real VU meters in a mastering chain

[turtlerock]

now i am sure this has been done to death over time
but as an 2009 update to help me with an on going reality check with a conversation i am having with a major mastering box designer

how many of us actually use real vu meters as part of their monitoring chain ?

( its not a which meter type is best question)

just who likes / uses / wants or would consider useful real vu meters ..?

in their mastering monitoring rig
here in july 09

err i'll start

I DO

[IIIrd]

Originally Posted by turtlerock

now i am sure this has been done to death over time
but as an 2009 update to help me with an on going reality check with a conversation i am having with a major mastering box designer

how many of us actually use real vu meters as part of their monitoring chain ?

( its not a which meter type is is best question)

just who likes / uses / wants or would consider useful real vu meters ..?

in their mastering monitoring rig
here in july 09

err i'll start

I DO

i have VU's...nice big ones...wouldn't be without them

[Silvertone]

Yep, got a big old pair of Electrodyne VU meters (3"x4") that sit on top my console.

[Kayo]

Originally Posted by turtlerock

how many of us actually use real vu meters as part of their monitoring chain ?

All the time.. anywhere I can find them, in the chain.
Would not be caught doing audio without them. Period!

Bye
FD

[leaper]

VU's are definitely useful, of course. Especially for people who have been brought up on them and have learnt the knack of following RMS.
I'm guessing you are one of these, Turtlerock.

However, I went the way of the Durrough a few years ago and feel just fine about it.

Main difference to report is that while it used to take me 15 seconds or so to mystically enter the world of the VU meter, with the Durrough it just gives readings that can be instantaneously interpreted.

It has sometimes even prompted clients to ask general questions about metering, something that the humble VU never did!

[turtlerock]

hey i have more meters then you can poke a stick at (literally ) and i have both vu meters and dorrough meters in my meter bridge ,
i just made a comment today that i thought having them was still a current trend .

but i guess i would like to see how current my "trend really is "

so what i am asking , presuming you had a meter bridge with digital peak meters in it ( or dorrough ..whatever...)
who would want or actually even who would exclude real VU meters. ?

given it was not a money issue of course
so you got them want them , could not see a use / want for them ..?
think software vu meters would do ..?

[leaper]

Originally Posted by turtlerock

so what i am asking , presuming you had a meter bridge in it with digital peak meters in it ( or dorrough ..whatever...)
who would want or actually even who would exclude real VU meters. ?

given it was not a money issue of course
so you got want em , could not see a use / want for them ..?

Sorry for confusion.
Not sure what I was blabbering on about, because I'm also using VU's in my chain..
So.. back space:

Yes.. VU's over here.

[Riccardo]

Yes, big ones.

Rick, seeing that you use the Dorrough as well as traditional VU meters which ones you find so to speak more "indispensable" ?

[Waltz Mastering]

I have a pair of Crown OC 150 VU's that this thread might inspire me to dig out and calibrate. I've been using Dorrough.

[turtlerock]

Originally Posted by Riccardo

Yes, big ones.

Rick, seeing that you use the Dorrough as well as traditional VU meters which ones you find so to speak more "indispensable" ?

i ordered the dorrough as a meter bridge upgrade about two (3.?) years ago when i was upgrading the console because i was always really curious about them
( i also have sony the dmu -30 (2 sets) and mytek ddd603 - digital peak meters running plus a bunch of ntp peak meters more vu meters etc ).

to be frank i still cannot figure the dorroughs out sometimes
i mean they are useful but , not AS useful as vu meters / seperate peakmeters combination for me .

so if pushed between vu meters and dorrough , given that i am allowed to keep a set of sony dmu 30 or the mytek peak meters as well i guess i am a desert island VU kind of guy
ymmv

[dave-G]

Yep!

In my Crookwood console, I've got their VU meter module with pair Sifam VUs and attenuator .. and have mounted next to it a Mytek DDD-603. Though it's always on, I can't remember the last time I've done more than glance at the Mytek, yet I do reference the Sifams as I work.

Tough to imagine not having VUs around.

-dave

[Thomas W. Bethe]

VU and Dorroughs here.

