Term: VU Meter

A Volume Unit meter is designed to indicate the perceived loudness of dialog. 0 VU represents a voltage of 1.228 volts (RMS) or +4dBu. A VU meter displays an average voltage level and does not show the amount of headroom. In a digital system, 0VU (+4 dBu) is calibrated to -18 or -20 dBFS.