DRMeter MkII — Universal Loudness Metering Solution

The One Meter For All Of Us

• DRMeter MkII Perpetual License • DR2 Bundle
Try Now
DRMeter MkII

DRMeter MkII :: Cross–platform Plug–in

The only comprehensive Loudness metering solution, from the guys who helped pave the way for Loudness normalization.

• DRMeter MkII Perpetual License: $129
• DR2 Bundle: $149, $53 Total Savings
[16% Off DRMeter MkII & DROffline MkII + free MAATgo]
Official whole number rounded DR Values with a blink of an eye

One Meter For All

Integrated DR (DRi) + EBU R 128

It’s a fine line between competitive and crushed. DRMeter MkII is the first Loudness meter plug–in designed for not only general use, but specifically for music production. It’s the only 1770 Loudness meter that displays channel–specific trends and events by augmenting the mandated monaural measurement with classic L/R metering. DRMeter MkII is also the first plug–in to combine official integrated DRi dynamic range measurement with mandated R 128 and A/85 Loudness.

With this product, MAAT premiers the Dynamic Deviation™ function, an intuitive presentation of current dynamic density compared to Target Loudness. Dynamic density is the amount of dynamic contrast in a recording. DRM2 is also the first Loudness meter to display both Relative and Absolute scales simultaneously.

Need More?

Current Loudness meters were designed to strictly conform to the 1770, R 128 and A/85 Loudness measurements standards. While DRMeter MkII conforms completely to all international standards, with higher accuracy than many competing products, we wanted more and we think you will too. Conceived by MAAT’s own Friedemann Tischmeyer, a member of the EBU’s ploud group that created “R128,” DRMeter MkII addresses the needs of modern audio pros, who jump from commercial work and CD prep and mastering to an industrial promo soundtrack or VO for an overseas client.

For extra versatility, DRMeter MkII includes a native version you can run anytime, to meter outside of your DAW or plug–in host. To use DRM2 standalone, you will usually need a “virtual audio device,” an audio driver that provides a software “device” the operating system can use for patching. For Windows, we recommend VB-Audio’s VB-CABLE. For macOS, we recommend Existential Audio’s BlackHole. Both are free.

Relax. Whatever job walks in the door, you know your measurement needs are met. Rest easy knowing no matter what genre or flavor of content you produce, DRMeter MkII will guide you toward the best possible master for your specific deliver platform or medium. DRMeter MkII, the Loudness Meter for all of us.

Unobtrusive Power

Hiding behind DRMeter MkII’s seemingly simple UI is a powerful premise. Eye candy is great for newbies, but can really get you down on a daily basis. DRMeter MkII packs every metric you may need into one resizable window that’s easy on the eyes. Not only does the UI “get out of the way,” so you can be more productive, we’ve incorporated industry–first features that inform you of possible pitfalls without slapping you in the face.

Subtle Functionality

DRMeter MkII combines all mandated Loudness metrics with several new helpers. We’ve added discrete left/right measurements so you can ID channel–specific trouble spots and track trends. We also measure all the time for all metrics, in the background, so you can jump from one measurement method to another and back, checking up on specific concerns without loosing the overall picture. We’ve even added little details that make your day better, like “digital black” or -∞ indicators; Play, Pause and automatic controls for integrated measurement; an R128 Gate Disable for downward compatibility; and a True Peak disable option for broadcast folks that need SPPM as well. Did we mention factory and user presets so you can blip between client or program–specific settings in an instant?

Presets give you instant control of your Loudness to match Spotify, iTunes Music & MfiT, YouTube, TIDAL, R128 & A/85 and Pandora
Dynamic Deviation indicates that the master is about 2 dB too loud while DRM2 is in MfiT monitoring mode at Target Loudness set to -16 LUF

Better By Design

We’ve included a round trip AAC codec, similar to the one iTunes uses, into our measurement and monitoring options so your iTunes mastering work will be spot on every time, while Dynamic Deviation allows you to navigate within the “gravitation field” between peak and Loudness normalization. By setting your personal Target Loudness level and a True Peak Threshold, you get instant feedback on positive or negative differences relative to your defined “Dynamic Margin.”
Dynamic Margin equals Target Loudness minus TP Threshold and, BTW, the use of “deviation” is significant. Positive values indicate more dynamic content than your Dynamic Margin, while negative values indicate less dynamic content.

DRM2 combines mandated R128 and A/85 loudness measurements with an improved version of our DR dynamic range metering standard. DRM2 includes several industry firsts, all designed to help you be more productive.

