Volume meters should have logarithmic scale

[eMilty]

Currently the volume meters have a linear scale. While it's perfectly fine to display it like that, it's not how we humans perceive it. A logarithmic scale is much more how we hear it as each 3dB increase means double the volume / loudness of the audio. So it's especially the last -12dB to 0dB that we receive as a biggest increase is sound level.

The same goes for the volume controls by the way. If these have a logarithmic scale as well it allows for much fine grain control especially at the loudest end.

 

[pkv]

the scale IS logarithmic; it's in dB ...

 

[eMilty]

I know that decibel is a logarithmic representation of the sound level but the scale at which it is currently displayed in just lineair. The meter lights the same number of pixels for the difference between -90 dB and -80 dB as it does for the difference between -10dB and 0 dB. But the latter increase is much more noticeable for us humans.

This is for example how Final Cut Pro displays it, which is much more logical:

Old analog meters also had this scale: https://www.shutterstock.com/video/...age-vintage-audio-device-analog-vu-meter.html

 

[pkv]

ok now you make sense. You want LUFS so a measure of loudness (perceived) , that is some psychoacoustics; while VUmeters measure a voltage as the name indicate. I'll ping the dev who worked on the vu meters. I have no opinion on the matter.

 

[Take Vos]

I am the developer of the current audio meters.

dB scale displayed with equal distances is actually close to what human perceive the sound like.

The compressed scale that Final Cut Pro and a bunch of other applications and hardware display is used to be able to see audio at infinite low volume, while still having a large portion of the display devoted to loud signals (which most of the audio signal will fall in).

It may also be a difference between how European and American equipment is designed. European scales have equal distance scaling, while American compress the scale. It looks like modern digital meters have compromised to having equal spacing above -20 dB and compressed spacing below -20 dB. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_programme_meter

Anyway, it would be significant work on changing how the meter is displayed. I would not be opposed to a patch to bring the meters inline with IEC 60268-18. But looking at the environment that OBS is used in we don't need the extra accuracy at the top level of the scale (because of live, non-hands-on, recording of speech), nor do we need the infinite range (with the high noise floor of home studio equipment).

In the future we may add loudness metering which will be displayed in LUFS (also on the same equal distance dB scale). Which will improve the metering of perceived loudness a lot closer. The peak meters that are currently displayed are less useful for measuring loudness, but very useful to determine if the audio signal will be clipping, both peak and loudness meters have their own use.

 

[eMilty]

I'm not really looking for LUFS. The meter already shows black squares which (I think) already indicate the RMS levels. It's what you said, the most interesting part of the meter is now just only the right-side half of the meter and possibly even just one third.

Personally I would also prefer the yellow and red part to be different. Now yellow already starts at -20 dB but there is still so much headroom. I would let is start at -12 dB and the red at -3 dB. That means that if your RMS level is in the green and the peaks reach into the yellow you are absolutely fine.

Btw: it looks like the peak hold time is very long. Also when the peak signal goes all the way to 0 dB the peak hold indicator is not showing anymore (for the duration of the peak hold time).

 

[axd]

I am the developer of the current audio meters.

... The peak meters that are currently displayed are less useful for measuring loudness, but very useful to determine if the audio signal will be clipping, both peak and loudness meters have their own use.

Unrelated to this issue, I'm having issues with this, as expressed in output volume visualization · OBS Studio Ideas and Suggestions
I have the impression that there is an ongoing confusion between input and output volumes: for example "the audio signal will be clipping" could be referring to a (source's) input audio signal or the (OBS final) output audio signal.