Dorrough Stereo by Waves metering plugin interface

Dorrough Stereo: Loudness and Peak Meter Plugin by Waves

Dorrough Stereo is a metering plugin from Waves that models Dorrough's loudness and peak meters for mono and stereo monitoring. It is available in VST2, AU and AAX formats.

VST2AUAAXWindowsmacOS

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01Overview

Dorrough Stereo brings the behavior of Dorrough hardware meters into the DAW. Waves developed the plugin in close association with Dorrough Electronics and models the company's three most popular loudness meters. Its peak metering responds quickly and moves the way analog meters do, which makes it useful for checking levels during recording, mixing and mastering. The plugin offers mono and stereo meters in three sizes and three styles.

Best for

Mix level monitoring
Mono compatibility checks
Mastering peak control
Film and broadcast metering
Analog gear calibration

Developer: Waves
Category: Utilities
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Models Dorrough's three most popular loudness meters
Super-fast peak metering with analog meter behavior
Mono and stereo meters in three sizes and three styles
Sum/Difference mode warns of energy drops in mono
Overs LED lights when more than 3 samples exceed 0 dBFS
Left/Right, Sum/Difference and Phase meter modes
Peak hold for 3 seconds, infinite hold or manual reset
Selectable reference levels for analog gear

03In depth

Peak and Loudness Metering Behavior

The meter is built around Dorrough's ballistic behavior, which Waves says it modeled from Dorrough's patented process. The developer describes the peak response as super-fast while still matching the visual movement of analog meters and industry-standard hardware.

Peak modes let you hold the reading for three seconds, hold it indefinitely, or reset the peak manually. An "Overs" LED lights when more than three samples exceed 0 dBFS, so you can spot clipping that a single sample might miss.

Stereo Checks and Mono Compatibility

Three meter modes cover the most common checks: Left/Right, Sum/Difference and Phase. In Sum/Difference mode, the meter warns you when energy drops out as the signal is summed to mono.

If you work with analog devices, you can choose reference levels so the readings match the calibration of your hardware chain.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	Waves
Type	Plugin
Category	Utility
Formats	VST2, AU, AAX
Operating systems	Windows, macOS

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats does Dorrough Stereo support?

Dorrough Stereo is available in VST2, AU and AAX formats. It runs on Windows and macOS.

Which systems do I need to run Dorrough Stereo?

On Mac, it requires macOS Monterey 12, Ventura 13, Sonoma 14 or Sequoia 15 and supports VST, AU and AAX. On PC, it requires Windows 10 or later and supports VST and AAX.

What does the Sum/Difference mode do?

Sum/Difference mode warns you when energy drops out as the signal is summed to mono, helping you spot phase problems before they reach a mono playback system.