Brainstorm with Douk Audio: Help Design New Digital VU Meters (Rewards Inside!)

[Douk Audio]

Hey all ASR members,

Hope you‘re all doing well. I wanted to share something we’ve been working on for a while and, more importantly, ask for your brilliant input.

It all started back in early 2023. We received a lot of feedback from our customers about wanting a digital VU meter option for our VU3. Honestly, it was a new challenge for us but we decided to do it and determined to get it right, the responsiveness, the look and the feel, all had to be good. It took a lot of trial, and honestly, more time than we initially thought. But finally, in September 2025, we launched our first product featuring a digital VU meter, the Douk Audio x Ampapa D1.

The positive response and support you‘ve shown for the D1 has been incredibly motivating. Thank you! Riding on that, we’ve just introduced the Ampapa Q1, which comes with even more VU meter style options. We have some reviewers putting it through its paces now, not in the looking but also its powerful functions, so stay tuned for their thoughts.

Looking ahead to 2026, we‘re committed to refining and creating even better products. A big part of that is the visual experience, which brings me to my main ask today. Our product team is eager to collect a wider library of awesome VU meter styles for future designs. We all think that no where will be better to ask than the ASR?

So, let’s brainstorm! I‘m officially inviting all of you to let your imagination run wild. What kind of digital VU meter styles would you love to see? Classic needle with a modern twist? Crazy futuristic animations? Minimalist elegance? Throw any and all ideas at me. I’ll be taking notes and personally forwarding every single suggestion to our team for review on feasibility.

To show our gratitude for your creativity:
1) The top contributor whose style ideas are used the most will receive a free unit of the first new product featuring their suggested VU meter design.
2) Anyone whose style element gets adopted will receive a 50% discount coupon for that new product once it launches.
3) Everyone who participates in this discussion will get a 20% discount coupon as a thank you for joining the conversation.

To spark some inspiration, here are the current VU styles we have on the Q1:

We‘re super excited to see what you come up with. Thank you so much for your time and for helping us make our gear cooler, together! Thank you!

 

[MCH]

I always liked the bars that hold the maximum level for a couple of seconds. And of course must get red when clipping

Not the best example but I guess you get the idea:

 

[-Matt-]

Rather than submitting a graphical design (that could potentially be hard coded into the final product) I have a slightly different suggestion...

Would it be feasible to make the display user editable? I have in mind something similar to the way you can change the face of a smart watch. I.e. Either by downloading pre-made faces from your website and uploading them via a usb cable. Or for more tech savvy users to be able to design their own faces (using tools that you publish) and optionally upload these to a community repository that you manage.

 

[Jeromeof]

There are many visually striking VU Meters inside the Peppy Meter project:

GitHub - project-owner/PeppyMeter: PeppyMeter Repository

PeppyMeter Repository. Contribute to project-owner/PeppyMeter development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

E.g.

PeppyMeter/800x480 at master · project-owner/PeppyMeter

PeppyMeter Repository. Contribute to project-owner/PeppyMeter development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

Typically the way that project worked - was there was a background image, a foreground image and an image for the needle for the VU meter, e.g. this one pretends to show tubes between 2 VU meters:

https://github.com/project-owner/PeppyMeter/blob/master/800x480/vertical-circular-bgr.png?raw=true

 

[DVDdoug]

Disclaimer - I'm not likely to be a customer, so feel free to ignore me.*

BUT, I might buy a peak power meter. Once you go "digital" (with some internal electronics, especially with a processor) it can be auto-ranging, have peak & RMS options, etc.

For appearance, I like the analog rectangular meters that I remember from the 1970's, especially the larger meters we had at the college radio station. I like the look of the VU3. I'm not a fan of the round or roundish antique-looking meters. But a bar-graph display would be OK. A numerical display added to the "meter action" would be a bonus. A graphical display (OLED or LCD) could allow for lots of features and options.



* It's just not something I want or need... I already built myself a "giant LED VU meter effect", which is just a visual effect with no calibration. It continuously auto-adjusts for lots of "meter action", no matter the actual signal level (it has a "line level" input and it's built with an Arduino). ...I'm single so there is no WAF and I can have an 8-foot VU meter in my living room!

 

[Multicore]

I am not interested in vu meters as a visualizer. I want a vectorscope.

 

[Andysu]

I am not interested in vu meters as a visualizer. I want a vectorscope.

 

[Multicore]

Gabrielle Drake who played Lt. Gay Ellis on U.F.O. was the sister of Nick Drake.

 

[dualazmak]

Let me suggest again my dream VU meter "design" which has been already shared with all of you here.

Just for your possible reference and interest, please find my DIY-built IEC 60268-17 compatible 12-VU-Meter Array in my post #535 on my project thread.

 

[G|force]

I've always liked the Dorrough 40A loudness meter though I have no need for one. Getting the ballistics right makes or breaks the visual appeal IMO. Clarity M does that and has a vectorscope.

