Volume Meter Build

[Guybrush]

Hi all

I've been toying with the idea of installing some kind of volume meter into my pedal board and just wondered if this was even possible?

I use several drive and boost pedals each with slightly different volumes and I'd like some kind of visual aid to tell me what the levels are. It doesn't need to be massively accurate just basically tell me is pedal X louder than pedal Y.

Something like this would be perfect but probably with a few more LEDs

Is anyone aware of a project that might fit the bill?

Thanks as always.

[blearyeyes]

I was just looking at a schematic for this...try google and pictures. Or the DIY hi fi boards..  I want to add a reverse gain or gain reduction meter to a compressor...

[mgwhit]

This would be remarkably easy using a microprocessor.  Check out this project.

[blearyeyes]

Bottom one looks pretty good...

http://www.4qdtec.com/LED/avu.html

http://www.bowdenshobbycircuits.info/page11.htm#vumeter.gif

http://www.free-electronic-circuits.com/circuits/audio-level-meter.html

[AntKnee]

I have had the exact same idea myself, for the same reason. I would love to have something like that on my board.

[davent]

Some LED volume meter ideas in an old thread at diy...

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=102271.0

[RobA]

This would be really easy to do using an MCU. If you don't want to go the MCU way, there's the LM391x series that is in that last link that Dan provided. The LM3915 is the dB scale version. Here's a link to an Intstructables project that uses the IC, http://www.instructables.com/id/LM3915LM3916-VU-Meter/

It would take a bit of scaling for the voltages to be right, but the project looks pretty easy overall.

[Guybrush]

Thank you for all the replies. Greatly appreciated.

I have zero experience with Arduino so a LM3915 circuit would probably be better for me. The circuit that blearyeyes linked to http://www.free-electronic-circuits.com/circuits/audio-level-meter.html looks pretty simple but I'm useless with schematics. Can someone with a good eye for these things tell me if it looks easy enough to build?

I'm surprised there isn't a PCB project for this kind of thing knocking around.

Thanks again guys!

[marmaliser]

I'm surprised there isn't a PCB project for this kind of thing knocking around.

http://kuzyatech.com/lm3916-led-bargraph-vu-meter
https://www.tindie.com/products/kuzyatech/lm3916-led-bargraph-vu-meter-breakout-green/

[Guybrush]

I'm surprised there isn't a PCB project for this kind of thing knocking around.

http://kuzyatech.com/lm3916-led-bargraph-vu-meter
https://www.tindie.com/products/kuzyatech/lm3916-led-bargraph-vu-meter-breakout-green/

Perfect! 

I've odered one.

Thank you!

No idea how to connect it up to my guitar signal but I'll cross that hurdle when I get to it.

[Leevibe]

LM3914's are about $2 ea. So are 10 segment displays. You can even stack multiple chips to get more resolution, like 20 or I think up to 100 LEDs. You don't have to use the 10 segment package. They are just 10 LED's conveniently packaged. I haven't used these yet, but I plan to. They're really simple to use and calibrate.

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12694

[blearyeyes]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/331414194726?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&autorefresh=true

LM3915 kit from China 10 led meter... Cheap..

[Guybrush]

Ordered! Again though, no idea how to get a guitar signal running into it. Hopefully it'll be clearer once I get my hands on the kit.

Thanks!

[Leevibe]

Ordered! Again though, no idea how to get a guitar signal running into it. Hopefully it'll be clearer once I get my hands on the kit.

Thanks!

Here are links to a hookup guide and video that may help.

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/dotbar-display-driver-hookup-guide

https://www.sparkfun.com/videos#all/TZxPjRrn_3U/8

[blearyeyes]

Ordered! Again though, no idea how to get a guitar signal running into it. Hopefully it'll be clearer once I get my hands on the kit.

Thanks!

I was thinking about that as well but it should be fun experiment. The sensitivity is adjustable but the range is pretty high. Might have to add a simple gain stage in front of the meter If the guitar signal is too low. Since it isn't in the audio path per se it might be easy..

Sometimes I wish I knew what I was doing.