I grew up on VU meters and could not think about doing a session without them.

[jayfrigo]

Yes, VUs front and center. Like others, I also have other metering available, but the VUs are important.

[Cellotron]

I use LED VU/PPM's from Logitek -
Logitek: Bright VU Bargraph Audio Meter

Kind of the "poor man's" Dorrough.

I usually have audio passing through my Pendulum OCL-2's VU meters even when it's not processing as well.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[William Bowden]

Ernest Turner VU's in the TG, accept no substitute!

The King

[jdg]

i had 4 x sifam's for my console that i sent to a tech for some changes... he disappeared with them (and i guess alot of other things from other ppl)

i miss them.

[yeloocproducer]

Where is the most common position in the chain to be picking off the signal for VU? I know my avocet has meter outputs... I was thinking about using that.

[turtlerock]

that would be perfect , but you will need to attn the signal to each vu with a pad
-8db with ref to 0vu =+4dbm (or however you technically write that).

any body want to vote for no vu meters used in their mastering system any more (or ever ) ?

[Paul Gold]

I recently built a meter panel with Sifam VU's, PPM's (DIN scale and driver) and correlation meter.

I have some very big and very nice Weston VU's. For a VU meter snob only a Weston will do. Unfortunately they are too big for the meter panel and the Sifams were custom ordered to match each other. So I'm using the Sifams. You can't have too many meters as long as you don't look at them too much.

[mastertone]

Im working on a VU-Meter rack right now.

4 meters pre/post with some routing switches.

Its based on Jlm audios VU buffers.

[dcollins]

Originally Posted by turtlerock

that would be perfect , but you will need to attn the signal to each vu with a pad
-8db with ref to 0vu =+4dbm (or however you technically write that).

That's the calibration I use for my Triplett 350G VU's. I also have Westons showing L+R and L-R.

Big "B" in dB.

any body want to vote for no vu meters used in their mastering system any more (or ever ) ?

I doubt it. Well BK, maybe. Have you heard about his system?


DC

[Virtalahde]

I'm about to add VU's too. The pre/post feature will be implemented in my new console, and the VU's will be on their own box, buffered. Bought a big Weston model 862 and now I want a buddy for it.

Originally Posted by dcollins

I also have Westons showing L+R and L-R.

Interesting. Never thought of that.

But I was thinking of adding a scope to the system, and in normal sweep mode. I'd love to have a look at what's missing if I clip the A/D. X-Y mode would be useful, also.

[dcollins]

Originally Posted by Virtalahde

But I was thinking of adding a scope to the system, and in normal sweep mode. I'd love to have a look at what's missing if I clip the A/D. X-Y mode would be useful, also.

The only thing I use the L+R and L-R meters for is setting the azimuth, but the main L/R (large ones on left) ones are actually useful all the time.

[heathen]

Yep I like VU's too.

[Bob Weston]

Big Sifams here: L, R, and Stereo Correlation.

Originally Posted by Paul Gold

For a VU meter snob only a Weston will do.

That's what she said.

Bob Weston
chicago mastering

[klangumwandler]

The mastering console I built has a pair of 3" API (the metering company) VU meters with a variable gain driver, calibrated to 0VU=+6dBu=-7dBFS. The console also has buffered outputs that drive an HP scope (for azimuth and XY) and Daven Transmission Set, the Rolls Royce of VU panels with two Weston 802's and constant impedance step attenuators.

Most "VU" meters on the market deviate from ANSI spec to varying (sometimes large) degrees.

James Fei

[Riccardo]

Anybody using or has used ready made soutions like the Coleman MB-4?

[jdg]

i had mine pre chain and post chain.. this thread makes me miss them.

[glassmaster]

Originally Posted by jdg

i had mine pre chain and post chain.. this thread makes me miss them.

A typical set up is for the meters to follow the monitor source, with a switchable meter attenuator. Every room here has (real) VUs. In mine I've got 8 for full 5.1 surround & stereo metering.

[jdg]

i've had my foo setup set to follow the the monitor controller for awhile
works great sans VUs.