Choose the instrument.
Select one of nine instrument pads. A practical target VU level is set automatically.
AUTO SERIES 01 / VU-BASED AUTOMATIC GAIN STAGING
AMATERASVU Auto
A starting balance
for your mix.
In about 10 seconds.
Give every track a practical level before you touch a fader. VU Auto helps you build a balanced starting point, ready for your final adjustments by ear.
Choose the instrument, press LEARN, and play. VU Auto measures the track and automatically adjusts its gain to an instrument-specific VU target.
COMING SOONHOW IT WORKS ↓
SHOWN: VOCAL / SOLO · TARGET 0 VUWINDOWS / macOS · VST3 / AU · ZERO LATENCY
01 / BEFORE THE MIX
THE FOUNDATION OF LEVEL
A good mix startswith the levels.
Recorded tracks arrive at different levels. Before reaching for EQ or compression, give each track a useful reference level. That is the purpose of gain staging.
VU Auto measures the signal, calculates the gain, and applies the adjustment for you.
Before you touch a fader,
every track has a place to start.02 / THREE STEPS
SELECT · LEARN · READY
Select.
Learn.
Ready.
Stop adjusting gain by hand while watching the numbers. Choose the source, let VU Auto listen, and move on to making the mix.
Let it listen.
Press LEARN and play the track. Choose a measurement time from 1 to 30 seconds. About 10 seconds is usually enough.
The gain is set.
VU Auto calculates the gain needed to reach the target and applies it automatically. No confirmation step required.
Use RESET to start again. An on-screen warning appears if the gain adjustment could push peaks above the ceiling.
03 / TWO-PASS WORKFLOW
START · MIX · RESTORE
Set the balance.Return to it later.
Build your starting mix, then bring levels back into balance after processing. VU Auto gives you a practical reference to return to when EQ and compression have changed the relationships between tracks.
01 / START
First in the chain.Build your rough mix.
Insert VU Auto first on each track. Choose the instrument and press LEARN. Each source moves toward its practical target level, giving your rough mix a foundation.
EQCOMPSATURATIONMIX
02 / RESTORE
Last in the chain.Restore the balance.
If processing has made the level relationships hard to judge, set all faders to 0 dB. Add VU Auto at the end of each track's chain and run LEARN again.
Readjust using the sound as it is now, after EQ and compression.
A practical balance, ready to refine.
Make the final adjustments by ear.Your mix always has a reference to return to.
04 / INSTRUMENT TARGETS
NINE PRACTICAL STARTING POINTS
Different instruments.Different targets.
Each instrument gets a starting level designed to help it sit in the mix. These nine targets were tested by AMATERAS JAPAN in real recording and mixing sessions.
Make the target your own.
Use the ± buttons to adjust the target in 0.5 dB steps, from −20 to +6 VU. Start with a preset and adapt it to your mix.
05 / WHY VU
0 VU = −18 dBFS
See the levelbehind the peaks.
A peak meter shows brief signal peaks. A VU meter responds over roughly 300 ms, giving you a steadier view of the signal's level and a useful reference for balancing tracks.
Bring the level-management approach of the analog console into your DAW. VU Auto uses a reference of 0 VU = −18 dBFS.
06 / ALWAYS-ON METER
MEASURE AFTER GAIN
Set the gain.Keep the meter.
Once gain staging is complete, VU Auto stays in place as a VU meter. Keep an eye on the adjusted output level throughout your mix.
Two independent bars show the left and right channels, making differences in stereo levels easy to see.
Mono tracks are detected automatically, and the display switches to a single meter.
The meter continuously reads the signal after gain adjustment: the level being sent to your DAW.
A gold marker keeps your target in view, so you can compare it with the current level at a glance.
07 / BUILT FOR EVERY TRACK
LIGHT · FAST · SESSION SAFE
LATENCY
Leave VU Auto on every track without adding plugin delay.
SECONDS
Set the measurement time to suit the source. About 10 seconds is usually enough.
PROJECT MEMORY
The applied gain is saved with your project and retained when you reopen the session.
NO ACTIVATION
No license activation required. Install and start making music.
AU
WINDOWS / macOS
Use VU Auto in a compatible DAW on Windows or macOS.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Specifications
- PRODUCT
- AMATERAS VU Auto
- DAW DISPLAY NAME
- VU Auto - AMATERAS
- SUBTITLE
- VU-BASED AUTOMATIC GAIN STAGING
- FORMATS
- VST3 / Audio Unit (AU)
- WINDOWS
- Windows 10 / 11
- macOS
- macOS 10.13 or later / Universal Binary
- LATENCY
- 0 samples
- LICENSE
- No activation / No iLok
- STATUS
- Coming Soon
DEVELOPED IN NAGAOKA
Designed by AMATERAS JAPAN in Nagaoka, Japan. Tested in the recording and mixing environment of Cafe au Label Studio.
AMATERAS PLUGINS 03 / COMING SOON
Start with balance.
Get on with the mix.
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