INDUSTRY FIRSTS

  • The first loudness meter designed for general use and specifically for music production
  • The only loudness meter displaying channel–specific trends and events with classic L/R metering
  • DRMeter MkII is also the first plug–in to offer official DRi dynamic range, just like our DROffline batch utility
  • Dynamic Deviation, an intuitive presentation of your current dynamic density compared to Target Loudness
  • DRM2 is also the first loudness meter with DualVu™. Displaying both Relative and Absolute scales simultaneously makes loudness metering more intuitive and easier to understand.

MEASUREMENT

  • D-MODE: DR - MAAT’s renowned DR dynamic range standard; PSR - Peak–to–Short–term Ratio; LRA - Loudness Range
  • L-MODE: RMS, Momentary Loudness, Short–term Loudness
  • Integrated: DRi, LUi (Program Loudness)
With all the features and functionality of our original DRMeter, the thoroughly comprehensive DRMeter MkII makes Target Loudness tangible and easy to understand, while the round trip MFiT feature eases seamless leveling for iTunes delivery. In keeping with our emphasis on quality, DRMs increases your awareness of the limitations and requirements for other streaming and OTT music distribution channels. Plus, you get:
  • MFiT mode — measures and monitors signal through round trip iTunes AACplus codec
  • DRMeter MkII is highly configurable: set it up the way you need
  • Measurements always running; easy to switch standards on the fly
  • Adjustable, user defined target loudness
  • Adjustable, user defined maximum True Peak Threshold
  • Dynamic Deviation — difference in LU needed to match user defined target loudness
  • LUFS/LU mode, LU mode with +9 and +18
  • LINK mode; links left and right channel Dynamic Display together to show average of L+R
  • Play and Pause control for integrated measurement
  • 3 automatic modes for integrated measurement; AUTO ON, AUTO RESET OFF, AUTO OFF
  • Gate On/Off for downward compatibility
  • Gate indicator; indicates when the R/128 / A/85 Gate is active for LU integrated measurements
  • Global Reset Button
  • -∞ (㏈FS) input indicators
  • Adjustable color thresholds for peak and loudness bar graphs
  • Factory & user presets
  • optional -30 dB zoom scale
  • 5 different UI sizes for any display size
  • TP disable option (= SPPM)
DRMeter MkII let’s you manage your Target Loudness and leveling demands for Spotify, YouTube, iTunes and TIDAL with ease!
  • Meter & monitor through MfiT up to 96k
  • All standard formats: AU, VST & AAX Mac/Win
  • Operates at all standard sample rates, from 44.1 to 384 kHz
  • Compatible with standard OSs; macOS, Windows
  • Low fatigue visual design
  • Compact layout in 5 sizes for every screen resolution

Loudness Metering Evolved

Since the invention of the initial TT Dynamic Range meter, things have improved in the global audio metering marketplace. We now have world standards for True Peak, Loudness and Dynamic metrics, defined in ITU BS 1770 and applied in practice thanks to the European Broadcasting Union’s R128 and the Advanced Television Systems Committee’s A/85 standards. Though designed for broadcast audio, this has had a huge impact on the whole world of production and distribution, not only broadcasting. Amazingly, we have reliable, predictable and globally interoperable algorithms and parameters, bringing “Loudness Normalization” even into the world of global music distribution.

Who Needs DR Metering?

We had to ask ourselves, “Does the world really need the DRMeter anymore?” The clear answer is, “Fer sure, dude!” Why? Because LRA or Loudness Range, as specified in BS.1770-4, aims to reflect the dynamics of broadband material being distributed by television broadcasters. The LRA algorithm excludes the top 5% of the dynamic band, which is uninteresting for broadcasters working with generous headroom. However, that same top 5% of the whole dynamic range capacity of a system, is essential for music as its content happens almost exclusively in this upper 5% region. DR is the only algorithm for measuring the dynamic integrity of music releases.

Metering For Normalization Targets

Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, TIDAL, Pandora and many other streaming platforms are working with Program Loudness, along with TV broadcasters worldwide plus an increasing number of set–top boxes, SVoD and OTT providers (streaming video services like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and HBO) and even traditional radio broadcasters. iTunes Music and iTunes Match uses a proprietary algorithm which is pretty close to Integrated Loudness mentioned above. We really don’t need another player in the field of Loudness normalization, but we do need a universal yardstick for dynamic density; the DR Dynamic Range algorithm.

DR is a tool not only for pro audio peeps but your audience as well, especially audiophiles, since DR is used by music enthusiasts to judge and compare the provenance of music releases. Our DR database records the values of tens of thousands of songs and albums, so the public can compare different releases and remastered versions.

