Metering
SpectraVU
A VU meter, and nothing to buy.
Free
Overview
SpectraVU is the VU meter out of Spectra, given away on its own. It shares the paid product's measurement core and its editor, and shows one thing: a needle, per channel, on a classic scale.
The ballistic is the standard one: a second-order movement that reaches 99 % of its deflection in 300 ms. Behind it is a model of a germanium-diode rectifier rather than a plain RMS average, which is what gives programme material the response a real VU meter has.
Audio passes through untouched. The signal is tapped for metering and nothing else happens to it.
Key features
0 VU is yours to set
The reference runs across the usual choices and defaults to −18 dBFS. A sine at the reference reads exactly 0, because the detector is calibrated to a sine's RMS.
Standard ballistics, adjustable
300 ms rise to 99 % is the IEC 60268-17 figure and the default. Shorten it for a quicker, SIFAM-style movement without changing the damping character.
Right-click to change it
Reference, rise time and needle blur sit in a panel that opens beside the meter and stays live while you move them — the needle keeps running as you adjust.
Free, with nothing attached
No licence, no account, no trial clock, no expiry. The licence machinery is not disabled in this edition — it was removed from it.
Two dials, three settings.
Right-click the meter: 0 VU reference, rise time, needle blur.
Formats & platforms
| Format | macOS | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone application | Yes | — |
| VST3 | Yes | Yes |
| Audio Unit (AU) | Yes | — |
| CLAP | Yes | Yes |
| AAX Native | Yes | — |
AAX is built for macOS only. On Windows the installer ships VST3 and CLAP.
System requirements
| macOS | Windows | |
|---|---|---|
| OS version | macOS 12.0 Monterey or later | Windows 10 version 1607 or later, 64-bit |
| CPU | Apple Silicon or Intel (Universal binary) | 64-bit Intel or AMD |
Get SpectraVU.
Free — add it to your cart and the installers are emailed to you.