How Do I Add a Stereo VU Meter to a Music Visualizer?
Open Spectrum Analyzer, play the demo track, and choose METER BRIDGE in PRESETS. The tall LED bars show which frequencies are active. The thin strip below them shows the left and right audio levels, starting at the center and moving outward.
Where should I put the meter?
Try these three presets with the same track. Pick the one that leaves room for whatever else you want in the picture.
| Preset | What to look for |
|---|---|
| METER BRIDGE | The level strips sit under the bars and use the bars’ colors. |
| SIDE STACK | A cyan meter stands on the right, leaving the bottom edge for frequency labels. |
| OVERHEAD | A white meter sits across the top above the warmer bars. |
How do I set up my own layout?
- In the Spectrum Analyzer settings, open CORE. Set L/R VU to BOTTOM, TOP, LEFT, or RIGHT.
- Play a quiet passage and a louder one. If the meter barely fills, raise VU GAIN. If it spends most of the loud section at the end of its range, lower it. VU GAIN changes the strip’s travel while the spectrum bars keep their current response.
- Turn on VU L/R MARKS if readers need to identify the two channels. Use VU COLOR to match the bars or pick a custom color that stands out.
- Set SCALE LABELS to TOP or BOTTOM. Resize the window before you settle on LABEL SIZE and LABEL OPACITY. Label size is in screen pixels, so the type stays the same size when the canvas changes shape.
If you only need the spectrum for a background, set L/R VU and SCALE LABELS to OFF. For a live set, rehearse with your actual input so you can judge both channel levels and the frequency bars. See the Spectrum Analyzer settings guide and the live DJ visuals tutorial.