Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro User Manual

"A unique audio meter and side chaining tool"

Table Of Content

Introduction

Description

Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro (DPMP) is a unique audio analysis tool: it includes very flexible and customizable audio meters as well as advanced side chaining control capabilities thanks to its MIDI and automation output.

The metering capabilities of the new DPMP let you control and monitor your audio signal exactly the way you want: almost every aspect of the meters can be customized. It now proposes five different scales, including Bob Katz's very popular K-System scales (K-12, K-14 and K-16). The graphs let you see the evolution of the audio envelopes over time, and the mid-side switch lets you verify mono compatibility problems and check the "stereoness" of your audio sources very easily.

The peak and RMS envelopes can be combined together, reversed, modified and recorded as automation curves (see the screenshots) or sent as MIDI CC messages to control other effects in real time. The Peak Meter Pro Tutorials show you how to use these unique capabilities in your favorite host. Possibilities are endless, from voice over and ducking to side chain compression, multiples tracks monitoring or dynamic stereo enhancement. You can also control external MIDI hardware (such a synths, MIDI effects), video effects or lighting systems with your audio signal. Thanks to the ability to customize the MIDI output response curve for each parameter, no MIDI device will ever resist you!

Last but not least, the skinning capabilities of this plug-in will let you customize the way you monitor your signal: create your own skins or download skins from our website.

Main Features

Digital peak & RMS vu-meter.
Total control over the metering characteristics.
Bob Katz's K-System scales support (K-12 / K-14 / K-20)
Instant, average and maximum audio levels.
Stereo or mid-side analysis.
Control in real time any MIDI-compatible plug-in or external MIDI device with the RMS or peak envelope of the signal thanks to the plugin's MIDI CC output. See the Tutorials section for more examples.
Record the output parameters (peak, RMS value, transformed envelopes, clip etc.) as automation curves.
Manage the shape of the output envelope: record reversed envelope, change amount of signal, and offset the generated envelope. This lets you use the DPMP for side chain ducking, compression and much more.
Advanced signal monitoring with envelopes real time display.
Easy 'stereoness' and phase cancelation measurement.
Opacity control for the user interface.

Blue Cat Audio Standards:

Supported platforms: Mac-AU, Mac-RTAS, Mac-VST, Windows-DX, Windows-RTAS, Windows-VST, Win x64-DX, Win x64-VST.
Native DSP code for optimal performance.
Skinnable user interface.
Smooth Update: silent (zipper-free) parameters update.
Full automation support (all parameters can be automated, with smooth and continuous update)
No CPU load on idle: when the plugin is fed with silence, the processing smoothly shuts down, to optimize the CPU usage of your Digital Audio Workstation.
Real time MIDI control with advanced settings (MIDI channel and CC numbers, with complete response curve control) and MIDI learn.
Automation and MIDI output: record output parameters as automation curves or send MIDI CC messages to other plugins for powerful side chain effects.
Smooth Bypass: activate/deactivate the plugin with absolutely no noise.
Undo/Redo.
Import/Export presets in a host independent format.
Any sample rate supported.

System Requirements

PC

Microsoft Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7.
Any DirectX / VST / RTAS compatible host software - 32 or 64 bit.

Mac

An Intel or PowerPC processor.
Mac OS X Leopard (10.5) or Snow Leopard (10.6).
Any VST / Audio Unit (32/64-bit) / RTAS compatible application.

For more information about supported platforms, see our FAQ.

Installation

Blue Cat Audio plugins cannot be run standalone, they require a host application (see the System Requirements chapter for more information). Depending on which host application you use, you might need to install the plugins in different locations.

Windows

Install

Both DirectX and VST versions provide an install program. Follow the steps of the wizard to install the plugin on your machine. During the installation you will be asked where you want the plugin(s) to be installed. For the VST version you should install the plugin inside the VST plugins folder used by your host application(s). The default path set in the installer should work for most applications, but you should check your host software documentation to know where it looks for VST plugins.

Some applications will not automatically rescan the new plugins, so you might have to force a refresh of the plugins list.

Upgrade

When a new version of the plugin is released, just launch the new installer: it will update the current installation.

Mac

Install

On Mac the plugins are available as drive images. After download, double click on the file to open it. You can then drag and drop the plugin file(s) to the shortcut that is provided within the image. It will install the plugin(s) for all users on the machine.

In case you do not have admin rights on your Mac or if you want to install the plugin(s) to another directory, just copy the files to the appropriate location. If required, more information is available in the README.txt file that is included in the package.

Upgrade

When a new version of the plugin is released, open the new image and copy the files over the previous ones. The new version will replace the older one.

Using Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro

The User Interface

The Digital Peak Meter Pro is bundled with several skins depending on how you want to use it. All skins are based on the same components. We will decribe here only the default skin that contains all these components. The other skins are subsets of this “full capability” skin. The toolbar and menu options are described previously in this manual, in the "Getting Started" section.

The Main View

The main meters: display the instant peak and RMS levels of your audio track.The (a) bar is the peak hold meter that displays the local maximum value. The scale of the meters can be customized by the (4) menu button. The screenshot above displays the K-14 scale.
Clip information: shows whether the audio signal has clipped or not. You can click on the led to reset the value.
Statistics: shows the absolute maximum (max) and average (avg) values for each meter. Clicking on the value resets it.
Scale: click here to choose the scale for the meters (Normal / +3dB for RMS / K-12 / K-14 / K20).
Controls: these are the main controls to modify the behavior of the meters or the generation of the output envelope. More details about these parameters are available in the parameters section.
Envelopes graphs: this section of the user interface displays the evolution of the envelopes over time for both channels (and for RMS, peak and transformed values). It gives you an instant visual feedback when moditying the characteristics of these envelopes. You will need it when using the Digital Peak Meter Pro as a side chain source.
Graphs display: click to show/hide the graphs.
Opacity control: use this slider to change the opacity of the plugin window (the result depends on your host application). This control is particularly useful when you have many plugins open and you want to see behind the current instance. It lets you display a lot more information at the same time.
MIDI Settings: opens the MIDI settings pane (see below)

The MIDI Output Settings View

In order to streamline the workflow when using the Digital Peak Meter Pro for MIDI side chaining, we have added a direct access to the main MIDI output parameters in the plugin user interface. For more advanced settings you can use the Preset settings window.

