Mix And Track In Your DAW Using The Industry’s Classic Metering Method
Are your mixes too often muddled and congested, even though you’re carefully watching peak levels in your DAW? If so, you are probably not using a VU meter.
Whereas the peak meters in your DAW focus on the loudest moments in the audio, VU meters average out many of the shorter peaks, mimicking the way our ears react to sound and giving you a more realistic representation of the way audio level changes are actually perceived. Waves VU Meter is designed to do just this, and equals the best hardware VU meters out there.
Features
- Meter average levels to achieve a well-balanced mix
- Accurate ballistic response with smooth movement & fast refresh rate
- Headroom calibration: 4 to 26 dB
- Classic console VU meter design
Load the Waves VU Meter on any or all tracks while recording to make sure your recording levels are not too hot, or insert it on your master buss and pin it to your screen for a precise visual reference of your mix’s overall levels for a clear and spacious mix!
Note: This plugin requires an internet connection for license activation.
FREE! “VU Meter Plugin” by Waves
A Sophisticated, Easy-To-Use VU Meter
VU meters have been a proven industry standard for decades, across multiple musical genres and platforms, assisting engineers to set proper recording levels and mix with adequate headroom and a well-balanced gain structure.
Components
Waves VU Meter has two components:
- VU Meter Mono Component
- VU Meter Stereo Component
Controls & Displays
- Display Size (Stereo Component) – There are three display sizes: small, medium, and large. Click on the button to select a view size.
- Headroom Adjustment – This calibrates the VU meter to the DAW’s reference level. Range: 4 dB–26 dB. Default: 18 dB
- Graphic Display Adjustment – Meter activity can be delayed so that meters on different busses will appear time-aligned, even if those busses exhibit different latencies. Range: 0 ms–1000 ms. Default: 0 ms.
- Clip Indicator – This LED lights up when the signal reaches -0.009 dBFS. Click on the LED to clear.
- Meter Scales – VU Meter displays two measurement scales. The top scale refers to dB units, with 0dB representing the signal’s reference level (when Reference Adjustment is set correctly). The bottom scale is gauged in Volume Units: the percentage of power of the signal.
For more in-depth details read the user manual HERE.
FREE! “VU Meter Plugin” by Waves
So What Can I Do With “VU Meter”?
With unparalleled smoothness and perfect ballistic response that equals the best hardware VU meters, the Waves VU Meter plugin will help you maintain proper gain staging for a clear and spacious mix! Standout features include:
- Meter average levels to achieve a well-balanced mix
- Accurate ballistic response with smooth movement & fast refresh rate
- Headroom calibration: 4 to 26 dB
- Classic console VU meter design
Note: This plugin requires an internet connection for license activation.
Note: Please be aware you will be required to visit the Waves website in order to create an account, redeem and download your product. We do not host the download at VSTBuzz.
FREE for a limited time!
FREE! "VU Meter Plugin" by Waves
Normally €44 – get it FREE for a limited time!
- FREE! (normally €44)!
- Meter average levels to achieve a well-balanced mix
- Accurate ballistic response with smooth movement & fast refresh rate
- Headroom calibration: 4 to 26 dB
- Classic console VU meter design
- Mac OS – 10.14.6, 10.15.7, 11.5.2, 12.0.1 (USB displays are not supported as the primary display)
- Intel Core i5 / i7 / i9 / Xeon / Apple M1 – See notes regarding Apple M1 (ARM-based) processors
- V13 plugins require a graphics card that supports ‘Metal’. Learn more.
- PC – Windows 10 64-bit / Windows 11 (Build 22000.194)
- CPU – Intel Core i3 / i5 / i7 / Xeon (all Gen 5 and above) / AMD Quad-Core
- Minimum: 8 GB RAM (16 GB recommended)
- 16GB free disk space on the system drive
- Screen Resolution – Minimum: 1024×768 Recommended: 1280×1024 / 1600×1024
- Note: For supported plugin hosts (DAWS) read HERE
- Note: This plugin requires an active internet connection for license activation.
- Note: Please be aware you will be required to visit the Waves website in order to create an account, redeem and download your product. We do not host the download at VSTBuzz.
- Mix And Track In Your DAW Using The Industry’s Classic Metering Method!
- Get it FREE for a limited time!
What People Think About FREE! “VU Meter Plugin” by Waves
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"Waves’ VU meter plugin will be extremely helpful for younger mixers as they learn how to build proper gain stage in their sessions. It will help them see things, like why their tracks are distorting, in ways that are hard to understand with just a DAW meter. For seasoned vets, it will bring a sense of familiarity while helping us keep track of what’s going on with our levels. I love the retro look, too!”
Fabian Marasciullo
Mixing Engineer - Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Lil Wanye, Jay Z
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“The Waves VU meter is ballistically spot on, reacting identically to my mastering-grade analog VU meters. Awesome!”
Jeff Juliano
Mixing Engineer - Dan + Shay, Chris Janson, Michael Ray, Hunter Hayes
Boogie B – :
Better Gain Staging
No More Clipping !
More Headroom
So You Get a More Transparent and Cleaner Mix
And it’s Free for Now !
Lloyd – :
Well come on folks… it serves a useful purpose, looks cool as heck, and it’s free!! Add it to your Waves collection now!
Enrique – :
Highly recommended. I’m with the developer fans. I’ve not actually purchased, as was a freebie. And a good one!
Chris – :
It’s an analogue VU meter. Nothing complicated, but very effective. It does its job very well, and it’s free! Thanks VST Buzz!
Li-Wen – :
Simple and effectove VU meter. Use it to measure average loudness, more representative than a peak meter.
PETER – :
Quality and very easy to use VU meter that is such an asset to my composing and reducing music, highly recommend this product!
Sheldon – :
This is one of the best VU Meters I got. Really useful when doing gain staging for my music, and the GUI is resizable.
Peter – :
The meter looks good and is responsive enough. I like that I can resize it to fit my needs. But honestly I can’t see myself using it too often because there are countless other metering tools available that have additional useful features.
Simbarashe – :
Excellent meter that looks good and is responsive enough to fit all screens needs. Honestly I see myself using it too often because its CPU friendly.
Yukari – :
A simple VU Meter from Waves. I use it when the daw project become heavy.
I reccomend it for begginers.
Javier – :
Es gratis coñe, No se qué más se puede decir xD. Necesario para tener controlado el gainstaging y esas cosas, ya sabéis.
ma – :
Easy-to-understand analog VU meter. You can make music comfortably with good visibility and beautiful design.
takao – :
The VU Meter Plugin can be finely customized and is easy to use.
I also like the design of this plugin, so I use it a lot.
Adam – :
Nice and simple! Does what is needed and looks lovely too! Perfect for anyone who likes the look of those old analogue vu meters
George – :
this plugin is doing what it should do, no complaints….. can be your standard vu meter for sure, always a great tool for gain staging… enough said.
Sean – :
It does what it’s designed to do. Metering! No bells and whistles. It’s a VU meter! It may not make your sound warm nor SOUND like a saturated console sound but it helps you check real quick if you have a healthy signal levels. Healthy mix, healthy ears, happy listeners!
yuhi – :
It was easy to start!
It was light and the movement of the needle was easy to understand, so setting the comp was easy.