VU Meter Bridge Audio Display DIY

I made a stereo VU meter bridge for my studio recording setup. It's a pretty straightforward project, and most people with a bit of electronics experience can put one together easily. You can use these for any audio monitoring duties.
I put together a blog post with more details here: vintagemusictech.blogspot.com...
I adapted this from michaelfidler.com/articles/pr...
The main difference is instead of a TL071 chip, I use a 5532 buffer board and dismiss C1, R2 and R3, since they're already on the board.
The diodes can be 1N4148 since the driver will be strong enough to open them fully.
Take note of the position and grounding of R4, it's important that the meter needles be grounded at the same point.
Also, don't use a stereo pot for the inputs. Instead use 2 separate pots or a stereo resistive attenuator. It's best to stay within 20k-100k, but I used 500k and it's fine. It just makes it a bit more tweaky at the high end of the potentiometer rotation. Also, - I no longer see any AC/DC 5532 preamp boards on Amazon- they're only DC. So if you're looking for that exact one, check ebay. Or, just use a 12VDC power supply.
Some Amazon affiliate links:
5532 Preamp board(DC only): amzn.to/42DlqYC
Adjustable power supply: amzn.to/3wbWJ9D
A nice VU: amzn.to/45xZZK1
Kit for under $20: amzn.to/3SU95fw

[@Steveostones]

A few years ago at work, I made a VU box out of a $11 metal lunchbox on Amazon but the meters had all the electronics in them and were really pricey, hundreds of dollars, so I really appreciate you breaking this down into DIY chunks so the price is quite affordable. Thanks!

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Buying a pair of working meter in a nice enclosure can be pricey! I hope this makes it easier for some!

[@hether1741]

Great work ! Love the video

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@paltrock]

you are doing nice things,I love your video's.

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Thanks! Thanks for checking them out!

[@whitecatbones]

The only thing I don't understand is how did you plug it in? Into the auxiliary outputs of the audio interface?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Yes, just route the stereo bus to a second pair of outputs on your interface. Or, you could wire up a set of outputs parallel to the inputs on the meters if your interface only has one pair of outs.

[@caseyholford]

I like the look of the mahogany finished with tung oil. Does pure tung oil dry to a hard finish?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Thanks! Yes, pure tung oil(no included varnish or hardeners) does dry hard, but it takes a few weeks to a few months to do fully cure. Anyone looking for a quicker turnaround should look for "Tung oil finish" which has additives cures much more quickly.

[@giugia8417]

Hi! Great work! Where to find all o the components?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Here's one of the links from the description$20: amzn.to/3SU95fw (affiliate link) I would try that if it's your first meter project.

[@MANNYBARZ156]

I went 2 go feed da dog..which waz..time consuming 😂😭💀

[@r2d2romo1]

Una duda ¿de cuántos watts es la resistencia de 150 ohms?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

1/2 vatio(watts?) o incluso 1/4 vatio está bien. Solo tenía 3 watts, por eso son tan grandes. Utilice cualquier tamaño y valor que tenga, siempre que esté relativamente cerca.

[@r2d2romo1]

@@FrankOlsonTwins perdón, otra duda más ¿los capacitores son del rango de 47 pf a 250 pf? ¿O tienen que ser tal cuál uno de 47 y otro de 250?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

@@r2d2romo1 250 pf es el valor correcto. El condensador electrolítico es de 22uf @ 25v.