For the main output parameters you can enable/disable MIDI output, choose the MIDI channel and MIDI CC number used to send the MIDI messages and use MIDI learn to automatically set these values. All these settings are stored in the current preset. If you want to change the default values for all current and future plugins instances, open the Global Settings window from the main menu.

The various elements of the user interface (knobs, sliders, button...) are simple and intuitive to operate, but more information about how to interact with them is available in the "Plugins Basics" chapter of this manual.

Operation

You can use the Digital Peak Meter pro in three different types of scenarios:

Visualize and monitor the audio levels

This is pretty straightforward: instanciate the plugin on your audio track and watch the meters. You might want to customize the way the meters respond to the audio input by tweaking the parameters as described in the parameters section.

Send output parameters as MIDI CC for real time side chaining (control other effects parameters with the audio levels).

Setuping your application for this kind of scenario depends on the way your host application handles MIDI routing. The principle is always the same: instanciate the plugin on the source track, setup its MIDI output. Instanciate a destination plugin you want to control on another track, setup its MIDI inputs. You usually have to create a separate MIDI track to perform the MIDI routing between the source and destination plugins. Once everything is setup, the parameters of the destination plugin are controlled by the audio level of the source track.

More information and detailed tutorials for several major host applications are available at this location. The list of tutorials is also available at the end of this manual.

Record the output envelopes as automation curves, to control other effects or vizualize the audio levels offline.

In this case you just need to arm the output parameters you are interested in and hit play in your favorite host. The variations of the selected parameters will be recorded as automation curves.

More information and detailed tutorials for several major host applications are available at this location.

Blue Cat Audio Plugins Basics

This chapter describes the basic features that are common to all our plugins. If you are already familiar with our products, you can skip this part.

User Interface Basics

About Skins

Like all Blue Cat Audio plugins, Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro uses a skinnable user interface. It means that the appearance and behavior of the user interface can be entirely customized.

Especially with third party skins, the experience may be very different from the one offered by the default skins that we provide and which are described later in this manual. Our plugins and our skinning engine however have several standard features that will be available whatever your favorite skin. This is what this chapter will describe.

More information about custom skins can be found in the skins section.

Main Toolbar and Menu

Toolbar

In some skins, an optional toolbar gives you access to the some of the functionalities of the main menu.

Icon	Name	Function
	Menu	Open the main menu
	Undo	Undo
	Redo	Redo
	Load	Load Preset
	Save	Save Preset
	Manual	User Manual
	About	About
	Website	Opens our website

Commands

The Commands available from the main menu or the toolbar are:

Set Preset Skin: change the skin for the current preset.
Use Global Skin: use the skin defined in the global settings for the current preset. This item is enabled only if a skin has been defined for the current preset.
Undo/Redo: undo or redo the latest modifications. This includes all changes made to the current preset settings.
Load Preset: load preset from file.
Save Preset: save current preset to file.
Presets Settings: open the presets settings window. It enables you to change the skin and MIDI settings for the current preset.
Global Settings: open the global settings window. It enables you to change the skin and MIDI settings that are used by default in all instances of the plugin.
User Manual: open this user manual.
Check Updates: check the updates for this software on our website.
Get More Skins: get more skins for this software.
About: displays the “about” dialog box.

MIDI control

Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro can also be remotely controlled via MIDI using MIDI CC ("Control Change") messages if your host application supports it. It is possible to customize the channel, control numbers and range used for each parameter in the MIDI settings panel available from the main menu (see the Plugin Settings chapter for more details).

Controls

Examples

Here are a few examples of typical controls you will encounter in the user interface of our plugins:

slider	slider	knob	button	Text control

Interacting with Controls

You can interact with the controls of the plug-in interface either with the mouse or the keyboard.

Setting the keyboard focus on a control (so that it reponds to key strokes) may be automatic (when you pass the mouse over it it gets focus) or manual (you have to click on the control to set the focus on it). Note that all host applications behave differently regarding keyboard handling. In some applications you may not be able to use all keys described later in this manual to interact with our plugins. It is usually made obvious to you to know the active surfaces of the skin (the places where you can click with the mouse): the mouse cursor usually changes when you can do something on a control. In the default skins delivered with the plug-in, the cursor changes to a small hand or an arrow to tell you when your mouse is over an active control.

Mouse

Various mouse movements will let you interact with the controls:

Mouse Interaction	Action
Left Click	Acquire focus and start dragging or push (button)
Left Click + Alt Key	Set the value to default
Left Double Click	Acquire focus and launch the “fine tuning” edit box (except button):
Right Click	Set the value to default
Mouse Wheel	Increment or decrement the position (focus required)
Mouse Drag	Change the control position depending on mouse movement (except button)

Keyboard

All control widgets support the following keys (note that some of them are caught by the host and thus never forwarded to the control. For example in Steinberg Cubase SX you cannot use the arrow keys to control the plugin):

Keys Common to All Controls

Key	Action
Up Arrow	Small increment of the position (up or right)
Down Arrow	Small increment of the position (down or left)
Left Arrow	Same as Down Arrow
Right Arrow	Same as Up Arrow
Page Up	Large increment of the position (up or right)
Page Down	Large decrement of the position (down or left)
+	Small increment of the value of the control
-	Small decrement of the value of the control
d	Set to default value (same as mouse right click)
e	Opens the 'fine tuning' window to precisely set the parameter:
SHIFT	When the key is down, the fine tuning mode is on, and you can modify the value with better precision when moving the mouse, the mouse wheel or using the keyboard. Just release the key to get back to the normal mode.

Keys Specific to Buttons

Key	Action
Enter	Pushes the button

Check our online tutorial for more screenshots and more examples of our plugins user interfaces.

Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro Parameters

All parameters described below can be automated and controlled via MIDI if your host application supports it. You can precisely define this behavior in the settings panels described later in this manual.

Input

The input parameters of this plug-in are the following (mono version):

Param id	Name	Unit	Description
dsp.input0	Bypass		Bypass the plugin (stops analysis).
Peak Meter
dsp.input1	Attack	ms	Attack time for the Peak Follower (see the graph below).
dsp.input2	Hold	ms	Hold time for the Peak Follower (see the graph below).
dsp.input3	Release	ms	Release time for the Peak Follower (see the graph below).
RMS Meter
dsp.input4	RMS Average	ms	RMS computation time.
dsp.input5	RMS Boost		3dB offset for the RMS value. It allows the peak and RMS levels of a pure sine wave to be equal. Used for K-System scales.
Peak Hold Meter
dsp.input6	Meter Hold	ms	Time during which the local maximum value remains unchanged.
dsp.input7	Reset Speed	dB/s	Reset speed for the local maximum value (peak hold meter).
Transformed Output Envelope
dsp.input8	Peak-RMS	%	Ratio of Peak/RMS levels for the output envelope.
dsp.input9	Reverse		Reverse the transformed output peak envelope.
dsp.input10	Amount	%	Amount for the transformed output peak envelope: percentage of the original envelope used to generate the transformed envelope. If > 100% variations of the transformed envelope will be larger than for the original envelope, if <100% they will be smaller.
dsp.input11	Offset	%	Offset for the transformed output peak envelope.
Reset
dsp.input12	Clip Reset		Value changes reset the clip output attribute.
dsp.input13	Max Peak Reset		Value changes reset the maximum peak value.
dsp.input14	Max RMS Reset		Value changes reset the maximum RMS value.
dsp.input15	Avg Peak Reset		Value changes reset the average peak value.
dsp.input16	Avg RMS Reset		Value changes reset the average RMS value.

An additional “Stereo Mode” parameter is available for the stereo plugin, to choose between Left/Right and Mid/Side modes:

dsp.input1	Stereo Mode	L-R or Mid-Side	Chooses between Left/Right and Mid/Side modes.
All other parameters are identical to mono version (id offset by 1)

Output

The Digital Peak Meter Pro plugin provides output parameters that correspond to characteristics of the audio signal. These parameters can be recorded as automation curves or sent as MIDI CC to other plugins for advanced monitoring and universal side chaining.

The output parameters of the Mono version of this plug-in are the following:

Param id	Name	Unit	Description
dsp.output0	Peak Value	dB	Peak level.
dsp.output1	RMS Value	dB	RMS level.
dsp.output2	Transformed	dB	Tranformed Envelope: the RMS and Peak levels combined according to the “peak-rms” percentage and it is then transformed using the reverse, amount and offset parameters. Use this parameter for side chaining capabilities.
dsp.output3	Max Peak	dB	Global maximum peak level (can be reset by “Max Peak Reset” parameter changes)
dsp.output4	Max RMS	dB	Global maximum RMS level (can be reset by “Max RMS Reset” parameter changes)
dsp.output5	Avg Peak	dB	Global average peak level (can be reset by “Avg Peak Reset” parameter changes)
dsp.output6	Avg RMS	dB	Global average RMS level (can be reset by “Avg RMS Reset” parameter changes)
dsp.output7	Peak Hold	dB	Local maximum Peak value. The behavior of this output is controlled by the 'Meter hold' and 'Reset Speed' parameters.
dsp.output8	RMS Hold	dB	Local maximum RMS value. The behavior of this output is controlled by the 'Meter hold' and 'Reset Speed' parameters.
dsp.output9	Clipped		This value set to 1 if the audio signal clips (meaning it is above the maximum allowed value). This information can be reset by changing the “Reset Clip” input parameter.

The output parameters of the Stereo version of this plug-in are described below. Channel 1 is either “Left” or “Mid” channel and channel 2 is either “Right” or “Side” channel, depending on the chosen the stereo mode.

Param id	Name	Unit	Description
Channel 1
dsp.output0	Peak Value	dB	Peak level for channel 1.
dsp.output1	RMS Value	dB	RMS level for channel 1.
dsp.output2	Transformed	dB	Tranformed Envelope for channel 1
dsp.output3	Max Peak	dB	Global maximum peak level for channel 1
dsp.output4	Max RMS	dB	Global maximum RMS level for channel 1
dsp.output5	Avg Peak	dB	Global average peak level for channel 1
dsp.output6	Avg RMS	dB	Global average RMS level for channel 1
dsp.output7	Peak Hold	dB	Local maximum Peak value for channel 1
dsp.output8	RMS Hold	dB	Local maximum RMS value for channel 1
dsp.output9	Clipped		Channel 1 clipped.
Channel 2
dsp.output10	Peak Value	dB	Peak level for channel 2.
dsp.output11	RMS Value	dB	RMS level for channel 2.
dsp.output12	Transformed	dB	Tranformed Envelope for channel 2
dsp.output13	Max Peak	dB	Global maximum peak level for channel 2
dsp.output14	Max RMS	dB	Global maximum RMS level for channel 2
dsp.output15	Avg Peak	dB	Global average peak level for channel 2
dsp.output16	Avg RMS	dB	Global average RMS level for channel 2
dsp.output17	Peak Hold	dB	Local maximum Peak value for channel 2
dsp.output18	RMS Hold	dB	Local maximum RMS value for channel 2
dsp.output19	Clipped		Channel 2 clipped.

