The Waves Dorrough Meter Collection

User Guide

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................3
1.1 WELCOME ...........................................................................................................................3
1.2 PRODUCT OVERVIEW ...........................................................................................................3
1.3 ABOUT THE MODELING .........................................................................................................4
1.4 MONO AND STEREO COMPONENTS ........................................................................................4
1.5 SURROUND COMPONENTS ....................................................................................................4
CHAPTER 2 QUICKSTART GUIDE........................................................................................5
CHAPTER 3 INTERFACE AND CONTROLS .........................................................................6
3.1 INTERFACE ..........................................................................................................................6
3.2 DORROUGH METER CONTROLS .............................................................................................6
3.3 SURROUND EDITION CONTROLS ............................................................................................9
CHAPTER 4 THE WAVESYSTEM........................................................................................11
4.1 INTERFACE CONTROLS .......................................................................................................11
Toggle Buttons ...................................................................................................................11
Value Window Buttons .......................................................................................................11
TAB Functions....................................................................................................................11

The Waves Dorrough Meter Collection

User Guide

Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Welcome
Thank you for choosing Waves! In order to get the most out of your Waves processor, please take the
time to read through this manual.
In conjunction, we also suggest that you become familiar with www.wavesupport.net. There you will find
an extensive Answer Base, the latest Tech Specs, detailed Installation guides, new Software
Updates, and current information on Authorization and Registration.
By signing up at www.wavesupport.net, you will receive personalized information on your registered
products, reminders when updates are available, and information on your authorization status.

1.2 Product Overview

ABOUT DORROUGH
Dorrough Electronics designs and manufactures precision audio and video monitoring devices. For
over 20 years, Dorrough has pioneered new technologies in audio signal processing and monitoring for
the broadcast, motion picture, and recording industries.
The patented Dorrough Ballistic is based on the mathematics intrinsic to audio waveforms. The average
integrates amplitudes in the context of time, for a true reading of audio power that satisfies both ear and
machine. Simultaneously, users are provided with a real time peak, which picks up destructive "burst
anomalies" the ear might miss, but that are all too noticeable to recording devices.
The Waves Dorrough Meter Collection
User Guide

The mathematical cohesion between Peak and Average also provides users with a unique window into
qualitative aspects of the sounds they are recording. By observing the relationship (gap) between the
Peak and Average displays, the user can observe graphically the effects of processing, compression,
and even detect distortion. While traditional VU meters are useful for determining average sound levels,
and PPM meters are known for their ability to catch fast transient peaks, neither provides both average
and peak level displays, which are needed to get an indication of overall program loudness.
Dorrough Meters are fully compatible with AES/EBU standards.

1.3 About the Modeling

Modeling the Dorrough Meters was one of the most ambitious projects Waves has ever undertaken.
We realized that modeling the visual behavior of a hardware device is as great an engineering
challenge as modeling the audio behavior of a hardware device. Delivering superfast peak and average
metering, while preserving the analog feel and look of the original hardware meters were of the utmost
importance. The results are, we feel, the most accurate audio software meters available.

1.4 Mono and Stereo Components

WaveShell technology enables us to split Waves processors into smaller plug-ins, which we call
components. Having a choice of components for a particular processor gives you the flexibility to
choose the configuration best suited to your material.
The Waves Dorrough Meter CollectionStereo Edition includes two component processors:

Dorrough Mono A mono meter, available in 3 sizes and 3 styles.

Dorrough Stereo A stereo meter, available in 3 sizes and 3 styles.

1.5 Surround Components

The Waves Dorrough Meter CollectionSurround Edition includes the Waves Dorrough Mono and
Stereo meters plus two additional component processors:

Dorrough Surround 5.0 A dedicated 5 channel meter, available in 3 sizes, 3 styles, and 3
channel configurations. (Available in Pro Tools, Nuendo, and Cubase only.)

Dorrough Surround 5.1 A dedicated 6 channel meter, available in 3 sizes, 3 styles, and 3
channel configurations. (Available in all supported hosts.)

The Waves Dorrough Meter Collection

User Guide

Chapter 2 Quickstart Guide

Choose the style you want to work with: Arc, Horizontal, or Vertical.

Choose your size: Small, Large, or Extra Large.

The Average level should not exceed the middle three red LEDs; Peaks should reach the area
of the upper scale red section. These guidelines apply to normal loudness levels; todays
mastered music levels are usually considerably hotter.

When working with a stereo signal, choose Sum/Diff mode to make sure there is no energy drop
in the sum which could be caused by phasing problems and that the difference (diff) is not too
low compared to the sum.

The Overs error LED lights up when there are more than 3 samples that exceed 0 dBFS.

The Waves Dorrough Meter Collection

User Guide

Chapter 3 Interface and Controls

3.1 Interface

3.2 Dorrough Meter Controls

Style controls choice of meter style.

Vertical (340/380)
Horizontal (240/280)
Arc (40 AES/EBU)

Size controls choice of meter size.

Small
Large
Extra Large

The Waves Dorrough Meter Collection

User Guide

Reference controls choice of reference level.

14 (0 VU = +4 dBu = -14 dBFS)

18 (0 VU = +4 dBu = -18 dBFS)
20 (0 VU = +4 dBu = -20 dBFS)

Although the meters are digital and display full scale metering, three reference levels are offered for
better orientation when working in conjunction with analog devices.
The selection (-20,-18, or -14) represents a reference level of +4dBu, which is usually represented by
0 on professional analog VU meters.
-20 dBFS is the Digital AES reference standard.
-18 dBFS is the Digital EBU reference standard.
-14 dBFS is commonly used in post-production and certain mastering situations.
Please note: Reference levels will only give you correct readings if your interface and analog devices
are calibrated to correct levels. Therefore, it is imperative that your studio is calibrated.

Dly (Delay)
Range
0-50,000 samples
Resolution
500 samples steps
Due to I/O buffer distribution in certain host applications (e.g. Sound Forge, WaveLab, and Logic)
metering response may precede the audio coming out of your system. To compensate for this
possibility, we added a Delay control that allow synchronization of the meter display with the audio.
(This will not alter the input signal in any way.)
Do not change the Dly setting if you do not have sync problems between your audio and the
meter display.

Peak controls the peak display mode.

Auto holds the peak for 3 seconds.

Hold holds the peak for an infinite time.
Reset resets the peaks.

When none of these modes is selected, the peak display will constantly refresh.
The Waves Dorrough Meter Collection
User Guide

Overs
Like their hardware counterparts, Waves Dorrough meters are able to detect and display the
number of Overs, which are defined as 3 samples or more that exceed 0 dBFS (-0.0008 dBFS
@ 24bit).

Overs Display LED displays the number of Overs.

Overs Reset resets the Overs count to 0.

Meter Mode controls the metering mode. (Stereo components only)

Left/Right displays Left and Right channel levels independently.

Sum/Diff (Sum and Difference) Left/Upper meter displays the Sum of Left + Right; Right/Lower
meter displays the energy difference between Left and Right.

Phase displays phase correlation between Left and Right.

o 0 LED indicates that the signal is 100% correlated (mono)
o -39 LED indicates that the signal is 100% out of phase
o -20 LED indicates that the signal has random correlation

Readings between -20 and 0 can be considered good phase correlation; readings between -20 and
-39 can be considered bad phase correlation.

The Waves Dorrough Meter Collection

User Guide

3.3 Surround Edition Controls

The Surround Edition includes the Waves Dorrough Mono and Stereo meters, plus 5.0 and 5.1 channel
meters. Their controls are the same as those for the Mono and Stereo meters as described above, with
the addition of controls for Meter Order, Sum & Diff / Phase, and Collapse.
Meter Order controls the layout of the meters according to common disciplines practiced in the
surround sound industry. You can select between:

Film (Default)
5.0: L, C, R, Ls, Rs
5.1: L, C, R, Ls, Rs, LFE

ITU
5.0: L, R, C, Ls, Rs
5.1:L, R, C, LFE, Ls, Rs

DTS
5.0: L, R, Ls, Rs, C
5.1: L, R, Ls, Rs, C, LFE
The Waves Dorrough Meter Collection
User Guide

Sum & Diff / Phase Page

The Surround Edition plug-ins features a special single Sum & Diff / Phase page, which allows the
selection of channel pairs to be displayed on two sets of Sum & Diff / Phase Meters.
Please note:
The Waves Dorrough Meter Lt vs Rt mode is a bit different than the standard Dolby Lt / Rt matrix .
The Waves Dorrough Meter Lt vs Rt mode displays the sum of:

5.0: Left + Left Surround + 0.5 Center vs. Right + Right Surround + 0.5 Center
5.1: Left + Left Surround + 0.5 Center + 0.5 LFE vs. Right + Right Surround + 0.5 Center +
0.5 LFE

Collapse (- / +) hides the control section, leaving the meters displayed.

The Waves Dorrough Meter Collection

User Guide

10

Chapter 4 The WaveSystem

4.1 Interface Controls
Controls can be in one of three states:

Not Selected where the control is not the target of any user entry
Selected where the control is the target of mouse control entry only
Selected and Active where the control is the target for both mouse and keyboard entry

Toggle Buttons
Toggle buttons display the state of a control, and allow switching between two or more states. Singleclick to change the controls state. Some toggle buttons have a text display which updates with the
current setting, and others (bypass, solo, or monitoring toggles) illuminate when the control is active.
Some processors have link buttons between a pair of toggle buttons, allowing click-and-drag
adjustment while retaining the offset between the controls.

Value Window Buttons

Value windows display the value of a control and allow click-and-drag adjustment, or direct control
via the keyboard.

Using the mouse, click-and-drag on the value window to adjust. Some value windows support
left/right, some up/down (as you hover over a button, arrows will appear to let you know which
direction of movement that button supports).
Using the arrow keys, click once with mouse to select the button, and then use up/down
left/right (depending on the direction supported by that button) to move in the smallest
incremental steps across the buttons range (holding down the arrow keys will move faster
through the range).
Using key entry, double click on the button to open the value window, and directly enter the
value from your keyboard. If you enter an out of range number, the button stays selected but
remains at the current setting (system beeps? If system sounds are on?)

Some processors have link buttons between a pair of value windows, allowing click-and-drag
adjustment while retaining the offset between the controls.

TAB Functions
TAB moves the selected status to the next control, with shift-TAB moving in the reverse direction.
The Waves Dorrough Meter Collection
User Guide

11

Additionally, the Mac has an option-TAB function for down movement and shift-option-TAB for up
movement where applicable.
If you have several Value Window Buttons selected, TAB functions will take you through the selected
controls only.

The Waves Dorrough Meter Collection

User Guide

12