VU Meters and Ergonomics - A Study

[Scorpion8]

There are good and bad tape deck displays. Some of them enhance the taping experience, and some of them distract from it and make it a hassle.

For example, early H/K cassette decks used these side by side both left to right operating meters that were terrible. Your eyes had to read the level on one side, jump to the other channel, and by that time the tape level had changed. Setting record levels was difficult at best with a peak reading meter on an active source such as rock. At night they look fun, but that was about it.

HK CD91
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p141/Scorpion008/HKsidebyside.jpg

Another poor example is the Nakamichi decks. For all of their prowess, these top-strung meters also have their problems. For example, same issue as above. Reading one channel and trying to gauge the level and then jump to the other side is problematic at best. Plus, since they are hung from the top center, the natural psycho-tendency of the eye is to allow them to fall straight down. Again, there are better examples.

Nak 581
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p141/Scorpion008/NakTop-end.jpg

Nak 480
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p141/Scorpion008/NakTopend02.jpg

Much better than the top-danglers, were the bottom-centers. Although the same issue persists (eye movement back and forth) the eye finds it hard to take in both meters at the same time and gauge a common level. Active sources were fun to try and track. But the tendency of the mind to allow the meter to fall to the side was much better than the hang-down-in-the-center danglers.

Technics RS-M227x
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p141/Scorpion008/TechnicsBottomend.jpg

Much, much, much better was the opposed meters. By opposed, I mean they face each other. As the source signal runs thru the meter, it is very easy for the eye to average the signal between the two channels and find a common record level. Here are two superb examples, although they could use thicker meter needles on both:

Teac V-1RX
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p141/Scorpion008/TeacOpposed.jpg

and Akai CS-M3
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p141/Scorpion008/AkaiOpposed.jpg

But we could still make improvements in the ergonomics. The advent of bar graph displays mostly coincided with the mass production of LEDs and finally flourescent displays. Here's a good example of a parallel bar graph using LEDs. The drawback is that it has very few segments, so it's much more "coarse" in it's adjustment ability. The few segments make it rougher, but the LEDs are sparkly nice!

NAD 6155
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p141/Scorpion008/NADLED.jpg

Some better examples are these two flourescent displays of parallel bar graphs. They have many more segments, so if you had a level-adjustment tape you could zero in very close to exactly the same on each channel. Much easier than the coarse NAD display above. Also, you could get peak-or-average reading displays as IC became prevalent in PCB fabrication. Setting a bar-graph type display with an averging level display was a joy.

Technics RS-M226
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p141/Scorpion008/TechnicsFlourescent.jpg

Akai HX-R5
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p141/Scorpion008/AkaiFlourescent.jpg

Denon DRM-710
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p141/Scorpion008/DenonFlourescent.jpg

Everyone knows and wows at the Pioneer flouroscans, but I don't have any (not a Pioneer fan) so there's no good examples here. Maybe someone can post one. Personally, I'm a big fan of Denon and Akai decks. The Akai flourescent shown above is an absolutely beautiful display in any light, and is mesmerizing at night.

So thanks for enduring this. This is, as they say, IMHO. YMMV. Cheers!

[close652]

Style and ergonomy: Pioneer CT-F600
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e139/close652/piosilver.jpg

Those on the H/K are really useless.

[MacGyver]

Beautiful Complexity: PIONEER CT-W910R


http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/147759783_o.jpg

[Scorpion8]

Style and ergonomy: Pioneer CT-F600
Those on the H/K are really useless.

Yes, but just like the crow in The Secret of NIMH, show me the sparkly and I gotta have it. They are great decks, and quite purty at night, but yes, not the best designed ergonomically.

[stuwee]

Maybe that's why I like the Olson meter I got, side-centered, it does look easier to see/read, even though it's old school, I really like it, btw, MacIntosh meters are really auto diagnoistic meters converted to audio use, I'm not sure exactly how all that works.

I've never been a big fan of LED light shows, the younger folks seem to like them, give me Big Fast VU's anyday. I almost didn't buy the Yamaha, because I wanted VU's like the Big Sony's, Onkyo's, Denon's and the baddest of the bad Techinics I just missed out on *fit* http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140238584068&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=004. I'll try to get a pic of the Olson in motion. It's really impressive for a little guy.

[Jay Pemberton]

How'd ya like to keep an eye on these meters?

http://www.sonicraft.com/images/MR70-4_W.jpg

Or all these??

http://analogrules.com/Gallery/albums/Otari/vinAd87Otari.sized.jpg

*hypnot*:-)<-

[stuwee]

Jay on the above pics, Pick Me! Pick Me!! *Hi5* *eyepop*

[Web Police]

Great meter review Scorp. Well done.

[Scorpion8]

Great meter review Scorp. Well done.

Thanks. Don't know how many times I've started at some of these decks and thought "Now why did they do THAT....? The HK is my 3rd of the genre/lineage and they all operate that way and it bugs me.

[Web Police]

I agree, I like to have the meters side by side either verticle and or horizontal so I can compare them to each other as well as the db range. the side by side meters would be kind of irritating and harder to adjust for me anyway

[Scorpion8]

One I don't have a sample of is Flourescent or LED bar graphs arranged vertically, like a Nak BX-1 if memory serves me. Probably no different than a horizontal bar graph.

[Web Police]

One I don't have a sample of is Flourescent or LED bar graphs arranged vertically, like a Nak BX-1 if memory serves me. Probably no different than a horizontal bar graph.

I have a Zenith Cassette Deck that has horizontal meters. It is really a JVC with the Zenith Name and a different display. I bought it new in 1986 when I worked for a company that sold merchandise on CableTV. It was $66 new in the box back then. It still works to this day with zero maintenance other than cleanings and demags. :D

I'll post some more of my decks meters when I get a chance. Although they are all kind of boring since most have LED's.

http://home.earthlink.net/~web-police/Meters/M5.jpg

[Scorpion8]

Awesome. Maybe the next study-in-minutae should be left hand or right hand doors. JVC seem to be stuck in the right hand door lane, while the rest of the world was a left hand door lane. Maybe most JVC engineers were left-hand-dominant.

[Web Police]

Awesome. Maybe the next study-in-minutae should be left hand or right hand doors. JVC seem to be stuck in the right hand door lane, while the rest of the world was a left hand door lane. Maybe most JVC engineers were left-hand-dominant.


My later JVC decks such as the TD-V711 and TD-V621 are all left hand doors.

They could have fired or banned the left handed engineers by that time though. *dunno*

[braxus]

My later JVC decks such as the TD-V711 and TD-V621 are all left hand doors.

They could have fired or banned the left handed engineers by that time though. *dunno*

No JVC used to be on the right, then moved to the left years later. And I think at one point they followed Sony's lead and put it straight in the middle.

Reminds me of a skiers quote from the film "Hot Dog- The Movie". Maybe JVC said the same thing to the engineers about constantly changing where to put the door and the engineers came back and said- "You can kiss my ass. Nots on zats side, nots on ziss side, but rightz in zee middle."*whip**hypnot**fit*:-oo;)

[Des-Lab]

I'll play along. Here are some "meter" shots from my collection:

1. Teac X-2000R reel to reel.

Favorite deck, but not the best meters. The 'hanging' versus 'fixed' debate doesn't really matter much to me. I can watch them either way with no problems. The main issues I have with this set of meters are 1) the light comes from above and points down in an awkward angle. As such, the lamps do not illuminate the meter displays very well at all. And 2) They are neither very bright nor of the best color. I don't consider myself to be color blind, but this is a hard color to describe: it's a little bit of blue, green, and gray all in one.

http://x-2000r.angelcities.com/images/tapestuff/X2000R_Meters.JPG

2. Teac X-1000R reel to reel.

Now THESE are VU meters: They are needles, which means a nearly infinite number of readings are possible. Love the black background and white/red lettering. The amber/'browned' white color of the lamps is pure, warm analog. And they go to +5 db to boot. But the one Achilles Heel to mechanical meters, is of course, the slight inertia delay between the signal and the time it takes to mechanically move the meters. Apart from that, these are probably my favorite.

http://x-2000r.angelcities.com/images/tapestuff/X1000R_Meters.JPG

3. Denon DN-790R cassette deck. For metered/LED readouts, this one is probably my favorite. Plenty of segments, peak hold, and bright contrasting blue/red. Anything at 0 or above instantly catches the eye because of the opposing color. And the scale goes to +10.

http://x-2000r.angelcities.com/images/tapestuff/DN790R_Meters.JPG

4. Yamaha KX-930 cassette deck. I love this display, especially the bright amber color. Also well segmented and accurate. Only complaint is the fact that, even "in the red", the segments are the same color. So ergonomically, the eyes don't catch it as quickly and having to watch the meters against the number display makes setting readings that much more laborious. What's interesting is the color differentiation on the SCALE, but not on the actual graph. Go figure.

http://x-2000r.angelcities.com/images/tapestuff/KX930_Meters.JPG

5. Denon DN-T645 CD/Cassette combo deck.

Cluttered and very minimalist display. Machine is more for convenience and straight dubs than for serious recording.

http://x-2000r.angelcities.com/images/tapestuff/DNT645_Meters.JPG

6. Gemini PDM-12 Mixer. What it lacks in scale, it makes up for in convenience: Bright, large, and easy to read curved readout as well as the three color (green, yellow, red) display. That convenience appears to have been limited to just mixers and their ilk. I do not recall, off the top of my head, any tape decks that also had that feature.

http://x-2000r.angelcities.com/images/tapestuff/Mixer_Meter.JPG

7. American DJ Output Display. It's strictly a passive device that measures signal. Though it is anything but accurate; I can set the levels to be whatever I want them to be. Though to convince myself that this thing serves SOME function besides looks (which it doesn't), I have it synchronized with the mixer. But has probably the most segments I've ever seen.

http://x-2000r.angelcities.com/images/tapestuff/Lightbar_Meter.JPG

[Web Police]

Nice meters and pics there Des. Yes!

Here are a few more of my decks meters.

Marantz FC60 3 Head Deck.

http://home.earthlink.net/~web-police/Meters/M1.jpg

My Aiwa AD-F810 3 Head Deck

http://home.earthlink.net/~web-police/Meters/M2.jpg

My JVC TD-V711 3 Head Deck

http://home.earthlink.net/~web-police/Meters/M3.jpg

A Sony Dual Deck that I sue to rewind and FF tapes.

http://home.earthlink.net/~web-police/Meters/M4.jpg

A Zenith CV-670 2 Head Deck

http://home.earthlink.net/~web-police/Meters/M5.jpg

My Teac R919X 4 Head Deck

http://home.earthlink.net/~web-police/Meters/M6.jpg

Sony TC-870ES 3 Head Deck.

http://home.earthlink.net/~web-police/Meters/M7.jpg

Marantz PD-500 2 Head Deck.

http://home.earthlink.net/~web-police/Meters/M8.jpg

Sony Dual Well TC-WR11ES.

http://home.earthlink.net/~web-police/Meters/M9.jpg

Denon DR-24M 3 Head Deck.

http://home.earthlink.net/~web-police/Meters/M10.jpg

Sony TC-KE500S 3 Head Deck.

http://home.earthlink.net/~web-police/Meters/M12.jpg

Sony WR90ES Dual Well Deck.

http://home.earthlink.net/~web-police/Meters/M13.jpg

[niklasthedolphin]

This is a funny thread.

I will see if any of my meters deserve a post here.

*check*

"dolph"

[MacGyver]

is there truly no one else around here that cares about 1980's vintage PIONEER?!?!

[vinyldavid]

is there truly no one else around here that cares about 1980's vintage PIONEER?!?!

It's not eighties, but I LOVE the meters on my CT-F9191.

However, my favorite meters of all time are the ones on my Concept ELC.

[TheReeler]

Cool post!.

The meters can be more or less easy to read, but they must be accurate and most of them are not. If you have a very easy readable meter but the measured value is not correct... you have nothing. Maybe you are setting levels incorrectly even if both meters read the same.

The best method for me to set the balance level is using a artificial multitone.

LED displays don't measure the same as VU meters. Yes, both says "dB", but they are not the same. More or less, a 0 dB value in a VU meter is a +3 dB value in a LED meter.

If we talk about professional recorders, maybe my favorite are the ones used in Studer machines:

http://www.soundhunters.com/2005/images/pic57.jpg
They are BIG and accurate


If we talk about HIFI recorders:

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc46/thereeler/vu707_6.jpg


Of course, Pioneer blue digital meters are very beautiful, and even the RT-909 had a switch for average/pick reading... but they weren't not so useful as the previous ones (from the RT-707).