converting meters

[ChuckD]

There are some really cool looking meters out there but the VU ones are often out of reach.

Can mA meters be converted into a VU scale?
How is a VU meter (old type simpsons) built?
What different scales can be easily turned into dBu? or VU. And How?

I think this is a good educational topic for the DIY community as the cost of meters are often one of the big expenses for the DIYer.

Thanks

-ChuckD

 

[NewYorkDave]

[quote author="ChuckD"]
Can mA meters be converted into a VU scale?[/quote]

You can put a VU scale on it if you want, but that won't make it a VU meter.

How is a VU meter (old type simpsons) built?

Read this

What different scales can be easily turned into dBu? or VU. And How?

There's no easy way to turn a run-of-the-mill DC current meter into a real VU meter. This has been covered here before in detail.

Here's a couple of threads to get you started. There are probably more.

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=22899

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=1297

If cost is the issue, you can buy something like a Calrad "VU meter" that, while it is not a true VU meter, still works well enough to be useful as a general level indicator in many applications.

 

[JohnRoberts]

The rigid ballistic of classic VU meters only had utility for operators who learned what windage to apply to get good results with sundry instrument sources. The kinder gentler overload characteristic of magnetic tape made this not very precise form of level management tolerable.

For modern use as mostly cosmetic embellishment buy the cheapest meter you can find with a VU scale and tweak up an opamp drive to make it wiggle to the beat. Add at least a clip LED somewhere to indicate overload, or not.

JR