DIY VUMeters BOX Finished
I finally finished my DIY VUMeter Box for the 13 channels of the Denon 8500. Taking the signals from the pre-outs. COVID times and retirement has enabled it.
I like these Chinese VUmeters. They are programable with different displays modes and different settings,
I had to amplify the voltage level from the pre-outs. I tried initially with the small 3W amps mentioned some posts above, but they generated much noise and was not easy to display anything. Saturated Full bar LEDs nearly all the time.
So, I decided to build some voltage level amps using standard LM324 Op-Amps. With Potentiometers to have a variable Gain from 20 to 80.
Also, I put a spare WI-FI controlled switches, from my previous Speaker Switch Box, to enable ON/OFF with Alexa. I didn’t find a suitable Box, so I ended up making it myself with cardboard and wood.
I have had a lot of fun and I have dusted off my skills of electronics and DIY manual works.
Once I calibrated the displays, to show more or less the same amount of LEDs for the same amount of signal level, I Did see graphically with my eyes all the theory I already knew:
- With DTS, surround backs are replicates from surrounds. The same pattern is followed by both VUMeters. But if an upmixer is engaged with DTS, then different content is send to the surround backs.
- Neural:X sends more content level to the Heights than DSU.
- With DSU 'Center Spread', the Fronts display got higher and Central smaller, and viceversa.
- Auromatic upmixer makes the same patterns to the Heights as its corresponding floor level speakers. And little content to Central High and VOG.
Here you have some pictures of the final assembling stages.
At the end below, a link to a video showing how it looks. The VUMeter LEDs are in a central display mode, but they can be programmed also as standard bars growing from below, with or without peaks, moving peaks, etc.
If anyone is interested in the design details, I'm still compiling all paper notes, and designs spread on Word and Excel files to a Final Document. I will share it if anyone is interested.
This is the Link to the Video. You have to click it and enable there the sound to fully see it: