Always place the VU meter as the first plugin in your chain to check the incoming signal, and often as the last plugin to see how your processing has affected the average volume. Conclusion

Before you download a third-party VU meter plugin, check your DAW.

In digital audio, 0 VU = -18 dBFS.

If you’re looking to , you’ve likely realized that while modern digital workstations (DAWs) have precise peak meters, they often lack the "feel" of analog gear.

The first thing you notice is the interface. It is clean, resizable, and visually customizable.

It prevents you from over-compressing drums by showing how "dense" the sound actually is.