Averaging out short peaks shows real-world dynamics characteristics
• Reveals audio characteristics that lead to better mixes
• Smoother than the jittery readings from DAW meters
• LED-style clip indicator lights at levels above -0.009 dBFS
• Calibrate headroom to your DAW’s reference level
• Scales for Volume Units and dB (based on reference adjustment)
• Negligible CPU: Insert on as many channels as you want
• Choose the stereo version’s meter size: small, medium, or large