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, max-hold, and pink/brown noise guide curves calibrated to your target loudness. Freeze any curve as a reference and point anywhere to read the exact frequency and 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 v0.5.0
Pick your platform below. On first launch MeterMaid asks for microphone access. It needs that to read any audio input device, including USB interfaces.
Windows
Unsigned, so SmartScreen may warn; choose More info → Run anyway. .msi 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.
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1
Install and open
Grab the build for your platform above and launch it. macOS builds are notarized, so they open without warnings.
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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.
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3
Press Start
Click Start and allow microphone access when asked. The readouts and the live spectrum come alive right away.
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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
What's new
MeterMaid gains features and fixes regularly, and it updates itself in place, so you're always current. The current version is v0.5.0.
Latest highlights
v0.5.0 · July 3, 2026New spectrum tools for shaping your tone, built around a common guitarist workflow: compare what you are playing against a reference, right on the meter.
- Max hold keeps a line at the highest level each frequency has hit until you clear it. Turn it on in the new Spectrum row, play a riff or a burst of noise, and the full picture of your tone stays on screen. It survives stopping and starting, and the Reset button leaves it alone.
- Freeze ref saves that held curve (or the live spectrum) as a background reference. Capture one sound, freeze it, then shape another sound against it.
- Noise guides. Pick Pink noise or Brown noise from the Guide menu and MeterMaid draws the curve that noise would make at your Target loudness, without you having to play any noise at all. Pink and brown noise are popular EQ references for studio and live guitar tones. The guide moves with your Target setting, so it always shows where your tone should sit.
- The spectrum now marks your clip ceiling with a dashed line, and any frequency that crosses it lights up red.
- Point at the spectrum to read the exact frequency and level under your cursor, along with the held maximum and reference values when they are showing.
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.
New to leveling tone? Read Level Guitar Patches with MeterMaid.