Audio Level & its metering

Audio level
But for
continuous
monitoring of
program VU/PPM
meters are used.
 Audio level
 Audio levels are
measured in dB units
 The most common
units are dBu & dBV
 dBu & dBV are most
commonly used in
performance
measurements on
audio analyzers.
 VU METERS
In running equipment audio levels are measured
by VU meters / PPM meters/LED meters
whereas specific measurements are carried out
in dB units.
 VU meters
• VU meter (volume unit)
• originally called VI or volume indicator
• was adopted to refer to a special meter whose
response closely related to the perceived loudness
of the audio signal.
• It is a voltmeter with standardized dB calibration
for measuring audio signal levels,
• Attack and overshoot (needle ballistics) optimized
for broadcast and sound recording.
• Jointly developed by Bell Labs, CBS and NBC, and
put into use in May, 1939.
 VU meters
• 0 VU is defined to be a level of +4 dBu for an applied
sine wave.
• The VU meter has relatively slow response. It is
driven from a full-wave averaging circuit defined to
reach 99% full-scale deflection in 300 ms and
overshoot not less than 1% and not more than 1.5%.
• Since a VU meter is optimized for perceived
loudness it is not a good indicator of peak
performance.
 Peak programme meter
It reads the average of peaks
A PPM displays the peak volume
level of an audio signal. Analogy:
The average height of the
Himalayan Mountains is 18,000
feet (VU), but Mt. Everest's peak is
29,000+ feet (PPM).
 PPM Meters
 It was originally developed in the 1930s,
independently in both Britain and Germany, as a
superior alternative to earlier types of meter which
were not much use for monitoring peak audio levels.
 Despite the name, the PPM is actually a quasi-peak
meter with quite a slow integration time of around
5-10 ms.
 This was deliberate, the intention being that while
the PPM could be used to avoid overload caused by
peaks, it would ignore fast peaks because the ear is
tolerant of distortion lasting a few milliseconds.
 PPM
• PPMs originally took the
form of dedicated hardware
but can now be implemented
in software as well.
• The latter can be done on a
general-purpose computer or
by a dedicated device which
can 'burn in' a PPM image
onto a video waveform for
display on a picture monitor.
 PPM Design characteristics

4. A long decay time constant, to give the

operator longer to see the peaks and
reduce eye strain.
5. A standard reference level of PPM 4
corresponding to 0 dBu (BBC PPM).
 VU and PPM Audio Meters: An Elementary
Explanation

For a steady state sine wave tone, the difference between

the average level (VU) and the peak level (PPM) is about 3
dB.  

But for a complex audio signal (speech or music), the

difference between the average level (VU) and the peak
level (PPM) can be 10 to 12 dB! This difference between the
reading of a VU meter and a PPM is known as the crest
factor.
 About Audio Meters

The most important distinction is the difference between an

audio clip’s peaks and its average loudness:
Any samples above 0 dBFS are clipped, distorting
the original shape of the audio waveform.
 D75 Digital audio console
-20dBFS = +4bBu (analog) Meter bridge
20 dB Headroom.
Dipswitch for attenuation (Headroom
requirements)
 dBFS

For digital audio, new term “dbFS” is used which

means dB Full Scale
Decibels relative to full scale, commonly
abbreviated dBFS, measures decibel
amplitude levels in digital systems.
 Measurement of digital levels

 0 dBFS represents the highest possible level in digital

gear. All other measurements expressed in terms of dBFS
will always be less than 0 dB i.e. negative numbers.
 0 dBFS indicates the digital number with all digits ="1",
the highest possible sample.
The lowest possible sample is (for instance for 16 bit
audio):
0000 0000 0000 0001, which equals -96 dBFS.
 A signal that reaches 50% of the maximum level would
peak at -6 dBFS, for instance.
--cont…

STI (T)/ Rakesh Sharma, ADE/201

 Analog Versus Digital Meters
The way you set your
levels with a digital meter
is different from the way
you set levels on an
analog meter. Compare a
traditional analog audio
meter with a digital audio
meter:
 Analog Versus Digital Meters
A digital meter displays the sample
values of a digital audio signal. The
scale on the meter is known as
digital full scale, and the signal is
measured in dBFS. On this scale, 0
dBFS represents the highest
possible sample value. Any samples
above 0 dBFS are clipped, distorting
the original shape of the audio
waveform. Once a signal is clipped,
the original shape of the waveform
cannot be recovered.