Steinberg has released the SLM 128 Loudness Meter, a free VST 3 plug-in* for Windows and Mac OS X that offers EBU R 128-compliant loudness metering within Cubase 6.5 and Nuendo 5 or higher.

In the last decades, the loudness level of TV and radio commercials has seen a dramatic increase — a phenomenon that is often referred to as loudness war. In order to harmonize audio levels, the European Broadcast Union (EBU) has introduced the R 128 recommendation, a loudness measurement approach based on the new Loudness Unit Full Scale (LUFS). As of August 31, 2012, many broadcasters will only accept EBU R 128-compliant audio signals.

"That's why we decided to create a loudness metering tool in the very short-term, which enables our customers to create R 128-compliant mixes," says Timo Wildenhain, product marketing manager at Steinberg.

The SLM 128 Loudness Meter is now available as a free download from the Steinberg website.

* Please note that in order to make this plug-in available as soon as possible, SLM 128 wasn't entirely assessed by Steinberg's quality assurance. Although the internal preliminary testing indicates that it is stable and reliable, technical support cannot be granted.