Download this Vu Meter photo now. And search more of iStock's library of royalty-free stock images that features Audio Electronics photos available for quick and easy download. Akozon VU Meter 2 Pcs VU Panel Meter Warm Back Light Recording + Audio Level Amp with Driver Board. 2.6 out of 5 stars 2. Get it as soon as Mon, Jan 11. VU meter with 'Recording' title Stock Photo by nikkytok 0 / 0 Vintage Stereo Audio Power Amplifier Large Glowing VU Meter Stock Photos by vittore 0 / 43 vu meter. Vector Stock Images by i3alda 0 / 13 Potentiometers trimmers and VU meter lights volume peak in a mix Pictures by max8xam 0 / 5 reel to reel audio tape recorder with blue led light strip.
I recently bought a cheap VU meter on Amazon, which looks very cool but needs some circuitry to get running. Unlike vintage meters, which can be driven by the audio signal directly, newer (and especially cheap) meters require DC current. A simple circuit, based on this example by Rod Elliott, uses four diodes to convert the AC audio signal into DC, plus a resistor and capacitor to dampen the movement of the needle.
Download this Vu Meter photo now. And search more of iStock's library of royalty-free stock images that features Audio Electronics photos available for quick and easy download. Akozon VU Meter 2 Pcs VU Panel Meter Warm Back Light Recording + Audio Level Amp with Driver Board. 2.6 out of 5 stars 2. Get it as soon as Mon, Jan 11. VU meter with 'Recording' title Stock Photo by nikkytok 0 / 0 Vintage Stereo Audio Power Amplifier Large Glowing VU Meter Stock Photos by vittore 0 / 43 vu meter. Vector Stock Images by i3alda 0 / 13 Potentiometers trimmers and VU meter lights volume peak in a mix Pictures by max8xam 0 / 5 reel to reel audio tape recorder with blue led light strip.
I recently bought a cheap VU meter on Amazon, which looks very cool but needs some circuitry to get running. Unlike vintage meters, which can be driven by the audio signal directly, newer (and especially cheap) meters require DC current. A simple circuit, based on this example by Rod Elliott, uses four diodes to convert the AC audio signal into DC, plus a resistor and capacitor to dampen the movement of the needle.
Vu Meter Image
See Rod's post for lots more technical detail and a more complex driver circuit. Of course, this is pretty lo-fi and not studio-quality equipment… it also didn't cost $1000.
Large Vu Meter
The BOM for this circuit. These are pretty common parts and can be substituted for what you have lying around. In particular, the value of the capacitor should be experimented with. 100uF worked pretty well for me, but the choice is forgiving.
Led Audio Vu Meter
| PART | $ EA | QTY | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| VU meter (500uA, 700ohm) | $10.57 | 1 | http://amzn.to/1J8BZOT |
| 3.3k resistor | $0.10 | 1 | http://bit.ly/1N7zVJk |
| 1N4001 diodes | $0.18 | 4 | http://bit.ly/1HLxaFy |
| 100uF electrolytic capacitor | $0.22 | 1 | http://bit.ly/1JXhsNH |
Vu Meter Image
The VU meter and circuit connected to my full vinyl lathe pre-electronics. A 10W amplifier, volume control, the VU meter, inverse-RIAA filter and output to the lathe and headphones.
And the circuit, prototyped on a breadboard. The crisscrossing diodes make this a little tricky.
