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

[Dualbert]

I am a big fan of the 70s aesthetic (when hi-fi was still big).

Throughout my youth (a long time after the 70ies...), some of the stuffy West German living rooms still had futuristic looking devices (rarely or never used) that clashed strongly with the rest of the interior: yellow and green scales and lights, metallic buttons that looked like “the pinnacle of engineering” to me.

Back then, companies like SABA (Schwarzwälder Apparate BauAnstalt), Telefunken, and Dual still existed. A bit of that old-catalogue aesthetic would be great (instead of the record player/tape machine animation) to be represented in todays high-tech.

Here are a few examples of the aesthetic I'm talking about (many may see it as a relic, I still love it).
Black, yellow, red, green(!). Especially the curret VU-meters lack a bit of green


Dual VU-meter:

Source: https://www.hifi-archiv.info/Dual Anleitungen & Kataloge/Dual Kataloge/Dual 1978 Programm 2/01.jpg

Source: https://www.hifi-archiv.info/Dual Anleitungen & Kataloge/Dual Kataloge/Dual 1978-79 Programm/dual78-79-01.jpg

Telefunken:

Source: https://www.hifi-archiv.info/Telefunken/1977-78-Report/17.jpg

to catch more of that vibe:

Source: https://www.hifi-archiv.info/Saba/1975-1/0001.jpg


There was also a company called Tesla that produced tape machines:

Source: https://www.hifi-archiv.info/Tesla/Tesla B730/Tesla-B730-001.jpg

SABA tape machine:

Detail:

Source: https://www.hifi-archiv.info/Saba/1978-Saba-Gesamtprogramm/069.jpg

Source: https://www.hifi-archiv.info/Saba/1977/0040.jpg

Sorry if this became more of a pinterest-mood board.

 

[RickS]

For VU meters, really prefer mechanical ones. If was implementing a soft display, a multi-color spectrum analyzer is what I would do…

You can find these as phone apps with nice options.

 

[SHB]

3 ideas for meter options:

• Dual takes on the classic VU meter that run simultaneously: one meter shows the standard, average level (black needle)with a second that shows peaks & holds for a half second before decaying (red needle)

• A horizontal, bar meter with both peak & average weighting

• An RTA

The features:

• It actually shows the real power being sent to the speakers: obviously, some type of calibration protocol will be needed

• Totally nonreactive electronics that don’t alter the signal to the speaker in any (audibly) significant way

• A variety of background colors

• Brightness controls

• A Retina quality display

• Onboard power supply - no wall/line wart

• Little to no visible bezel from the front view.

• Make large enough that everyone wants on (eye/sex appeal)

If it’s actually useful, I’ll buy one regardless of the price. If it serves no actual purpose, no, thank.

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

Would be hard to top what RME has done.

 

[dualazmak]

In case if @Douk Audio is really serious about designing excellent, I mean excellent in design + functionalities + durability + after-services + etc., LCD/OLED screen multi-mode VU-PP-others meter module, COSMIC VU2 PREMIUM (VU Multimeter, 2U, 4.3"LCDx2, Made in Japan) would be a nice reference for your consideration; I already touched on this product in my post #611 on the thread "VU Meters: Let's See 'Em!!";

 

[RickS]

Like the RME, but for something more constrained by size and price, find the Motu M4 metering to be very useful...

 

[JeffS7444]

Steampunk or mechanical wristwatch-inspired, including blued analog meter needles, brass and polished hardwood accents.

Post-apocalyptic: Cracked glass, randomly flickering backlight.

Four seasons: Different color themes for each, with occasional background animations (snow, falling blossoms, rain, autumn leaves)

China: Come on, everyone loves pandas, bamboo, noodles and dumplings. Maybe have panda react to signal levels, snooze at low levels.

Easter egg: Looks normal, but every once in awhile, something amusing happens for a few seconds.

 

[007Shorty]

To this day, I am fascinated by the functional and visual design of the control panel used in the Apollo missions. For me, it's a fantastic design. I don't know how or whether some of these design elements could be applied to audio equipment and VU Meters, but it would certainly look great.
(source: https://www.space.com/apollo-command-module-control-panel-replica-kickstarter)

 

[jck2001]

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

Vectorscope would indeed be awesome!

 

[Zakazulu]

If it's a digital screen, 1 of the options should be a Multi bar spectrum.

Something like this would be nice.

 

[Premier]

Hello @Douk Audio Team,
Thanks for asking. I am not a technician and not sure if I am still on time to give you my little contribution.

With regard to your next releases, to me the following points would matter a lot:
- a device combining together a double mechanical VU-meters + a display to visualize the spectrum analyzer (customizable in terms of colour-combinations and appearance, as example, please see Eversolo/Luxsin)
- adjustability of brightness and sensitivity
- 0,000000000% distorsion
- frequency response also below 20Hz and much above 20kHz
- 12v triggers (in + through)
- SPDIF RCA XLR ins and outs
- indicator of the average dB somewhere in the display
- chassis available in black and silver
- linear power supply

Thanks for your attention and have fun in the development of the new devices!

 

[armin75]

my 2 Cents I would like it rather clean and old school (VA could also read WATT instead ;-))

or black with not too much illumination:

and an all time classic (for me at least ;-): amounts of LEDs changable also orange could be added between green and red ones ...

Thank you for the opportunity and best regards, Armin

 

[Hiten]

It will be four months. Is the vu meter design finalised by Douk Audio ?
For that matter i liked analog horizontal vu meters.
Regards.

 

[LSPhil]

My UV meter should work similarly to the level meter in Audacity, including a peak hold function where the maximum level remains visible for a fraction of a second. It could also feature an analog-style needle indicator, as well as a red LED that lights up whenclipping occurs .

 

[LSPhil]

Moje dwa grosze: Chciałbym, żeby było raczej czysto i staroświecko (VA mogłaby też zamiast tego napisać WATT ;-))

View attachment 533749

lub czarny bez zbytniego podświetlenia:

View attachment 533750

i ponadczasowa klasyka (przynajmniej dla mnie ;-): zmienna ilość diod LED, a także możliwość dodania pomarańczowego koloru pomiędzy zielonymi i czerwonymi...

View attachment 533752

Dziękuję za możliwość i pozdrawiam serdecznie, Armin

 

[armin75]

or: (needle color selectable ;-))

 

[Raj21p]

One style I'd love to see is a "hybrid analog" mode that mimics the inertia and overshoot of a real mechanical VU meter while still taking advantage of a digital display. Another would be a spectrum-analyzer/VU combo where the meter transitions from classic needles at low levels to a dynamic frequency display during peaks. The key, in my opinion, is making the motion feel natural and believable rather than just adding more animations.

 

[armin75]

something like this? color design of course up to disigners as it could also be horizontal instead of vertical.

(c) by Mark Donners

 

[Douk Audio]

Thank you all so much for your enthusiastic suggestions!

After final review and confirmation, we have selected the following VU, level, and spectrum modes, which will be officially applied to our TX7, stay tuned!

 

[Premier]

Hello @Douk Audio Team,
Thank you for the update and sharing the nice designs!

A couple of questions, if you can answer now.
What kind of device is the TX7: preamp, equalizer, amp selector, or just metering?
Will it have only one display and no mechanical indicator?
If only with the display, are you planning any kind of connection for future possible upgrades?