Help with choosing led VU meter for Rev.D 1176

My idea is to try to build a dual version in 1RU case, like Mako did. Only I'm going to use the output transformers from Ed's new groupbuy and hopefully 2 cool LED METERS!!

After 2 hours browsing I found Pico meter and Keith's bargraf driver.
I guess Pico meter is not really suitable for this since it's not a VU meter...?
Would Keith's meter do the trick? I wouldn't mind having more than 10 leds per channel, though...

I'm open to PIC based projects too if somebody knows any to recommend. Any ideas or tips would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Miska

You'll completely LOSE the galvanic isolation which the revision D has, unless you did some more work.

Using a moving coil meter is highly recommended, or you would need to use a SECOND bridging audio transformer and a buffer unless you want to sacrifice the complete ground isolation which the revision D has.

Me, I suggest that you use a moving coil meter. FOr gain reduction applications, you'd only have seven of the ten LEDs working for you, and after only 1 LED switches off, the next seven dB or so of gain reduction would trigger the state-change of only a single LED... ...-how's THAT for lousy resolution?

I say bad idea... though you may still go through with it if you wish. -I'm not sure why you're considering LED metering, but if it's a dominantly aesthetically-driven preference, I think I should point out that the compromises in terms of practicality for this particular application are enormous.

You can do it, but would you wish that you hadn't after a while? -I suspect that most people would.

Switching would be a nightmare if you used the bridging transformer... the DC cannot be switched through it, so you'd have to re-think the switching arrangement after the buffer circuit...

Keith

Keith,

Thanks for pointing that out! I had no idea....

My idea was to save some space and money and build a different 1176.

Is there a basic rule to follow when to use or not to use a led meter? Obviously it can be used with 9k, green, etc. But not with transformer balanced/ galvanicly isolated devices...? And only for one task at a time? Not switching between GR/in/out...? :?:

Many thanks,
Miska