VU Meters

[PantherAmpex]

I would like to retrofit a set of VU meters for my Neotek console. The Led Meters work but i am a sucker for bouncing needles.

Can someone please explain how standard VU Meters work. Are they always active. This may be stupid but is there such thing as a passive Vu design?

Is it relativity easy to set something up?

I have a bunch of old dead reel to reels in my garage all with VU's in them. Any way i can use any of those?

Keep in mind this is more of an aesthetic upgrade than utilitarian. I won't be measuring anything i just want something that looks cool. 

Thanks Folks

 

[gemini86]

They are passive, BUT if you simply hook them up across your LR outs, you're going to introduce distortion into your audio at some level, due to the diode bridge that converts AC audio to DC for the meter movement. You should use a JLM VU buffer/driver.

 

[CJ]

vu meters can be pretty complicate,

the dad guys were really into findifg the best vu, if you search AES articles they are many on vu meters, movements, etc,

 

[sodderboy]

The JLM boards are great for a retrofit.  You should always buffer meters from the audio signal.
VU meters are not all created equal. I found this on some new recording consoles.  They use lower quality meters and the peak ballistics can be as much as 6 dB lower than with a high quality original Urei meter.  The complaint was that the KICK out of a console was not hot enough on the VU but was slamming the DAW.  We patched into an 1176 and the VU was slamming also.

Get the boards and test the different meters you have.  Usually, if they are older, the larger they are the better the ballistics.  That does not apply to new meters.
Mike

 

[gemini86]

Does the response have anything to do with ma full scale rating or coil resistance? I've always wondered this.

 

[JohnRoberts]

"true" VU meters as compared to VU like meters have a very specific ballistic characteristics and meter movements.

For a "looks like a VU meter" wiggling back and forth, using cheaper meters will work. VU meters from inside tape recorders are very likely not actual true VU meters, but calibrated and driven by the tape deck electronics to be close enough.

Something like the JLM will help KISS.. As long as you keep and use the board's LED meters for actual level information the ballistics of the VU meter is not a big concern, not to mention there is a learning curve for how to gauge transient level information from even good average responding meters.  This is not as much of a concern across the 2 mix, as when tracking individual sources, but it was an acquired skill in the not so good old days.


JR