TUTORIAL

D.I.Y. VU
Buying VU meters is one thing, getting them to work in
your studio is quite another. Follow our step-by-step
guide to selecting and wiring up a bulletproof VU
metering system.
Text: Rob Squire

Not long after Stav’s first article on VU sources as well, of course, such as online circuitry. The cheapest new meter that you can
Metering hit the letterboxes and news stands, electronics and audio shops, garage sales, run directly from audio is in the $100 ballpark.
I perceived a muttering on the streets; an electronic ‘junkyards’ and eBay. However, most ‘vintage’ VU meters are the
undercurrent across the nation in studios large correct AC meter type, so if you get lucky in
NOT ALL VU METERS ARE CREATED EQUAL
and small that went something like this: “I the junkyard you can definitely save some
want some VU meters and I want them now!” Now it’s one thing to find a couple of VU dollars.
This has led to several conversations since meters in a shop or pull them out of an old
tape machine, but something else entirely to If you do have a true VU meter of the AC
with people who’ve quickly discovered that reading type it can simply be connected across
there’s more to getting VU meters setup in get them working accurately and reliably as
part of your studio, live or broadcast setup. your audio signal through the correct value
their workspace than simply popping down the resistor. (See Fig. 3 right.)
shops and asking the guy behind the counter The aim of this article is to give you some info
for a ‘couple of VUs’. As a result of all of this on what VUs to look for and how to get them In this setup all that is required is the correct
I’ve decided to try and clarify a few things by working for you. value resistor in series with the meter. This
providing some facts about VUs and how to There are two fundamental types of resistor sets the signal level which will give
get them up and running in your studio. I’ve mechanical or moving coil meter that may a 0VU reading on the meter’s scale. In a
also designed a circuit that any interested (and be presented as a VU meter. In a traditional conventional setup most meters require a
mildly skilled) AT readers will be able to adopt sense only one type can be considered a real 3K6 resistor to yield a reading of 0VU for an
to get their VU meters working accurately and VU meter, and this is technically a low-level incoming signal level of +4dBu. Given the
predictably. or low-range AC meter. In this type of meter, correct AC-type meter this is therefore quite
the incoming signal can be AC (Alternating simple to implement. However, it also has a
VU PROTECTION down side!
Current), as is an audio signal, and within the
Although there are several software VU meter meter this is converted to a voltage suitable
options on offer nowadays, capable of running Do you recall that rectifying circuit inside
for driving the coil – and thus the needle – in the meter, which allows it to directly read
in various DAWs, what’s vastly more desirable, response to the amplitude of the original AC
I’d contest, is an authentic, mechanical VU AC signals? Well, unfortunately, this circuit
signal. This is achieved through rectification severely distorts the signal and some of this
meter: one with a needle, coil of wire and a of the incoming AC, usually using a full wave
magnet – preferably a pair of them – in a nice distortion will make its way back to the
bridge of germanium diodes. Rectification signal path supplying the meter. The amount
timber case or perhaps a hammertone metal with a full wave bridge effectively ‘steers’ the
case (for the hardcore meter watchers). We of distortion injected back into the signal
alternating waveform into a direct current. path depends on the actual meter and also
might also want illumination in the meters, (See Fig. 2 for an example of an original audio
the dim yellowy glow for that vintage feel, or the impedance of the unit driving this path.
waveform and the same waveform rectified.) Typically, anywhere from 0.03% to 0.3%
the hard blue-LED look for the contemporary
environment. Within the second type of meter this signal distortion is injected into your signal path
rectification circuit is not present, and thus, the when a meter is simply ‘hung’ across it in this
As Stav alluded to in his articles about ‘juicy’ meter will only respond to an audio signal if fashion. This result tends to rule out simply
VUs: they look damn cool and, let’s face it, it has been converted to a suitable form before hanging some meters across your mix!
when it comes to spending all day sitting in a being presented to the meter – these meters are
studio, the look and vibe of your surrounds is WHAT WE NEED!
technically a DC (Direct Current) meter. What’s required is a simple circuit that can be
vital to your sanity. A nice pair of vintage VUs
dancing to the music is a thing of beauty. Thus there are two basic meter types: one that used to buffer our meter from the audio. This
we can present audio to directly and another provides isolation and prevents the distortion
So where do we get mechanical VU meters that requires some form of external circuitry generated by the meter from getting back into
these days and how do we make them move? to make it work with audio. Ideally, it’s better the audio path. While we’re at it, we can also
Well, there are a few prime sources of VU to purchase the first type (a low-level AC deal with the cheaper DC-type meters that
meters readily available. Some retail electronics meter) and forget the complexity of extra parts won’t read audio without the rectification
shops stock them: Jaycar, for example, has required to make the direct current (DC) circuit and also a calibration control to set up
limited supplies of a funky round VU meter meter read audio. the meter to read 0VU at our desired operating
(which is now discontinued, so be quick) level.
and Altronics has a large meter with a But here’s the catch: all the cheaper new meters
mounting bezel. Other VU stockists include you’ll find for sale are really DC meters, This is the circuit I’ve come up with: (See Fig.1
RS Components and Farnell. There are other which will require some external rectification above.)