Note: the param id field is used when designing a new skin. See the skins section of this manual for more information.

Plugin Settings

In addition to the controls offered in the main user interface, Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro has various settings that let you fine tune the behavior of the plugin. You can choose to change these settings either for the current preset or globally for all instances of the plugin.

The Global Settings Window

The settings available in this window apply to all instances of the plug-in, for all presets. Consider these settings as “default” settings.

Global Skin

You can change the default skin for all instances of the plug-in: write the skin file path in the text edit box or click on the button to open a file chooser dialog. If you have several instances of the plug-in opened in your session, you will have to re-open the user interfaces of these plug-ins to see the skin change.

Global MIDI Input Settings

For each parameter you can define a default MIDI channel and CC number. You can then control the plug-in with an external MIDI controller or one of our plug-ins that generate MIDI messages.

The following settings are available for each plug-in parameter:

Channel: MIDI Channel for the parameter control. If set to 0, the plug-ins will accept Control Change Messages from all MIDI Channels (MIDI Omni mode).
CC: Control Change Number.
Learn: click on this button to activate the MIDI learn functionality. When it is activated, you can move your MIDI controller, and the plug-in will automatically set the MIDI Channel and CC Number.
Enable MIDI: enable/disable the MIDI control of the parameter.
Response: response curve of the MIDI control: from very fast to slow control.
Min: minimal value of the parameter when MIDI controlled.
Max: Maximum value of the parameter when MIDI controlled.

(generic screen shot, does not correspond to the actual plug-in parameters)

Note: if the Min value is higher than the Max value, the response curve will be reversed: increasing the MIDI controller value will decrease the parameter value.

Note: if you double click on the parameter text control boxes for the max and min values, a “fine tuning” edit box will appear and let you change the min and max values with more precision:

Global MIDI Output Settings

You can set the same properties for the output parameters: they may trigger MIDI CC messages when modified. Since it's output, you cannot set the channel to MIDI Omni, you must choose a channel:

(generic screen shot, does not correspond to the actual plug-in parameters)

Note: if the Min value is higher than the Max value, the response curve will be reversed: increasing the MIDI controller value will decrease the parameter value.

Note: if you double click on the parameter text control boxes for the max and min values, a “fine tuning” edit box will appear and let you change the min and max values with more precision:

Global Automation Output Settings

If your host application does not let you choose which parameters to record as automation curves, you may need to choose the automation enabled parameters in the plugin itself. In this pane you can decide which output parameters of the plugin will record automation, for all instances of the plugin:

(generic screen shot, does not correspond to the actual plug-in parameters)

All parameters are enabled by default. Click on the check box to enable/disable automation for a parameter.

The Current Preset Settings Window

This window lets you change the settings for the current preset of the current plug-in only.

Preset Skin

You can choose to use the global skin setting or to change the skin for the current preset. This way you can have different skins for different instances of the plug-in in the same session in order to differentiate them.

Preset MIDI Input Settings

Use the global settings or override them for the current preset. The parameters are the same as for the global MIDI input settings.

(generic screen shot, does not correspond to the actual plug-in parameters)

Preset MIDI Output Settings

Use the global settings or override them for the current preset. The parameters are the same as for the global MIDI output settings.

(generic screen shot, does not correspond to the actual plug-in parameters)

Preset Automation Output Settings

Use the global settings or override them for the current preset. The parameters are the same as for the global automation output settings:

(generic screen shot, does not correspond to the actual plug-in parameters)

About Skins

Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro integrates Blue Cat's skinning engine that allows you to customize the user interface. You can download new skins for your plug-in at the following address:

http://www.bluecataudio.com/Skins/Product_DPeakMeterPro

If you don't find a skin that fits your need or if you want a really custom one, you can choose to create your own skin.

Changing the Skin

You have two ways to change the skin of your plug-in: you can change the default (or 'global') skin in the global settings, or change the skin for the current preset only (either in the preset settings page or from the main menu). The global skin applies to all plug-in instances, whereas the current preset skin only applies to the current preset of the current plug-in instance.

See the main menu for more information abour how to access these options.

On some hosts the plug-in window won't resize automatically when you choose a skin with a different size. In this case, just close the window and re-open it: it will be displayed with the right size.

Create a Custom Skin

You can create custom skins for your plug-in in order to adapt it to your exact needs. You can change its look and feel and make it completely integrated in your virtual studio!

Just read the Blue Cat's Skinning Language manual and download the samples for the tutorial on http://www.bluecataudio.com/Skins. You can get ready to create your own skins in a few minutes.

You can then share your skins on our website.

FAQ

Automation Output

When I use the plugin, my host application is slowed down and I get audio drop-outs. How can I solve this problem?

If your host application does not let you select the parameters for which you want to record automation, it might be doing some extra work for handling the output parameters generated by the plugin. A solution is to disable the output parameters you do not use in the Preset or Global settings/Automation Output pane.

When I use the plugin, my host application draws many automation curves on the current track and yet I have not touched any control on the plugin. How can I avoid that?

If your host application does not let you select the parameters for which you want to record automation, it will record automation for all the output parameters generated by the plugin. You can disable the output parameters you do not use in the Preset or Global settings/Automation Output pane.

I am trying to record automation curves as shown in the tutorials but it does not work. What do I have to do?

If your host application lets you select the parameters for which you want to record automation, check that the parameters you want to record are enabled. You also need to check that the plugin automation output is enabled for these parameters. Check the Preset or Global settings/Automation Output pane and select the parameters you want to record.

When I use the plugin in a project, every time I save the project, my application shows it as unsaved right away. How can I solve this issue?

This plugin produces automation output, and some host applications consier that any change to one of the output parameters is a change for the project. In order to solve this problem, and if you do not use the automation output capability of this plugin, you can disable automation output from the plugin settings panel (Global or Preset Settings/ Automation Output pane: uncheck all parameters).

MIDI Output

How can I enable the MIDI output of the plugin?

If your host application supports it, you can choose to send MIDI CC messages based on the output parameters computed by the plugin. The feature is not enabled by default, so you need to go to the current preset settings (of the global settings if you want to enbale this for all instances - not recommended) and open the "MIDI output" pane. For each parameter you are interested in, enable MIDI output and select the appropriate channel and CC number. The plugin will then send MIDI messages to the host application. Check our tutorials for a detailed explanation of MIDI output routing in your favorite host.

Plug-ins Formats

What are DirectX (DX), Audio Unit (AU), RTAS and VST plugins?

VST, Audio Unit, RTAS and DirectX plugins are software components than can be used in "Host" Software (such as Cakewalk Sonar, Steinberg Cubase or Wavelab, Sony Vegas, Logic Pro, Garage Band, Ableton Live, Pro Tools...) in order to perform some MIDI and/Or Audio real-time Processing tasks. To be more precise what we usually call directX plugins is actually a "DirectShow Filter". VST is owned by Steinberg, DirectX by Microsoft while Audio Units is the property of Apple Computers and RTAS is owned by Digidesign.

How can I use your plugins?

Download and install a host software, then download and install the plugins from our page. They will appear in the host "effects" menu. If you are using a DirectX host with our MIDI controllable plugins and they do not show up in you host list, you might need to use our freeware DXi Manager. Note that our plug-ins are sometimes shown in the "MIDI controllable audio effects" or "soft synths" sections in some host applications.

Where can I find a host?

There are many commercial or freeware hosts that will suit your needs. You can find a long list of applications here. You can also use demos of Cubase, Wavelab, Ableton Live, Tracktion, or Sonar software, which are usually available on the companies websites. On the Mac, Garage Band is part of the system and can be also used to host our Audio Unit plugins.

What are the main differences between DX, VST, RTAS and Audio Units?

VST is a protocol that works on several platforms (Mainly Windows, MacOS, BeOS, and some Linux platforms use it as well) whereas DirectX is Microsoft Windows only, and Audio Units are available only on the Mac. RTAS is available on Mac and PC, but only for Pro Tools products (Digidesign). VST, RTAS and Audio Units are dedicated to Audio processing whereas DirectX (DirectShow) enables you to manage any kind of streamed media (audio video, compressed data...).

What is the difference between DXi and DX effects?

DXi effects are MIDI controllable DirectX plugins. It's the same as DX effects plus MIDI control.

Which version (VST, Audio Unit, RTAS or DX) should I use in my host application?

Here is a list of host software and the version we recommend you to use. Many other applications are supported, check your application user manual to choose the best version (AU stands for "Audio Unit" and DX for "DirectX"):

Host Application	Plug-in Version
Cakewalk Products (Sonar, Project5...)	DX
Sony Products (Vegas, ACID, Soundforge)	DX for old versions, VST for new
Steinberg Products (Cubase, Nuendo, Wavelab)	VST (Mac or PC)
Ableton Live	VST (Mac or PC)
Adobe Audition	any
EnergyXT	VST
Magix Samplitude	VST
Digidesign Pro Tools	RTAS if available, any otherwise (RTAS adapter required)
Apple applications (Logic Pro, Logic Express, Garage Band...)	AU
...

In general, we recommend using VST over Audio Unit on Mac (when both are supported), particularly for the plugins that can output automation or MIDI CC messages.

Where can I find more information about this topic?

Installation

I have installed my software and it is not listed as an application. Why? What can I do? How can I launch it?

Most software you can purchase on this website is plugins for host applications. It means you need another application to use it. See the "Plugin Formats" section in this FAQ for more information.

I have installed my plug-in and it does not show up in my host application. What can I do?

First check that you application supports DirectX, Audio Unit or VST plug-ins.

If you are using the DirectX version, check that your host application supports DXi plug-ins (MIDI enabled DirectX plug-ins). If it does not, it may remove it from the DirectX plug-ins list (some applications such as Sony Vegas 5 and Cool Edit Pro are known to do this). In this case, use our DXi Manager free utility and disable the MIDI capabilities of the plug-in. You may need to reinstall the software again before it shows up into your host application. For more information about this topic please read our DXi in Sony Vegas tutorial (it is applicable to other applications than Sony Vegas).

If you are using the Direct X version and your host application supports DXi, check that the plug-in does not appear in the 'virtual synth' or 'synthesizers' category. If you wish not to use the MIDI capabilities of the plug-in and use it as a regular Direct X plug-in, you can download the freeware DXi Manager and disable the MIDI capabilities of the plug-in.

Why are there two plug-ins called xxxx(Mono) and xxxx(Stereo) installed ?

"Mono effects" (which are effects that do not make any difference between left and right channels) are bundled this way for performance reasons. Some developers just deliver a stereo Version which also processes (twice) mono streams. The "(Mono)" plug-in is to be used with mono streams, and the (Stereo) one with stereo streams. The effect itself is the same in both cases but the number of processed channels is different: this may drastically improve performance for CPU intensive plug-ins.

How do I uninstall my plug-ins?

Open the Windows configuration panel/ Add Remove Programs, and choose 'Remove' on the corresponding plug-in. If you have installed the VST plug-in zip file version, just delete the corresponding dlls.

Why do your plugins need an installer on Windows? Do they modify the registry or system settings? Why not providing just a dll?

Our plugins require several additional files for default settings, skins and miscalleanous data. We provide an installer for our customers convinience. Our installers do not modify the system settings settings or the Windows registry, except for the DirectX versions registration. Our installers won't harm your system.

Software Version

How do I know the version of the plug-in I am using?

You can see the version information in the about box: right click on the background of the plug-in user interface and select "About". The product version is also available in the Windows Add/Remove Programs Window.

Why do newer versions of a plug-in override older ones (they have exact same name and IDs)?

Because newer versions improve previous ones. When a new version is released, older versions are not supported anymore. In some cases the new versions may be installed as new products (compatibility reasons, major changes...), but it is explicitly documented on the product page.

A new minor version of a product I purchased some time ago is available. Where can I download the update?

The new version can be downloaded from the same place where you downloaded the original version. All information is contained in the email you received when you purchased the product. Your registration number has not changed either.

Upgrade

A new minor version of my plugin has been released. Where can I download it?

When you purchased the plugin, an email containing the information to download and register your software has been sent to you. You can download the new version from the exact same location as the first time.

I have downloaded a new version, do I need to uninstall the previous version?

No, you don't, except if it's specified on the product page, in the "history" section. Just run the installer and it will upgrade your software.

Automation

What is "Parameters Automation"?

The parameters of an effect can be automated in most host software. It means that you can record the changes you do during playback or recording so that it's replayed when playing back again. It's a way of sequencing parameters changes the same way you do with Audio or MIDI data.

What is "Smooth Update"?

When changing parameter values in real time or replaying a song where parameters have been automated, our plugins compute intermediate values between parameter changes in order to avoid "clics" and "pops" that may occur otherwise. It results in a non audible smooth parameters update and lets you freely use automation or MIDI control to change the effects in a song.

Do your plug-ins support MIDI Control?

Yes they do. They offer precise control over the mapping of MIDI Control Change (CC) messages to parameter values: you can adjust both the channel and CC number as well as the response curve of the control. Since some of our plug-ins are also capable of creating MIDI CC from the audio signal, they can all be connected for real time signal-dependent audio effects. See our MIDI Control in Sonar tutorial for an example.

More...

This manual only covers the basics of Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro. Our website offers many additional resources for your Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro plugin and is constantly updated, so keep an eye on it! You will find below a few examples of available resources.

Extra Skins

We encourage our customers to propose their own skins for our products and we often propose alternative skins to let you choose the one that best suits your needs. You can check Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro skins page to get the latest skins.

Big Meters

Product: Peak Meter Pro
Description: Original skin set (4 skins) modified to support very large meters.
Author: Blue Cat Audio
Download: Skin_BigMeters.zip

Red Box for DPMP3

Product: Peak Meter Pro
Description: Red Box look for v3, including 4 skins for both the stereo and mono plugins.
Author: Blue Cat Audio
Download: Skin_RedBox3.zip

Deep Blue (for V2)

Product: Peak Meter Pro
Description: Dark background and blue colors with continuous vertical meters. This skin works only with the stereo plug-in. [Note: this skin is not compatible with Blue Cat's DPMP 3]
Author: Blue Cat Audio
Download: Skin_V2DeepBlue.zip

Red Box (for V2)

Product: Peak Meter Pro
Description: Red Box look, close to the original DPMP design. [Note: this skin is not compatible with Blue Cat's DPMP 3]
Author: Blue Cat Audio
Download: Skin_V2RedBox.zip

Red Box - No Meters (for V2)

Product: Peak Meter Pro
Description: Red Box look with no meters: reduces the user interface size when using the plug-in as an audio to MIDI tool. [Note: this skin is not compatible with Blue Cat's DPMP 3]
Author: Blue Cat Audio
Download: Skin_V2RedBoxNoMeters.zip

Tutorials

Many Tutorials are available on our website. They cover a wide range of topics and host applications. You will find below a list of tutorials that are related to the Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro plugin. An updated list is also available online.

Tutorial - Customize the Colors of your Plugins

This tutorial shows how to customize the FreqAnalyst Pro plugin's user interface by changing the color of the displayed curves. It is a very basic skinning tutorial. All you need to know is how to exp...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro In Sonar

This tutorial shows how to use the Peak Meter Pro plugin (DPMP) in Cakewalk Sonar, in order to modify the parameters of an effect on a track according to the envelope of an other track....[Read More...]

Tutorial - Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro In Sonar (Live)

In this tutorial you will learn how to use the Peak Meter Pro plugin (DPMP)'s real time capabilities in Cakewalk Sonar: use it to let any instrument influence the parameters on any effect for any othe...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro In Ableton Live

In this tutorial you will learn how to use the Peak Meter Pro plugin (DPMP)'s real time capabilities in Ableton Live: use it to let any instrument influence the parameters of any effect for any other ...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro In Cubase (Live)

In this tutorial you will learn how to use the Peak Meter Pro plugin (DPMP)'s real time capabilities in Steinberg Cubase: use it to let any instrument influence the parameters on any effect for any ot...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Real Time Ducking: the DPMP as a Voice Over Tool.

This tutorial shows how to perform real time ducking in your favorite host, using the Peak Meter Pro plugin (DPMP). The following example is a typical "Voice Over" situation where you want to add a ...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro in Energy XT

This tutorial shows how to use the Peak Meter Pro plugin (DPMP) in energyXT, in order to modify the parameters of an instrument or effect on a track according to the envelope of an other track. ...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro in Cakewalk Project5

This tutorial will teach you how to use the Peak Meter Pro envelope generator in Cakewalk Project 5. Download the tutorial as a pdf file ...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro In Samplitude

This tutorial shows how to use the Peak Meter Pro audio analysis plugin (DPMP) in MAGIX Samplitude, in order to modify the parameters of an effect on a track according to the envelope of an other trac...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro & Automation In Sonar

This tutorial shows how to use the Peak Meter Pro plugin (DPMP) in Cakewalk Sonar, in order to record the peak envelope of the audio signal as an automation curve....[Read More...]

Tutorial - Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro in Sony Vegas

This tutorial will teach you how to use the Peak Meter Pro envelope generator in Sony Vegas. You will be able to reuse the envelope for audio or video effects. Download the tutorial as a pdf ...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Using DXi plug-ins in Sony Vegas

This tutorial will teach you how to use any DXi plug-in in Sony Vegas: Sony Vegas does not support MIDI automation, so if your plug-in supports the MIDI Dxi protocol, it is removed from the plug-ins l...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Export Plugin Presets to Share them with the Community

This tutorial shows you how to export your presets in order to share them with the community on the Blue Cat Audio website. This tutorial uses Blue Cat's Stereo Triple EQ for the demonstration bu...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Getting Started with Plugins User Interface

Get used to the user interface features of Blue Cat Audio products! They have been designed for an optimal workflow, so here are the tips and tricks to save time. All these functionalities are explain...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Using MIDI Control in Sonar

This tutorial will help you understand how to use parameters MIDI control in Cakewalk Sonar. It is applicable to any DXi plug-in (MIDI enabled DirectX plug-in)....[Read More...]

Tutorial - Using MIDI Connectivity in a Modular Host (Plogue Bidule)

This tutorial shows you how to use the MIDI connectivity of our plugins in a modular host such as Plogue Bidule. We are using the Mac version of Bidule in this tutorial. The scenario here is very sim...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Monitor Mid-Side Channels, Mono Compatibility and Phase Inversion

This tutorial shows how to use the Widening Meter Pro analysis plugin to monitor the Mid and Side channels on a mix. It allows you to check the mono compatibility of a mix, as well as its "stereoness...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Level Monitoring with Blue Cat's Remote Control

This tutorial shows how to use the Remote Control MIDI control surface and Blue Cat's Peak Meter Pro analysis plugin (DPMP) to monitor several tracks in a same screen, on graphs or meters you can cust...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Remote Monitoring and Control with Blue Cat's Remote Control

This tutorial shows how to use the Remote Control MIDI control surface and Peak Meter Pro audio analysis plugin (DPMP) to monitor and control several tracks in a same screen. Before you read this tuto...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Using Blue Cat Audio plugins connectivity in Reaper

This tutorial shows how to use our plugins MIDI connectivity within Reaper. We use Blue Cat's Dynamics plugin as an example, but you can use any other audio plugin which provides output parameters, su...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Connecting plug-ins together in Logic for advanced side chain effects

This tutorial shows how to use the connectivity capabilities of our plugins within Logic. We use Blue Cat's Peak Meter Pro plugin (DPMP) as an example, but you can use any other audio plugin which pro...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Using Blue Cat Audio plugins connectivity in Pro Tools

This tutorial shows how to use the MIDI connectivity of our plugins within Pro Tools. We use Blue Cat's Peak Meter Pro plugin as an example, but you can use any other audio plugin which provides outpu...[Read More...]

Tutorial - How to Use the Free Presets Available on this Website

This tutorial shows you how to get and load free presets for your favorite Blue Cat Audio plugin. This tutorial uses Blue Cat's Dynamics for the demonstration but is applicable to all our plugins...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Simple Dynamic Stereo Enhancement

This tutorial shows how to use the Widening Meter Pro and the freeware Gain Suite plugins to enhance the stereo perception of a track. It's a very simple example of how to connect the measurements cap...[Read More...]

Updates

As you can see in the history log below, we care about constantly updating our products in order to provide you with the latest technology available. Please visit often our website to check if Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro has been updated, or subscribe to our Newsletter to keep you informed with the latest news about our products.

