On the audio level meter at the top of the interface, the RMS (Root Mean Square) metering doesn't behave correctly. It follows the fluctuations of the Peak metering exactly, when it should take some time to catch up and fluctuate in a softer way, since it is averaging level values over a period of time, instead of reading the instantaneous level value like the Peak metering does. You can see it also when the audio is started: the RMS metering appears as soon as the Peak metering does. Real RMS metering will always take about a second to catch up with the Peak metering. As it is now, RMS mode is of no use.
Comments (3)
Yes. 3 ms is too short an integration time for RMS metering. That's more a time for PPM (program peak metering). As far as I know, RMS metering follows the behaviour of analogue VU meters, whose needles have a rise time of about 300 ms.
Amazing, thank you. Looking forward to seeing it in action. :)
I'm looking at the level meters in Audacity and other DAWS. Some Peak meters seem to have an instantaneous (or very short) rise time but a fall time equal to the RMS meter, so that they fall at the same speed. This simultaneous fall is especially visible when audio gets suddenly muted. I don't know if we want this Peak behaviour or not. Personally I'm happy with each meter being consistent with its intended behaviour. In many meters one sees the RMS bar being higher than the Peak bar at times, it does make sense.