 

[Cbdb2]

Is it just for eye candy or are they supposed to be usefull?
Please dont call them VU meters if there not VU meters. VU meters are for pro line level signals (+4dbu) and the ballastics are set to show volume (sorta rms power) ie a lot slower than a peak meter. What your making is a power meter. If its switchable between input and output (which is handy) than the input meter should be VU and the output meter should be rms power.
VU meters start at -20dbVU which is not enough range for amplifier output. So give it a 60db range and call it a rms power meter. And as far as im concerned a peak meter for amp output power is more impoprtant, as in a clipping indicator. So a meter that shows both rms and peak levels is best. Like the Dorroughs above (what the pros use, but again, its line level).
Whats the referance level? Is 0"VU" max power? If it is why have a +3"VU" on a rms meter?

 

[unmutual]

Vu meters are boring. I would like instead a digital seismograph. With option for paper roll printout for those special occasions, say, when I feel like spinning Hiroshima by Sun Ra on vinyl

 

[Ezee]

I may be alone on this one. I find a lot more nostalgia in, and enjoy the visual appearance and durability of actual physical meters.
Sure, there is some multitasking capability from a screen display that also can show meters, but I like seeing the physical meters when the device is powered off or even when just illumination is turned off. Physical meters can still work, without adding illumination to the space. Physical meters will outlast a display screen in longevity. I realize that physical meters are easier to incorporate into a larger chassis, but keep them in mind still for those larger chassis projects. In that application, pick any meter style you want, but prioritize dedicated needle-based physical meters. They can even be small. Allow for adjustable illumination and use without illumination. Maybe even a few alternating color options. Allow for gain or sensitivity adjustment of the meters.

Thank you for allowing and hearing our input.


Additional topic: Many brands seem to be releasing several new products each year, and each new year, the sizes and formats change too often. Squared edges vs round edges. different heights and widths. Different colors. Different radius on corners.

Many consumers want to pursue a visual aesthetic and will try to match components when possible. However, with every year's products changing size and shape, nothing matches. The speaker amplifier from 2025 won't match the DAC from 2024, and won't match the headphone amplifier being released in 2026. Even in the same year, there are unnecessary format changes.

Not everything has to be as compact as possible. Just because a new DAC can be smaller doesn't mean it has to be. Many people aren't looking for the smallest package possible. They would quickly prefer an option that matches closely with their other gear. I would rather have that DAC be a little larger so that it matches the amplifier or other product options that are already available

Please, pick a style and form factor and stick with it for a bit. Make it a little bit larger if necessary to accommodate future models and additional features. Allow multiple revisions and new models to be housed within the same chassis style and size. It can still be a new model, just provide some consistency in the physical format, size, and appearance.

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[SPOautos]

I like the idea of a somewhat large decent resolution screen that someone can toggle between realistic looking meters.... frequency bars, a larger L/R level meter bars that go up and down with power output, sweep meter gauges, etc. More importantly I'd like it to not be required to be in the audio path, like maybe aux cable input. Now it might depend on what kind of meters a person wants to see, for instance if they want left/right channel that goes up and down displaying actual power level output (think Yamaha mx1000 meters displaying the watts) then it *might* need to have high level inputs/outputs for speaker wires. But id think all the others meter types could work on some other method that doesn't require being in the actual audio path. So maybe a choice of inputs like RCA, aux cord, maybe digital coax, USB where it's getting signal but can work with only a input.

Maybe have it where it can connect to a phone app or pc to change and edit meter types, colors, etc.....or if that's not feasible.....maybe just a button on front where someone can toggle through meters and a rotary knob to change colors.....maybe even a rotary like a old school selector dial that has chooses different meters.

I'm imagining something kind of like this MX1000 where the glass section is a displayscreen and it's not near as deep as the amp and maybe a little shorter and not as wide, so it's easier to fit in most places but still looks like legit audio gear.

 

[SPOautos]

Just to add a little more....this is also a nice piece where you see that glass go all the way across, that would be nice as well as a lcd display and would give plenty of room for all different types of meters and frequency analyzers to be displayed.

It could contain many different styles that are beloved like large blue meters that mimic McIntosh amps, or these beautiful green ones like this Onkyo, or the red bars like the Yamaha MX series I posted above.....the possibilities are endless.

 

[Petevid]

My favourite VU meter is the second one down from the top. This is almost identical to the VU meters on my old Wollensak Casette deck.

 

[eddantes]

Always had a soft spot for the old Nagra stuff... But I think you guys already had a go at these.

Simplicity of a D. Rams design is always welcome.

Reproducing the Marantz O-scope in software might be fun. Love to watch it play on my Marantz Eighteen.

Various tuning eye tubes are always fun. Enjoy the green glow in my Scott 399.


_________________________________________

But Douk - I think your brand design needs a little consistency, an element that show up all the time, like the Fosi orange knob. If anything that I do associate with Douk it's that green-blue flourescent display. Sort of the Pioneer look ala SX-3700. So you might cultivate that colour accent as lighting around a black knob. etc...? Maybe mimic in a "glass" like embelishment.

I am a big fan of those glass buttons that existed for a new york minute in the late 70s early 80s. I think Yamaha did them too in the A and B series amps of the late 70s. One can mimic that look in a VU meter as well.

I'll add more as my brain reaches into the depths of my memories.

 

[AaronJ]

VU meters are less interesting than a spectrum analyzer. Personally I love the look and action of an ADC SA-1. Nothing flashy.

 

[MarekRMac]

something like this would be nice:

 

[MarekRMac]

maybe a little better: