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mechanical-vu-meter-371e93-en.md

"Mechanical" VU Meter

I have always been attracted by VU Meters, in fact at home I had designed a system to listen to music using my father's old A/V mixer equipped with 2 VU meters, the first one for the left audio channel and the second one for the right audio channel. One day, suddenly, the mixer stopped working, so I decided to make a VU meter myself using Arduino...

How does it work ?

Using a simple Jack 3.5mm female connector I can analyze the sound made by the external devices, then once certain calculations have been made, the display will show the sound's signal strength as a rectangle.

The back of the VU meter
Potentiometer to set how to view the display

A real component of an audio rack!

EXPANDED TECHNICAL DETAILS

Physical Analog Volume Visualization

This unique project bypasses traditional digital displays to create a "Mechanical" VU Meter, where a physical needle or arm responds to the intensity of the audio signal.

  • Envelope-Detection Analog Processing: The Arduino captures the audio signal via a microphone or line-in. The firmware performs "Envelope Detection," rectifying and smoothing the raw AC audio into a clean DC voltage that represents the current volume.
  • High-Response Servo Actuation: Translates the volume levels into precise angular positions for a micro-servo motor. The firmware includes a "Damping" algorithm to mimic the weight and ballistic response of high-end analog VU meters.

Aesthetics

  • Organic Needle Motion: Uses a logarithmic mapping function to ensure the mechanical needle responds realistically to sound changes, providing a vintage, high-fidelity look to any modern audio setup.

ข้อมูล Frontmatter ดั้งเดิม 

title: "Mechanical\" VU Meter"
description: "A simple VU meter realized with only mechanical typical items, as screws or nuts, but powered by Arduino!"
author: "marcocroce"
category: "Sensors & Environment"
tags:
  - "audio"
  - "lights"
  - "music"
views: 4672
likes: 3
price: 1120
difficulty: "Easy"
components:
  - "1x Multitool, Screwdriver"
  - "1x Resistor 330 ohm"
  - "2x Connector Accessory, Hex Nut"
  - "2x Male/Male Jumper Wires"
  - "1x Arduino UNO"
  - "12x Machine Screw, M2.5"
  - "3x Jumper wires (generic)"
  - "1x RGB LCD Shield Kit, 16x2 Character Display"
  - "1x Breadboard (generic)"
  - "1x Rotary potentiometer (generic)"
  - "15x Male/Female Jumper Wires"
tools: []
apps:
  - "1x Arduino IDE"
downloadableFiles:
  - "https://github.com/marco-croce/VU_Meter"
  - "https://projects.arduinocontent.cc/7053d824-ca24-4dc5-b578-63479d088cc8.ino"
  - "https://github.com/marco-croce/VU_Meter"
  - "https://projects.arduinocontent.cc/7053d824-ca24-4dc5-b578-63479d088cc8.ino"
documentationLinks: []
passwordHash: "599086b9f68260ae222fd3b67fd77ec947daeed8a6c71865da5575740244f0cc"
encryptedPayload: ""
seoDescription: "A simple VU meter realized with only mechanical typical items, as screws or nuts, but powered by Arduino!"
videoLinks: []
heroImage: "https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/bigboxthailand/arduino-assets@main/images/projects/mechanical-vu-meter-371e93_cover.jpg"
lang: "en"