DRMeter MkII
by MAAT · Utility · Dynamic range and loudness meter
Not rated yet
DRMeter MkII is a loudness and dynamic range meter from MAAT that combines DR, EBU R128 and A/85 measurements.
It has presets for streaming services and a standalone version, and costs $129.
Best for: Mastering, Mix Bus. Genres: all genres.
Keywords: metering, broadcast, mastering, standalone app, full mix, bus processing, flat UI, mix bus, perpetual licence, resizable UI, utility.
What it does
DRMeter MkII is MAAT's multi-metric loudness and dynamic range meter, designed by Friedemann Tischmeyer, who contributed to the EBU R128 standard. MAAT says it is built not only for general use but "specifically for music production", with a lot of metering in a clean layout.
- DR and loudness: integrated DR (DRi) alongside EBU R128 and ATSC A/85 loudness, plus Loudness Range (LRA) and Peak-to-Short-term Ratio (PSR).
- Dynamic Deviation: compares the dynamic density of the music against the target loudness.
- DualVu: shows relative and absolute scales at the same time.
- Trending and events: per-channel L/R trending and event detection.
- Platform presets: factory and user presets for Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, TIDAL, Pandora, R128 and A/85.
- MFiT mode: meters a round trip through Apple's AAC codec at up to 96 kHz.
- Display: five resizable UI sizes and a -30 dB zoom scale for detail.
- Standalone: a native standalone app for metering outside a DAW.
Version 2.2.3 (per KVR). It is a perpetual license, also available in the DR2 bundle with DROffline MkII. A demo is available.
When to use it
DRMeter MkII is the better pick when you care about dynamic range as much as loudness. Compared with Youlean Loudness Meter 2 and LEVELS, it adds DR measurement, Dynamic Deviation and an Apple AAC round-trip mode, though Youlean has a free version. It is narrower than Insight 2, which covers broader mix analysis alongside loudness. Its platform presets make it quick to check a master against several streaming targets.
- Best for: mastering engineers keeping dynamics in check while hitting streaming and broadcast targets.
- Genres: any.
- Look elsewhere if: you only need LUFS readings (Youlean Loudness Meter 2 has a free version) or want full mix analysis (Insight 2).
What producers say
It has very few user reviews, but the one on KVR is fully positive.
- KVR users rate it 5 out of 5 from 1 review (2024), calling it a "very precise tool" and recommending it "for anyone serious about mastering."
- Criticisms: none were raised in that review.
Where to buy
- MAAT: $129
- Plugin Boutique: $129
- Best Service: $179
Tutorials and reviews
- Friedemann´s best practice on DRMeter MkII setup to perfectly level mixes and masters
- Introduction of MAAT DRMeter MkII Universal Loudness & Dynamics Meter
- MAAT DRMeter Dynamic Range Meter EXPLAINED
- DR, PSR y LRA explicados con MAAT DRMeter MkII y DRO2
- 02 - DRMeter MkII de MAAT - REVIEW [ESPAÑOL]
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