What About PLR?

Lately, there are plenty of meters showing PLR or Peak–to–Loudness Ratio, the difference between Peak and Loudness values. Wouldn’t this be a good alternative? Nope, because PLR has been defined by broadcasters to reflects the True Peak–to–integrated Loudness Ratio. This makes sense for broadcasters dealing with a minimum True Peak headroom of 1 dB (R128) or 2 dB (A/85). That said, using PLR for music makes no sense because many masters show True Peak overs of up to +3 dB, and information above 0 dBFS encodes latent distortion but not dynamics or loudness. A better alternative would be PSR or Sample Peak (SPPM)–to–Short–term Loudness Ratio. PSR has been defined in the AES Convention e-Brief 373. In order to deliver a complete metering solution, we have integrated the PSR algorithm into DRMeter MkII so that you can compare PSR with DR.

The major shortcoming of PSR is its inability to consider macro dynamics due to the absence of gating and the like, which leads to a higher misrepresentation of dynamic density. So, songs with high macrodynamic would measure far louder. Also, interpretation of values is impossible unless you know the inherent macrodynamics. As an example: Say you have a song with an acoustic guitar intro and a very dynamic interlude but a chorus crushed into “toothpaste,” the PSR would give us a moderately high value due to the dynamic intro and interlude. This is solved with DRM2, as you can actually measure the lack of dynamic range while you hear it.

The Measurements

  1. The DR bar graph of DRMeter MkII is the same as the original TT DR Meter plug–in and MAAT’s DRMeter. If you want to get a quick sense of the final integrated DR (DRi), you have now two options: Go to the loudest sustained part of a song, often the chorus, and read the numeric value above the bar graph. It will be quite close to an integrated DR measurement, which you’d get from our DROffline batch utility. The new option is to use DRM2’s exclusive DRi function. Run the chorus of your song to get a quick estimate of the official DRi. When you’re done with a track, run the whole song and stop playback. The official integer DRi value will be displayed at the bottom of the DR bar graph. This inclusion of DROffline’s functionality will make your work day go faster!
  2. The emerging PSR measurement method displays the current Peak–to–Short–term Loudness Ratio for those who want to have a comparison or reference. For the sake of harmonization with existing standards, it makes sense to use Short–term for Loudness measurement, and SPPM (Sample Peak Program Metering) for the PSR peak measurement.
    Be careful: With no standard, PLR measurements are not harmonized. So, different manufacturer’s meters display varying results, with each showing its own interpretation of the same audio source. Many use RMS instead of Short–term LU. The difference between PLR and DR is simple: PLR is the difference between peak and average, and is not standardized, while DR is always, repeatably DR. Also, DR ignores low amplitude information, so called “background loudness,” for the sake of a more predictable measurement result. Plus, the DR algorithm also incorporates additional processing for meaningful measurement of the dynamic integrity and dynamic density of popular music.
  3. LRA or Loudness Range was designed to reflect the deviation of loudness events primarily for broadcast applications. Unfortunately, LRA isn’t ideal for evaluating Loudness of pop and other styles of music since most of recorded music happens in a range of amplitude which is ignored by the mandated LRA algorithm. So, for universality, we have included LRA for broadcast engineers and those who want to be more familiar with metering standards and their applications. The LRA meter allows you to compare results with both DR and PSR.
The back panel offers a whole lot of options to make DRM2fit to your individual demands
DRM 2 Horizontal Modes

Learn More

An in–depth look into Friedemann’s favorite settings and how DRMeter Mk II helps you manage both perceptual Loudness for music streaming and ITU 1770 Loudness for broadcast.

This overview shows you how DRMeter MkII will make you Loudness Smart!

Watch it directly on YouTube

Hans bei MusoTalk.TV bespricht DRMeter MkII mit Friedemann…

Watch it directly on YouTube

音樂動態和響度之戰 —— LUFS? DR?

響度戰爭，流媒體平台音量策略
這些是關於我們的音樂應該有多響亮的熱門話題

直接在 YouTube 上觀看。

Download — The Concept of Dynamic Deviation

Grab this four page Dynamic Deviation explainer PDF

Download — Quick Start Guide

Grab this four page Quick Start PDF

Download — DRMeter MkII User Manual

The user manual PDF includes mucho production tips and useful info on Loudness

Reviews & Testimonials

Fritz Fey, DRM2 Review “One For All” in Studio Magazin 05/2018

“Good job, without question!” — DRM2 Review (PDF auf Deutsch)
“In the MkII version, DRMeter has evolved into a full blown measuring instrument, which not only promotes its own method of measuring dynamics, but also takes into account the measurement methods and parameters of Loudness standards.”
“It is most welcome when someone thinks creatively about how to measure and appreciate the dynamics of music. Of course, there are already numerous metering solutions…that are serious, standards-compliant examples. MAAT tries to make visible as much information as possible, in parallel with a very complex but nevertheless clear plug-in user interface, all while maintaining a high degree of configurability.”