Versions History

2010/02/25	V3.31
	Demo version now displays a nag screen only once per session, and only when opening the user interface of the plug-in. Mac: fixed crash with demo version in Ableton Live 8.1.1. Mac AU: output parameters routing now works for more than one instance in Logic Pro's Environment. Mac AU: fixed output parameters that could exceed defined range and not record properly as automation curves.
2010/02/15	V3.3
	RTAS plugin format support for Pro Tools (Mac and Windows). 64-bit applications support for Windows DX and VST under Windows x64. Mac AU 64-bit format support (compatible with 64-bit Logic 9.1 on Snow Leopard) Fixed MIDI learn issues. Space bar does not trigger plug-in buttons anymore (avoids conflict with transport control in most applications). Mac: fixed user interface crashes in some hosts under Snow Leopard. Mac: fixed keyboard/mouse focus issues in some hosts. Mac: fixed user interface crashes in some hosts, when used with particular display settings. Mac: fixed multiple screens issue. Mac-AU: fixed user interface resizing issue when changing skin in some hosts (Logic). Mac-AU: fixed settings lost issue when doing offline rendering in some applications.
2009/05/05	V3.21
	Mac VST update: fixed incompatibility issues with Cubase 5 on Mac.
2009/02/27	V3.2
	Mac Audio Unit support. Improved accuracy of MIDI output. Automation output can now be disabled for hosts that do not propose automated parameters choice. The average RMS value now corresponds to the RMS level of the entire song played thru the plugin. New Windows Installer (you should uninstall any previous version before installing this new one). New documentation format.
2008/12/10	V3.1
	Now available for Mac in VST format. Minor user interface changes. (Bug fix): keyboard shortcuts are no longer forwarded to host application when entering values in edit boxes.
2008/03/03	V3.0
	New user interface design. Bob Katz's K-System scales support (K-12 / K-14 / K-20). You can now blend RMS and Peak envelopes for the tranformed output. New mid-side mode: you can now easily switch from Left-Right to Mid-Side stereo mode for instant mono compatibility check. Average values display. The output envelope can now be a combination of the peak and RMS envelopes. Main MIDI settings are now available from the main panel. Undo/Redo support. Import/Export presets in a host independent format and share them between the directX and VST versions. Window Opacity Management: make the plugin window transparent and see behind. New toolbar to access main functionalities. Main MIDI settings are now available from the plugin user interface. Curves are now anti-aliased. Improved the display of parameters values in the MIDI settings panel and the host application. Improved graphs refresh rate. Reduced memory consumption when using several instances. Improved Skins loading performance. Default values for MIDI controllers have been changed to be more convenient. Blue Cat's Skinning Language 1.4.2 support. Warning: this new version has so many new features that it is installed as a new plug-in. If you have a previous version installed and do not want to keep it, just uninstall it.
2006/12/11	V2.4
	(Bug fix): the preset MIDI output settings were not restored correctly when re-opening a project or changing a preset.
2006/11/29	V2.3
	Now supports Blue Cat's Skinnning language 1.2.4. Curves are now antialiased. Parameters can be fine tuned when the shift key is down. CPU efficiency improvement: no processing occurs when input is silent. Settings window now loads faster. (Bug fix): in some plug-in adapters (such as FxPansion's VST to RTAS adapter) the GUI did not display properly when first loaded. (Bug fix): when reinstalling the software in another directory, the "skin not found" message was displayed.
2006/09/27	V2.2
	Minor UI enhancement for hosts not supporting Windows XP Theme. (Bug fix): presets load/save did not always work properly in Sonar 5 for some european versions of Windows XP.
2006/09/05	V2.1
	VST version bug-fix: some host applications did not see the MIDI output of the plug-in.
2006/09/04	V2.0
	The plug-in is now 100% real time thanks to the MIDI output capability: generated envelopes can be used to control any MIDI device or plug-in. Advanced MIDI control with customizable parameters curve response and MIDI learn. Skinnable User Interface with Blue Cat's Skinning language V1.2.1 support. RMS value Real time envelopes display All parameters can now be fine tuned thanks to a text-edit popup window that appears when double clicking on user interface widgets. Warning: because it now supports MIDI events, the DirectX plug-in may appear in the "Synth" or "DXi" category instead of "effects" in some hosts (such as Cakewalk Sonar). If it does not appear in you host, you might want to use our DXi Manager to de-activate MIDI features. Warning: this new version breaks the presets compatibility, and is thus installed as a new plug-in. If you have a previous version installed and do not want to keep it, just uninstall it manually.
2005/01/10	V1.1
	VST Version released. GUI Improvement: now supports non-standard DPI Settings. The plug-in now also records clip information. The parameters have been simplified. Version info now shown in about box (click on logo). (Bug fix): host may crash when stopping playback and the "Off" button of the peak meter is pressed. decay time can be set up to 1000 ms.
2004/11/01	V1.0
	First DirectX Version

Thanks again for choosing our solutions!
See you soon on www.bluecataudio.com!

Purchase currency:

Product Page

Peak Meter Pro

Main Menu

Table Of Content

Introduction

Description

Main Features

System Requirements

PC

Mac

Installation

Windows

Install

Upgrade

Mac

Install

Upgrade

Using Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro

The User Interface

The Main View

The MIDI Output Settings View

Operation

Visualize and monitor the audio levels

Send output parameters as MIDI CC for real time side chaining (control other effects parameters with the audio levels).

Record the output envelopes as automation curves, to control other effects or vizualize the audio levels offline.

Blue Cat Audio Plugins Basics

User Interface Basics

About Skins

Main Toolbar and Menu

Menu

Toolbar

Commands

MIDI control

Controls

Examples

Interacting with Controls

Mouse

Keyboard

Keys Common to All Controls

Keys Specific to Buttons

More

Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro Parameters

Input

Output

Plugin Settings

The Global Settings Window

Global Skin

Global MIDI Input Settings

Global MIDI Output Settings

Global Automation Output Settings

The Current Preset Settings Window

Preset Skin

Preset MIDI Input Settings

Preset MIDI Output Settings

Preset Automation Output Settings

About Skins

Changing the Skin

Create a Custom Skin

FAQ

Automation Output

MIDI Output

Plug-ins Formats

Installation

Software Version

Upgrade

Automation

More...

Extra Skins

Big Meters

Red Box for DPMP3

Deep Blue (for V2)

Red Box (for V2)

Red Box - No Meters (for V2)

Tutorials

Tutorial - Customize the Colors of your Plugins

Tutorial - Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro In Sonar

Tutorial - Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro In Sonar (Live)

Tutorial - Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro In Ableton Live

Tutorial - Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro In Cubase (Live)

Tutorial - Real Time Ducking: the DPMP as a Voice Over Tool.

Tutorial - Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro in Energy XT

Tutorial - Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro in Cakewalk Project5