HoRNet VU Meter MK4 is available now

HoRNet Plugins is excited to announce the release of HoRNet VU Meter MK4, the latest version of our digital VU meter plugin, designed to offer more advanced features for gain staging, level monitoring, and overall signal management. The VU Meter MK4 is not just a traditional volume meter, but a complete tool for controlling and monitoring your audio levels in real-time. It’s perfect for both the recording and mixing stages, providing enhanced flexibility and functionality to streamline your workflow.

What is HoRNet VU Meter MK4?

HoRNet VU Meter MK4 is a digital VU meter plugin that goes beyond the standard volume meter. It incorporates advanced features such as automatic gain adjustment, grouping functions, and the ability to monitor the levels of any instance within your project, without needing to close the GUI or switch tracks. The plugin is designed to give you precise control over your signal levels while working in a dynamic and efficient environment, making it an essential tool for professionals who want to maintain accurate and consistent gain staging throughout the entire production process.

Key Features of HoRNet VU Meter MK4

Accurate Signal Level Monitoring

During the recording phase, accurate monitoring of your signal’s perceived loudness is crucial. The HoRNet VU Meter MK4 allows you to closely monitor this with its 300 ms integration time, which effectively measures the loudness of your signal. This ensures that you’re not recording with levels that are too high, which could compromise your audio quality. Additionally, the VU meter can be used in conjunction with peak meters, providing you with a complete picture of your signal levels. By keeping both the loudness and the peak values close together, you can ensure a more balanced and optimal recording.

Customizable Calibration

HoRNet VU Meter MK4 also gives you the flexibility to calibrate the 0 VU point to the ideal level for your A/D converters. By default, the calibration is set to -18 dBFS, a commonly used reference point. However, it’s important to consult your A/D converter’s specifications and adjust the calibration accordingly to match its internal headroom. This is crucial because every A/D converter has an analog front-end, and recording too hot (close to 0 dBFS) can overload that analog stage, leading to distortion and degraded audio quality. Adjusting the calibration ensures that your recordings stay within the optimal range for clean, distortion-free audio.

Enhanced Functionality During Mixing

During the mixing stage, HoRNet VU Meter MK4 becomes even more valuable. It can be used alongside your DAW’s peak meter to identify key tracks that might be problematic. Some tracks, particularly those with heavy transient content, may have high energy in the transients but lack sufficient loudness overall. With HoRNet VU Meter MK4, you can easily spot these issues and address them, ensuring a more balanced and cohesive mix.

Auto Gain Feature

One of the standout features of HoRNet VU Meter MK4 is its auto gain functionality. Gain staging is a critical part of any mix, and when using analog-emulating plugins, too much gain can introduce unwanted distortion. With auto gain, you can activate the function to automatically adjust the internal gain so that your signal peaks at the desired level. You can set this level anywhere between -3 and +3 VU, ensuring that your signal stays within the ideal range without the risk of clipping or distortion.

Peak Protection and Ceiling Control

When dealing with transient-heavy sounds, there’s a risk that the auto gain feature might boost the signal too much, potentially causing clipping. To prevent this, we’ve included a max peak ceiling feature. This ensures that your signal doesn’t exceed the set peak limit, helping you maintain clean and undistorted audio throughout your session. The peak ceiling gives you full control over the maximum level your signal can reach, making sure it stays within the desired range without risking overload.

Grouping and Global Parameter Control

Another powerful feature of HoRNet VU Meter MK4 is the ability to group instances of the plugin together. For example, you can group all your drum tracks and apply auto gain, reference, and color settings to every instance in the group with just one click. Additionally, you can use the “Send to all” option to apply a specific parameter to every instance of the plugin across your entire project, even if they aren’t in the same group. This feature makes it easy to manage multiple instances of the plugin, saving you time and effort when working with large projects.

Other Features of HoRNet VU Meter MK4

• VU Meter specification compliance with 300 ms attack and release time.

• VU Peak hold for maintaining peak values.

• RED Blink clipping indicator for easy identification of clipping.

• Reference level adjustable from -60 to 0 dBFS.

• Input gain adjustable from -30 dB to +30 dB.

• Customizable bar color for visual preferences.

• Stereo automatic gain adjustment with 6 different settings.

• Peak protection to ensure no peak exceeds the set limit.

• Auto Gain and meter settings can be applied to the entire group or all instances at once.

• Eight assignable groups for easy organization and management.

• Stereo display for clear and accurate level representation.

• Each instance can be named, and group names are fully editable.

• Every instance can display the value of any other named instance in the project.

• Supports Mac OS X (10.7 and later) and Windows (Vista and later).

• 64-bit plugins for macOS, and both 32-bit and 64-bit for Windows.

• Available in Audio Units, VST, VST3, and AAX formats.

Price and Upgrade Information

HoRNet VU Meter MK4 is available for just €5.99 (approximately $6.65 USD). If you already own VU Meter MK3, you can upgrade to the latest version for only €1.99. This affordable upgrade ensures that you get access to all the latest features and improvements, allowing you to take your audio projects to the next level.

Conclusion

HoRNet VU Meter MK4 is an essential tool for anyone looking to improve their gain staging, level monitoring, and overall audio production workflow. Whether you’re recording, mixing, or mastering, this plugin offers precise control over your signal levels, helping you avoid common pitfalls like clipping and distortion. The auto gain feature, peak protection, and grouping capabilities make it an invaluable asset for any professional working with complex audio projects.

Take advantage of our upgrade offer and make HoRNet VU Meter MK4 a key part of your toolkit. With its powerful features, customizable controls, and user-friendly interface, it’s the perfect addition to your audio production setup.