Blenheim Sound has released reVUe, a free VU meter plugin for Windows and macOS.
If your DAW doesn’t include a proper VU meter, this one is well worth grabbing. It’s simple, compact, and you can download it immediately from the product page.
I’ve always liked mixing with VU meters because, unlike peak meters, they give you a reading that’s closer to how loud something feels to our ears. That makes them great for getting a more musical balance between channels, especially if you’re tweaking the overall mix level rather than chasing peaks.
reVUe nails the classic VU meter look while packing in some modern features to work better with current DAWs.
The ballistics are modelled on the original 1940s broadcast specification, so the needle moves smoothly and naturally. It reaches 99% of its target level around 300 ms after a sudden signal, with a touch of overshoot, just like the real hardware.
By default, it’s calibrated to -18 dBFS, but you can set it anywhere from 0 to -30 dBFS, with calibration saved per plugin instance. It also gives accurate RMS loudness readings for stereo material, no matter where sounds are panned.
The interface is resizable, so you can make it tiny for a discreet meter or blow it up full-screen. The latter is a nice option if you have a secondary monitor and want to use it exclusively for metering.
Where reVUe really shines is in REAPER. It supports REAPER’s Embedded UI feature, so you can place a VU meter directly at the top of each channel strip in the mixer or track panel, just like a hardware desk.
Unfortunately, this embedded mode doesn’t work in other DAWs, but it still functions perfectly well as a standard plugin in any VST3, AU, or CLAP host.
There’s no clip indicator here; the point of a VU meter isn’t to warn you of clipping but to give you a sense of perceived loudness over time. If you’re used to peak meters, I highly recommend trying a VU meter like this one because it encourages you to listen rather than react to every transient spike.
You can download reVUe completely free from Blenheim Sound’s website, no registration required.
reVUe is compatible with macOS and Windows in VST3, AU, and CLAP formats, working in all major DAWs including Logic Pro, Cubase, Nuendo, Ableton Live, Bitwig, FL Studio, Cakewalk, and Digital Performer.
Download: reVUe
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Last Updated on August 8, 2025 by Tomislav Zlatic.
