VU Meters

[tubehunter]

Hi all,

Just been building some preamps lately.

Check out these VU meters!!!! don't you just love them.:)

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t350/halx00/IMG_8060_zps7614e63a.jpg (http://s514.photobucket.com/user/halx00/media/IMG_8060_zps7614e63a.jpg.html)
http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t350/halx00/IMG_8066_zps1aa25b4f.jpg (http://s514.photobucket.com/user/halx00/media/IMG_8066_zps1aa25b4f.jpg.html)
http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t350/halx00/IMG_8067_zps03265245.jpg (http://s514.photobucket.com/user/halx00/media/IMG_8067_zps03265245.jpg.html)
http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t350/halx00/IMG_8075_zpsbb5b8a12.jpg (http://s514.photobucket.com/user/halx00/media/IMG_8075_zpsbb5b8a12.jpg.html)

[struth]

Very Nice Duncan, love meters of all kinds but that type are great. Put a volts version on my Variac coz its cool.:eyebrows:

[DarrenHW]

Hi all,

Just been building some preamps lately.

Check out these VU meters!!!! don't you just love them.:)

Yes, I effin well do :respect: Dual volume controls?? External PSU?

[Andrei]

Excellent ... and tasteful unlike Dan Dagostino kitsch

[awkwardbydesign]

Excellent ... and tasteful unlike Dan Dagostino kitsch
Or they would be with black button head machine screws. Those socket caps draw the eye away from the meters. IMO, of course.

But I'm right.:eyebrows:

[Macca]

Industrial chic!

I'm a sucker for VU meters.

[Beobloke]

A promising start, certainly, but they should really be at least 3 times bigger... ;)

[istari_knight]

Need a .GIF of them bouncing :D

[The Barbarian]

The biggest VU meters i ever had were on my old Studiomaster 16-8 & 16-4 Mixers

[The Barbarian]

However my fav VU's are the type where the finger runs around the bobbin. I have these on my Uher tape machines. If i remember my old Tascam '133' Cassette deck had three of em anorl.

[The Black Adder]

Yes, I also like those style VOO's :)

Nothing like a dimly lit needle VOO though. I used to love to 'bury the needle' on the end stop... lol... not good recording wise but my younger self used to dig doing that. Ahh.. memories.

[freefallrob]

These are my Dads VU meters:).

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10574228_10152715266259772_6210926922183414332_n.j pg?oh=6fdb5efc7cefd8148c1e88acf39c260d&oe=54B41922&__gda__=1421092445_ec96b6b5e5f6b5db9b9a22bb6c39b48 f

[The Barbarian]

Yes, I also like those style VOO's :)

Nothing like a dimly lit needle VOO though. I used to love to 'bury the needle' on the end stop... lol... not good recording wise but my younger self used to dig doing that. Ahh.. memories.

Always had a thing for black VU's tho

[walpurgis]

Always had a thing for black VU's tho

It was always black knickers and fishnets with me (must stop wearing them). :eek:

[Marco]

Indeed. The ‘selfie’ you sent me, that Saturday night, remains indelibly impregnated in my mind :eyebrows:

Marco.

[walpurgis]

Oh my God. Did you get that?!

It was supposed to go to Normanella, my (4th) Thai tranny bride. :eek:

[occamsrazor]

That pre-amp looks amazing....

[awkwardbydesign]

I've now got these "tasteful" meters. But as there are no numbers I have no idea if they are peak or VU. Just need a few tropical fish in there.
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m604/awkwardbydesign/Jungson%20JA88D%2009/20141027_173319_zpswy1qujmi.jpg (http://s1134.photobucket.com/user/awkwardbydesign/media/Jungson%20JA88D%2009/20141027_173319_zpswy1qujmi.jpg.html)

[occamsrazor]

Could you explain to this newbie exactly which part of an amplifier circuit VU meters are connected to? Also what model are those particular meters in the first post?

[Ali Tait]

Indeed. The ‘selfie’ you sent me, that Saturday night, remains indelibly impregnated in my mind :eyebrows:

Marco.

I am now permanently scarred for life.

[walpurgis]

Could you explain to this newbie exactly which part of an amplifier circuit VU meters are connected to? Also what model are those particular meters in the first post?

Big meters may look 'cool', but I'd like to know what benefits to the sound they offer.

[Ali Tait]

Ah c'mon, VU meters are cool!

[Ali Tait]

That's all that matters. :D

[tubehunter]

You can't hear any benefits , but hey if you can fit them why not!

Meters are for information only and look very cool. Even the wife likes them, it's not alive without them.

I find them helpful, when calibrated correctly, to show the level of the recording.
What with a loudness war happening.

I have them showing the output from my Dac before the stepped attenuators.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2xPanel-VU-Meter-DB-Meter-Driver-DIY-Assembled-fr-T-AMP-/151418763072?pt=UK_Sound_Vision_Amplifier_Parts&hash=item234142f740



Happy days

Duncan

[Floyddroid]

VU meters still make little boys hearts melt.

[The Barbarian]

I have an amp with loverly blue VU's, as a generally play music at low level, the Power VU's hardly budge. hence a total waste of time.

[walpurgis]

They're a waste of time anyway. No mechanical meters react quickly enough to show what is really going on. At best you may get an 'average' picture. Just something else to go wrong.

[Beobloke]

VU or power meters are essential in any system (the more the better!) and anyone who says otherwise is simply in denial. I've just bought this so I have not two, but FOUR on my rack now! :D

http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa428/Beobloke/TascamM4-40_zps28dc2be8.jpg (http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/Beobloke/media/TascamM4-40_zps28dc2be8.jpg.html)

[walpurgis]

VU or power meters are essential in any system (the more the better!) and anyone who says otherwise is simply in denial. I've just bought this so I have not two, but FOUR on my rack now! :D

There must be a name for this condition Adam. I'm not sure there's a cure though. :eyebrows:

[Beobloke]

There must be a name for this condition Adam.

My wife has a few names for it; all of them rude... :(

[The Barbarian]

VU or power meters are essential in any system (the more the better!) and anyone who says otherwise is simply in denial. I've just bought this so I have not two, but FOUR on my rack now! :D

http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa428/Beobloke/TascamM4-40_zps28dc2be8.jpg (http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/Beobloke/media/TascamM4-40_zps28dc2be8.jpg.html)

I have one of them i bought A box load of Teac/Tascam gear a few years ago with a Teac 'GE20' EQ, Tascam '133' Cassette deck, Tascam 'M30' mixer..All for £150.00

[The Barbarian]

Btw: id be willing to swap the Tascam 'MU-40' meter bridge if someone had a Teac 'MB-20' meter bridge spare..

[Geefresh]

Wow! This site is turning out great already!

Old thread, I know, but if anyone has an MU40 that you'd be willing to part with (and that M30?!), I'd be made up. Been looking for both for ages! Thanks!

[Virtual-Symmetry]

Is that a Vermona 'E2010' EQ in your avatar Geoff?

[Geefresh]

Sure is! It was a great EQ but, alas, space is at a premium so I had to put it on eBay, and it was posted yesterday! That space is now reserved, hopefully, for an M30. I'm also keeping an eye out for one of those Teac eqs that's a similar affair, coz that will be able to be stacked on top of the reel to reels nicely.

[Virtual-Symmetry]

Those Teac 'GE20' were great but now sought after. I actually had two of them. I like the was you have a variable gain on both the input & output.

[Geefresh]

Yeah, you occassionally see them for sale with 'For parts/Not working' reel to reels on eBay, but I've yet to see them alone. There's a TASCAM GE20 on Gumtree at the moment tho, for £60.