Free & open source · macOS · Windows · Linux

Real loudness numbers
for honest tone

MeterMaid is a desktop LUFS loudness meter with a live frequency spectrum. Measure to the EBU R128 / ITU-R BS.1770 standard and level your guitar amp and effect patches at matched loudness, so you compare tone, not volume.

Download free See what it does

Latest release v0.4.1 · macOS builds are signed & notarized

The MeterMaid app metering a stereo input: integrated, short-term, momentary, loudness-range, and true-peak readouts in LUFS above a green-to-red log-frequency spectrum analyzer.

What it measures

Broadcast-grade loudness, on your desktop

The same BS.1770 math behind ffmpeg's ebur128 filter, wrapped in a real-time meter you can actually watch while you play.

EBU R128 loudness

Integrated (gated), Short-term (3 s), and Momentary (400 ms) loudness in LUFS, plus Loudness Range (LRA).

Live spectrum analyzer

A log-frequency FFT spectrum with peak-hold and a dB + frequency grid, so you can see the shape of your tone, not just its level.

Target & Apply helper

Set a target LUFS and MeterMaid shows the exact gain to apply to hit it. It's the fastest way to match two patches.

True Peak & clip ceiling

True-peak readout in dBTP with a configurable ceiling, so you can keep levels honest without clipping.

Cross-platform & signed

Native builds for macOS, Windows, and Linux. macOS builds are signed with an Apple Developer ID and notarized, with no Gatekeeper warnings.

Free, open & self-updating

MIT-licensed and free. It remembers your device and settings between launches and updates itself in place when a new release ships.

Download

Get MeterMaid v0.4.1

Pick your platform below. On first launch MeterMaid asks for microphone access. It needs that to read any audio input device, including USB interfaces.

macOS

Apple Silicon (.dmg)arm64 Intel (.dmg)x64

Signed & notarized, so it opens without warnings.

Windows

Installer (.exe)x64 Installer (.exe)arm64

Unsigned, so SmartScreen may warn; choose More info → Run anyway. .msi in all assets.

Linux

AppImagex64 AppImagearm64

.deb & .rpm (x64 / arm64) in all assets.

Looking for checksums, signatures, or older versions? Browse all releases on GitHub.

Getting started

From download to dialed-in tone

You'll be reading real loudness in under a minute. No account, no config files, and no manual to read.

  1. 1

    Install and open

    Grab the build for your platform above and launch it. macOS builds are notarized, so they open without warnings.

  2. 2

    Pick your input

    Connect your interface or modeler over USB, or route playback through a virtual device like BlackHole, then choose it in the device dropdown.

  3. 3

    Press Start

    Click Start and allow microphone access when asked. The readouts and the live spectrum come alive right away.

  4. 4

    Match your loudness

    Set a Target, play a few seconds, and read the Apply value. To level a patch, make a change, click Reset, and play again until Apply settles.

Updates

Always on the latest version

MeterMaid checks for a new version each time it launches and shows a banner when one is ready. One click installs it and relaunches, so you stay current without hunting for a download.

The current release is v0.4.1.

Read the release notes See all releases

Feedback

Found a bug? Want a feature?

MeterMaid is built in the open. The best way to report a problem, request a feature, or ask a question is on GitHub. It keeps everything in one place and lets others chime in.

Open an issue Start a discussion

New to leveling tone? Read Level Guitar Patches with MeterMaid.