Alberto Rizzo Schettino, Fundamentals of Mixing || MAAT Digital Core Plug-ins

Schettino has created a comprehensive look at many of our products and how they fit together

Jason Candler (NASA, Gary Lucas, Moby)

“Quite a leap from MkI to MkII, highly impressed with all the new features and usability. Bravo!”

Robert “Bob” Olhsson (Smokey Robinson, Temptations, Steve Roach, Marvin Gaye)

“It’s the first to combine virtually everything I’d want to see!”

César Martins (Rádio e Televisão de Portugal)

“Congratulations for the DRMeter MkII! I will implement the plugin in my workflow here at RTP. Thank you for developing an awesome tool. This is the best thing in the audio community that could happen! This tool is essential for our work! 👍”

Tony Vincent (artist, musician, songwriter & actor)

This plugin has become my staple for loudness metering on my mixbus…Serious about loudness monitoring? Get this plugin now!!

Kieran Kenderessy (Birds Of Tokyo, Allira Wilson, The Mace Francis Orchestra)

“With other meters, I feel like I’m brutally smashing away at the 0 dBFS ceiling, while DRM2 helps me live inside my mix’s headroom. With DRM2, I intuitively feel how much space I have to play with rather than always watching for peaks.”

Ian Mono (musician & songwriter)

“During mastering, compared it with Nugen MasterCheck and noticed is that DRM2 doesn't consume as much resources and lowers the overall delay in the chain. DRMeter MkII also gives me a much better overall insight into the dynamics of a track. Good work! 😊”

Dave Locke (Digital Underground, Ran Blake, Gunther Schuller)

“This is the best meter I’ve ever used. Dynamic range and LU are important to have and also the ‘MFiT’ feature is really helpful.”

LUCA BIGnardi - 卢卡 (arranger, producer & sound engineer: Andrea Bocelli, Laura Pausini, Eros Ramazzotti)

“Devo dire che DRMeter MKII è il miglior strumento che io conosca per comprendere il Loudness e la dinamica. Basta un colpo d’occhio per capire come stia andando il mix o il mastering. Grazie per averlo creato.”
“I have to say that DRMeter MkII is the best tool I know to understand loudness and dynamics. It only takes a very quick glance to understand how your mix or mastering is going. Thank you for creating it.”

Gearnews

“Dieses Plug-in führte die neue Anzeige DRi ein, die die dynamische Bandbreite eines Mixes anzeigt…Die grafische Oberfläche des Tools ist sehr aufgeräumt und übersichtlich…Neu in DRMeter MkII ist die Dynamic-Deviation-Funktion. Diese zeigt euch den Unterschied der aktuell gemessenen Dichte des Songs zu der Ziel-Loudness.”
“This plug-in introduced the new display DRi, which shows the dynamic bandwidth of a mix…The graphical interface of the tool is very tidy and clear…New in DRMeter MkII is the dynamic deviation function. This shows you the difference between the currently measured density of the song and the target loudness.”

Mondstein Records

“Ist mein Track laut genug? Habe ich gegen die Konkurrenz eine Chance? Wie laut kann ich meine Musik mastern, ohne dem Loudness War zu verfallen?
Die Frage nach der Lautheit eines Songs stellt sich spätestens im Mastering. Wenn Du deine Musik auf verschiedenen Streaming-Plattformen wie YouTube, Spotify, Tidal, Pandora und Apple Music veröffentlichen möchtest, gilt es noch einiges mehr zu beachten.
Alles, was Du dazu wissen musst, erkläre ich Dir in diesem Video. Ich nutze für das Metering das DRMeter MkII von MAAT.”
“Is my track loud enough? Do I have a chance against the competition? How loud can I master my music without falling for the Loudness War?
The question of the loudness of a song arises at the latest in mastering. If you want to publish your music on different streaming platforms such as YouTube, Spotify, Tidal, Pandora and Apple Music, there is a lot more to consider.
Everything you need to know, I explain to you in this video. I use the DRMeter MkII from MAAT for the metering.”