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 FIG 1:

Let’s call it the ‘Universal VU Driver’. It blue filled areas of the waveform, and as we
accepts a balanced or unbalanced audio can see, the areas are dependent on time and
input, will run off a single power supply amplitude. (See Fig. 5 right.)
rail (making it suitable for operating from By and large, the most expensive and vintage,
a plug pack) and will also drive an AC- or true VU meters meet these requirements
DC-style VU meter. The gain of the driver quite well, while some of the cheaper meters’
can be also adjusted for a 0VU reading from response times tend to be too quick. For
–8dBu (which is equal to the semi-professional FIG 2: The image above left shows the original waveform,
example, the Altronics meter has a response while the image on the right shows the same
–10dBV standard) to +18dBu. time more in the order of 0.15 seconds and waveform rectified.

In the photo example (See Fig. 4 right), the exhibits quite a bit of overshoot. The Jaycar
XLR female and XLR male sockets of the two meter has less overshoot but the response
channels are simply wired pin for pin (i.e., pin time is even quicker at 0.1 secs. These meters
1 to pin 1, pin 2 to pin 2 etc.) thus enabling the therefore tend to display a performance
signal to pass through the VU unit unaffected. characteristic somewhere between a true VU
Connection to the VU driver circuit is taken meter and a peak meter. This can be largely
from pins 2 and 3, with the ground pin (pin 1) dealt with by adding a capacitor across the
left disconnected. meter – typically a 100µF cap will slow down
the drive to the meter and yield a needle
IT’S ABOUT TIME movement closer to that of a true VU meter.
In addition to the distinction between
AC- and DC-reading meters, which is made The VU driver circuit I’ve come up with here
FIG 3:
redundant by the universal driver circuit, is quite simple to construct, and anyone with
there’s another significant difference between some DIY skills will be able to build one
mechanical meters that separates true VU on a piece of strip board quite easily. Power
meters from the pack: the ‘ballistics’ or ‘time requirements are not critical and the unit will
response’ of the meter. IEC standard (IEC run happily from a 9V to 15V DC plug pack.
268 – 17: 1990 or the British standard 6840: The unit will accept balanced or unbalanced
Part 17:1991) specifies how quickly a VU audio and presents a high impedance load, so
meter should respond to audio and how it can be placed across an audio path without
much overshoot of the needle on a transient affecting signal levels and won’t introduce FIG 4:
signal should occur. The standards specify any hum issues when running from a plug
a response time of 0.3 seconds for the meter pack. To assist with construction, JLM Audio
to read 0VU from when the signal is applied (www.jlmaudio.com) in Brisbane is making
and an overshoot of not more than 1.5%. The an affordable kit available to readers interested
‘overshoot’, if you like, is how far above the in building their own VU meter driver circuit
correct reading the needle rises before settling that will include a PCB and all parts; you just
back down to the accurate reading. provide the meter and plug pack!

It is this response time that’s responsible So get to it. Heat up that soldering iron and
for the VU meter’s characteristic display of put the warm glow of VU meters back into FIG 5:
audio ‘volume’ rather than the peak level. An your studio environment. You won’t regret it.
analysis of a VU meter’s characteristic would
show that it is integrating the audio waveform,
in a sense, adding up the area drawn out by the
shape of the waveform. This yields the result of
displaying the ‘volume’ of the waveform, thus
its name: VU – Volume Units.
In this audio waveform, the meter will, in
effect, read the size or ‘volume’ of the light

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