Vu Meter Understanding

[thinktank2]

I've got a trivial question about the vu meters that I use. I've got
a Trident 65 Console that I've been using for a little while and I've noticed that it utilizes the vu's at the bussing section rather than at the input channel strip section. Is that normal?

And I was wondering if it is possible to take the vu meters and wire them up so I could take out the buss/aux modules from the console and obtain a reading from the output and maybe input of a channel with a switch or something like that.

I would like to understand where the vu meter comes into play as far as what it's telling me about the circuit and also how it works in the circuit as far as the physical connections. Hope this make sense. I've got a few diy projects that I've done and have always been curious about how it works. It also seems kind of wierd why I can't use the vu's on my console without bussing them over. I'd like to do that.

Thanks.
Nate

Thanks.

 

[SSLtech]

[quote author="thinktank2"]I've got a trivial question about the vu meters that I use. I've got
a Trident 65 Console that I've been using for a little while and I've noticed that it utilizes the vu's at the bussing section rather than at the input channel strip section. Is that normal? [/quote]
Basically yes... it is normal to meter tape monitor path.

And I was wondering if it is possible to take the vu meters and wire them up so I could take out the buss/aux modules from the console and obtain a reading from the output and maybe input of a channel with a switch or something like that.

If you like. SSL offered a "meter line input" option on consoles to people who felt that they needed it. ( I never thought it was particularly worthwhile...)

The VU meter tells you how loud the signal is. It was always important when you had overloadable regions of the signal chain, like tape machines. That's why they read the tape monitor. If you want to read the input to the console, go ahead... knock yourself out. My view was always "Why bother?" Outputs you can do something to fix. By the time your signal gets to the board it's too late to do anything about it. People don't use input metering to fix levels, it doesn't work for that.

The only time input metering is really useful is for film dubbing and such like... then the great function f the meter is telling you where the signal is appearing. How loud it is is of no use to me at that point, and metering the input wouldn't ebven tell me if I was doing anything useful to correct any level problem even if it was there.

As for an indication of the channel output levels, that's what AFL metering is for.

Keith

 

[Scenaria]

If you want to see "input" as in when your recording just use the MTR's meters on the tracks armed you will see live signal.

 

[thinktank2]

Makes sense. Just haven't had a whole lot of experience with different types of recording consoles. This board just seems to have all this bussing before I can see any signal at the vu. It would be nice to see the output of the channel strip at the vu instead of having to send it through an aux track and slide up the faders to see the vu. Most of what I do goes in and then directly out. I never use the aux/buss channel strips.
Only for tape returns.

And I guess I just answered my own question. Use the recorders vu's instead of my boards! But what if I'm mixing down through the stereo outs of my console? Then I'd need to see some levels maybe.

 

[soundguy]

nate-

on old consoles VU meters were unbuffered. There is talk of distortion in the audio path but for my dollar Ive always considered that to be more of a on the scope discussion rather than an on the speakers conversation, take that for what you will. On old neve or api or any other *old* console really that somoene would pay major money for, the VU meter was simply applied basically, to the hi and low of the audio output, essentially it could be wired directly on the output XLR. thinking of it like that you could very easily wire the meter to the center poles of a DPDT switch with one end going to the output XLR and the other to the line input XLR. Just keep in mind that you are adding some distortion to the audio path and while with a line level out its one thing, just remember that on a line level in that distortion is now going to be part of any processing or EQ etc, that you add to the signal. You could of course build a buffer circuit for the meter and while its not complicated to do, its not as simple of a solution as Im proposing here. Im sure someone could point you towards a nice schematic for a buffer, if you actually open your trident 65 I bet that little board has a buffered VU.

dave