I have tested both my hardware VU meters and all my VST VU meters and they are flat from under 10 Hz to well over 25 Khz so it can be done. I was surprised Mike when I did the freq response test on my hardware meters. I was not expecting them to be so linear over such a huge range.

Hi Jeff
I was working on this short video to show what I did. I then got your post which I will try later. The sine is much better for these testing.
http://s1019.photobucket.com/user/fitzj/media/-20dbSineTest.mp4.html

Make sure you have got the BlueCat meter also set for the same reference level. It looks like it could be reading low but I could be wrong as the video is still hard to see on that one. I have got the BlueCat as well and it is a nice meter. I find I use the Klanghelm (as well as my real VU's) much more but the BlueCat can show the level over time which is useful.
 
Are the other DAW's behaving themselves too and showing the same things.
 
BTW I had to tweak the ballisitic settings on the Klanghelm meters to get them to behave the same ballistics wise as my real ones. The real ones are the ultimate for ballistics but out of all the VST VU's I own the Klanghelm can get the closest. I am not at my DAW right now but I will post up the Klanghelm meter settings to achieve close to the physical perfection. (the 300ms rise time is not quite right on the Klang meters as well, it needs to be something slightly different as well as the fall time) I have devised a special pulsed test tone that is a series of pulses 300 ms wide but longer in between. (to see the fall behaviour better) Music is also a good test for ballistics too.
The ballistics are very important because if they are set wrong they will either overshoot or not reach the 0db VU mark the same way the real ones do. (my real meters are worth over $200 each in case you are wondering and they are large and look great!) Incorrect ballistic settings on VST meters can give a wrong impression of levels with music. (not a continuous sine wave of course) It is not a major error but an error none the less and it can be avoided.

fitzj
Thanks Jeff.
Yes please up load the files and I will test again later today or tonight.  No problem I will do a better movie with sound. I cannot see how pan laws come into play yet Danny as I am just setting levels no plugins and no  panning setup.

Hi fitz,
 
I brought up the pan stuff because I tested it for you before I posted to make sure. For example, here is what the help file tells us. Notice that depending on your pan law, nothing has to be panned for this to affect your outcome.
 
Stereo Panning Law. Use this menu to choose a panning law for the current project and new projects. The current project’s panning law is also displayed in the File Stats window, which appears when you open the File Info dialog box (Project > Info command), and click the File Stats button. Determines the mathematical formula used to control panning. The choices are:
○
(Default) 0 dB center, sin/cos taper, constant power. This choice causes a 3 dB boost in a signal that’s panned hard left or right, and no dip in output level in either channel when the signal is center panned.

○
-3dB center, sin/cos taper, constant power. This choice causes no boost in a signal that’s panned hard left or right, and 3dB dip in output level in either channel when the signal is center panned.

○
0dB center, square-root taper, constant power. This choice causes a 3 dB boost in a signal that’s panned hard left or right, and no dip in output level in either channel when the signal is center panned.

○
-3dB center, square root taper, constant power. This choice causes no boost in a signal that’s panned hard left or right, and 3dB dip in output level in either channel when the signal is center panned.

○
-6dB center, linear taper. This choice causes no boost in a signal that’s panned hard left or right, and 6dB dip in output level in either channel when the signal is center panned.

○
0 dB center, balance control. This choice causes no boost in a signal that’s panned hard left or right, and no dip in output level in either channel when the signal is center panned.

If you look at the ones that alter your level being centered, this can be an issue with loudness. For example, if you used -3dB center or -6dB center, that's exactly how your levels will be affected without panning a thing, understand? I'm not saying it's what your problem is, but it COULD be a contributing factor.
 
-Danny
 

Hi Danny
Interesting, I believe you cannot change the other DAW as it's  hardcoded to -3db center I  need to verify that again.  

Pan laws in the case of test signals can effect mono test signals but by using stereo test signals (which are effctively same signal in both channels except for pink noise) on stereo tracks they don't apply and that is why it is preferable to use stereo test signals on stereo tracks. As long as the pan pot is centered the correct level will be sent to L and R outputs respectively and pan laws will not effect the L and R extremes.
 
In some programs such as Adobe Auditon or Cool Edit you can alter the phase relationship between L and R sides when making test signals or you can have both sides in perfect phase too. Even so you wont get level variations unless you start summing outputs anywhere but in this scenario we are not.
 
The -20 db FS full range pink noise test signal from the Bob Katz website is also in stereo for that very reason.
 

Hi jeff
Screen shot of other DAW at -20db  Everything look good there?
You mentioned yesterday you had different setting for the rise and fall for the VU meter  have you a screen shot of your setup.
When you calibrate to -14db what does your sound meter read -83db, -77db or something else.
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Hi John, yes that is looking good. And it should be the same in all your DAW's too. That was your original concern but I think you will find all the DAW's will show the same level.
 
The other part of the process is to calibrate your room monitors. If you calibrate your system to say -20 then it is time to put the -20 pink noise (full range) onto the track now and measure the SPL level in the room. I like 85 dB SPL when both speakers are on. (83 dB single speaker only) The SPL meter should be set for C weighting as well. This will sound quite loud with pink noise but with music it is softer and nicer. Some around here will say 85 dB is too loud but it is not for me. Once the SPL meter is showing 85 dB you can mark your monitor volume control.
 
If you decide to work at -14 instead then obviously you recal the meters but the SPL level in the room does not change, it still should be 85 dB SPL. So now you put the -14 dB pink noise (full range) on the track and adjust the level in the room for 85 dB. Except because the system is working 6 dB hotter than before that mark on your monitor output will be in a different place. (lower of course) You will have two marks now, one for -20 and another for -14.
 
85 dB is considered a SPL level where the ear is hearing at the most flat it can be. You can certainly monitor lower but low and high frequencies will drop and it is not advisable to make important mix decisions at too low a level. You tend to push the ends of the spectrum if you do.
 
I have actually got a permanent SPL meter setup in front of me so it keeps me honest! I also check mixes down low (well under 85 dB eg 70 db or so) in mono on a small speaker similar to the Auratone. I find it reveals a lot about your mix. I also like monitoring up very loud too eg 95 dB SPL and 105 dB SPL! But not for too long. That tends to reveal a lot about the bass end and the reverb levels.
 
You may have some issues with bass nulls and peaks in your room where you are sitting. If you find while the full range pink noise is playing and you move the SPL meter even slightly the reading may change wildly. There is another pink noise signal you can use. It is called band limited pink noise and it is pink noise only from 500 Hz to 2 KHz. BUT the level will drop way down due to the low end mainly being removed so the bandwidth limited pink noise needs to be level adjusted again to bring it up to the same level as the full range pink noise. The band limited noise avoids any room low end issues and gives a very accurate reading. I can upload it if you need it only. Mine is level corrected already so you can just plonk it on a track and away you go.
 
If you use the VU's well you can aim to get all your tracks just hitting the OdB Vu mark on your VU meter. Very transient sounds such as drums etc will not make the Vu's reach that level. This is where your peak metering comes in though. But by the time you send all your drums to say a drum buss the VU will start to show normal levels there too.
 
Your buses should also be just reaching 0dB VU as well and you will find your master buss will also just reach that too. When you do this there will never be any clipping or red lights anywhere. You will always have plenty of headroom above. And when you mix say 10 songs they will all be the same level prior to mastering. Nice! If you check the VU levels going in and out of any plugins or effects chains you will never overload them either.

Great stuff Jeff. Very much appreciated. Please upload the Band Limited Pink Noise never heard of that before.
Thanks again.