Audio Program Level, the VU Meter, and the Peak-Program Meter

The accuracies of a VU meter and a peak-program (PPG) meter (EBU meter) for measuring program levels are examined by means of dual strip-chart recordings of various types of program material. It is shown that the VU-meter measurements are highly dependent on the program material, while the PPG meter does not suffer this shortcoming. The use of a PPG meter results in a program volume that is 4-5 dB greater than when using a VU meter. The stripchart recordings also show that the PPG meter makes for much easier "riding of level" than does the VU meter, thus operator fatigue is greatly reduced.