Daniel Carvalho (Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Marisa Monte)

“I always use MAAT’s DRMeter MkII in my mastering as it’s the only Loudness Meter really crafted for music. I’ve followed MAAT since they began with the Pleasurize Music manifesto, trying to stop the Loudness War. The (PMF’s) idea of albums having a repeatable DR value for dynamic range is still very good, I hope one day more people will adopt it. Now, with music streaming sites normalizing playback volume, it’s even more important to let the artist’s dynamics translate onto the master.
I work with Brazilian music, which has a large amount of vocal content. That makes intelligibility difficult, which is why Brazilian songs need prominent vocals. This makes it even more difficult to achieve the same subjective volume as other works but now, with DRMeter MkII, I can achieve a golden spot for dynamics! I’m much more confident, having lost the fear of being too quiet or too compressed. I now have a lighthouse to follow, and that is DRMeter MkII!”

Krešimir 'Krešo' Bikić (arranger, producer & audio engineer: Array Construct, DIVISION, Zagreb)

“Well, I really, really, rrrrrreally dig it. And for a good reason. It has everything I need, it's just as dynamic as I would code it's behaviour (speed), it gives me coloring freedom, saving setups (Presets), changing on the fly stuff and also resetting stuff and quickly get back to the actual and refreshed readouts.”

Preuzeto u cijelosti iz izvorne poruke korisnika: “Vjerujte mi, ne govorim vam ovo iz razloga jer sam korisnik vašega plug-ina. Govorim ovo jer jednostavno mogu nakon dugogodišnjeg korištenja i iskustva. Na tržištu postoje i drugi alati ovakvoga tipa ali DRMeter MKII je jednostavno rečeno - taj! Korisnik ga jednostavno 'osjeća'. I Brainworx je, samo kao jedna tvrtka na primjer, davno na tržište izdao plug-in za očitanje nivoa signala, dinamičkog raspona itd. Ali nedostaje mu mnogo opcija. Slična situacija je i kod drugih proizvođača. Ili su nepotpuni, ili koriste previše procesorske snage… Ili su im dizajn, preglednost, GUI, izgled, boja slova, alatne trake jednostavno takvi da korisniku nešto na njima ne odgovara. Najgore je kada nalazite jedan ili više od ovih nedostataka u plug-inu a najbitnije su balistika i ponašanje nivoa signala. Osjećaj prirodnosti. Mogao bih ovako nastaviti nabrajati nedostatke tko zna koliko dugo…DRMeter MKII je jednostavno - 'pravi'!”
Taken in full from the user’s original message (in Croatian): “Believe me, I’m not telling you this because I’m a user of your plugin. I say this because I simply can after many years of use and experience. There are other tools of this type on the market, but DRMeter MKII is, simply put - the one! The user simply ‘feels’ it. And Brainworx, just as one company for example, long ago released a plug-in to the market for reading signal level, dynamic range, etc. But it lacks many options. The situation is similar with other manufacturers. Either they are incomplete, or they use too much processing power…Or their design, visibility, GUI, appearance, font color, toolbars are simply such that the user does not like something about them. The worst is when you find one or more of these flaws in a plug-in, and the most important are ballistics and signal level behavior. A feeling of naturalness. I could go on listing the disadvantages like this for who knows how long…DRMeter MKII is simply - ‘real’!”

Reviewers! Want to add your voiceover to the mix?

Head to our Contact page and give a shout…We’d love to hear what you think!

Speeds & Feeds

Downloads, Features & Specifications

Stay Current

Looking for the latest version of your software? Just download and install the demo! The installer will update everything and your license will take over when you next use the product.

Features

  • Complete R128 & A/85 Loudness
  • Dynamic Deviation™ & Dynamic Margin™
  • DR & DRi
  • Measure & monitor thru AAC

Supporting

  • AAX Native (Pro Tools 10.3.10 and newer), AU, VST 2, VST 3
  • Sample rates from 44.1 to 384 kHz

License

Perpetual

Requirements

  • macOS 10.9 and newer, Universal Binary 2, 64 bit only
  • Windows 7 and newer, 32 & 64 bit
  • OpenGL 3.2 or newer
FFMpeg LGPL (Lesser General Public License)

This software uses code of FFmpeg licensed under the LGPLv2.1 and its source can be downloaded here.

DRMeter MkII

• DRMeter MkII Perpetual License: $129
• DR2 Bundle: $149, $53 Total Savings
[16% Off DRMeter MkII & DROffline MkII + free MAATgo]

• DRMeter MkII Perpetual License • DR2 Bundle
Try Now