Overview

NEW version 1.4 with major feature updates!

Streamlined A/B comparisons
ADPTR AUDIO’s Metric AB is the go-to reference plugin for seeing and hearing how your mix compares to commercially released songs with the click of an “A/B” button. The most recent update includes features the music production community has demanded, giving you more control and enhancing the overall user experience.

Streamline your workflow
All the reference meters you need for mixing and mastering. Insert Metric AB on your master channel, key bind the “A/B” button, and quickly toggle between mixes using your keyboard.

Instant loudness matching
Drag and drop up to 16 reference tracks into Metric AB. Match the loudness of your mix and every reference track at once. There are four different loudness-matching modes to choose from. Eliminate loudness bias and conduct accurate A/B comparisons in seconds.

Precise playback options
Sync the playback of reference tracks with your DAW. Set cue markers to play references at the beginning of different song sections. Depending on your preference, select the Latch, Cue, Sync, or Manual playback mode to change the playback behavior of reference tracks.

See the differences
Get technical with multiple analysis modes: spectrum, correlation, stereo image, dynamics, and loudness (LUFS). Select from various graph options, including Plot, Octave, 3rd Octave, Critical, and Multi. View the A stream (blue) and B stream (orange) information individually, side by side, or layered together to pinpoint the smallest mix variances.

Hear the differences
Mastering meters are helpful for identifying technical mix discrepancies. Although, you should also use your ears to determine whether or not you need to make changes to your mix. Metric AB’s filter bank allows you to solo different frequency ranges and audition your audio with precision.

Support for multiple audio formats and languages
Metric AB can play back reference tracks in various formats, including WAV, AIFF, FLAC, M4A, and MP3. Character support for a wide range of languages is also included, ensuring the track titles of your favorite songs display as intended.

New in Metric AB version 1.4
Metric AB version 1.4 includes support for Apple's M1 and M2 chips in all major plugin formats including, AAX for Pro Tools, a resizable UI, GUI enhancements, usability upgrades, additional file compatibility, improved filters, better DAW compatibility, and numerous bug fixes. Key enhancements include new loudness match modes, a re-optimized graphics drawing system, enhanced filter accuracy, and expanded MIDI parameter availability.

Features

  • Compare your mix to a reference with the click of a button

  • 16 reference track slots

  • Instant loudness matching

  • Cue points that sync with your DAW

  • Five detailed mastering meters

  • Customizable filter bank

  • Support for Apple’s M1 and M2 chips
  • Resizable UI (S, M, L, XL)

Industry Reviews

  • Chris Dennis

    Chris Dennis

    Mixing Engineer (Roddy Ricch, Pop Smoke, DaBaby)

    I spend a lot of time traveling & recording in random locations, so ADPTR's Metric A/B is great for referencing other mixes/songs when I may not trust the acoustics of my environment.

  • Neenah

    Neenah

    Multi-platinum mixing engineer

    This plugin feels like a member of the studio team! It's helpful to have on stand-by anytime, but will also provide much-needed navigation when your ears are getting tired. I've given this plugin… Read More

  • Joost van den Broek

    Joost van den Broek

    Producer, Arranger & Mixer (Blind Guardian, Powerwolf, Ayreon)

    This plugin is an extremely productive and easy-to-use tool that will be on my masterbus from now on. The plugin I didn't know I was looking for for a long time!

  • Seb Molijn

    Seb Molijn

    DJ, composer, producer (Dash Berlin, Armin van Buuren, Caramella Girls)

    Reference is everything when mixing and MetricAB is simply the water in the desert, my go to essential plug-in for many years to come.

  • Viktor Ruiz

    Viktor Ruiz

    DJ , remixer

    ADPTR Metric AB is one of the most complete tools for mixing my tracks. I love how precise the Spectrum and Stereo Imager are. I also like to use it once I receive a track back from my master… Read More

Customer Reviews

  • Best Analyzy!

    ★★★★★
    by MiamiDude
    This has everything you need to analyze your audio. Referencing tracks a breeze! Top!
  • Matrix AB

    ★★★★★
    by jnjbeatz
    Matrix AB is a complete tool for frequency and level analysis of your mix. It offers all its visualization and analysis functionalities of Loudness Range, Dynamic Range, Short Term, Momentary and… Read More
  • Metric ab is tier 1

    ★★★★★
    by Beezy
    This plug in is prolly my favorite plug in because it has help me in my journey of creating great mixes and even masters. I usually use it in layer mode and switch back and forth to my mix and… Read More
  • best i've seen

    ★★★★★
    by tyson
    i've been using this for several years at this point, and i think its the best analysis tool there is. every single piece of information you could ever need is right in front of you, and it's not… Read More
  • So impactful

    ★★★★★
    by Jono. B
    Amazing tool, speed up referencing and really zoom in on all aspects.
    It doesn't take too long to understand. dELIGHTED

Specifications

Supported Plugin Formats
AAX Native, AU, VST2, VST3

Supported Operating Systems
Apple: macOS 10.11 'El Capitan' through macOS 13 'Ventura'
- Intel x64 or Apple Silicon CPU

Microsoft: Windows 8 through Windows 11
- x64-compatible CPU

System Requirements
Display Resolution: 1440 × 900px or 1280 × 960px or higher
Memory: 4 GB+ RAM (8GB+ Suggested)

Downloads

With the Installation Manager you can select, download & install all the Plugin Alliance products. Select any and all formats you need for your system! Mac & PC.

ChangeLog

Metric AB

ADPTR Metric AB - Changelog

Version 1.4.1 (Nov 17, 2023)
- Added keyboard modifier for PDC sample editing
- Fixed: Crash when clicking Cue and Loop on an empty track
- Fixed: Latch mode behaves like Cue mode
- Fixed: Crash when loading audio files in Harrison MixBus on MacOS

Version 1.4.0 (Aug 4, 2023)
- Full native compatibility for Apple Silicon and MacOS 13 Ventura
UI
- Resizable UI (S,M,L,XL)
- Make Current UI size default option (via UI menu)
Analysis Graphs
- Re-Optimised graphics drawing system - faster and smoother than ever.
Sync Mode
- Sync mode now allows you to place a Cue marker to set the start point for playback - this allows you to select anywhere in the track to start the sync from.
Sync mode now detects invalid song position info and prompts you to start transport to set sync start position. i.e. works in Wavelab etc.
New : PDC Mode - for Hosts which do not report the correct plugin delay compensation to plugins - e.g. Logic PRO when bus tracks are enabled
Method - Click PDC button to open window, you will hear both A+B streams merged - edit the PDC time until you hear the tracks flanging in perfect sync, close PDC window and restart the transport
Loudness Meter and Matching
- Loudness Match buttons now on Compact view (next to Mono button under output meter)
- 4 Loudness Match modes -
A to B,
B to A
Match to target Loudness (you can set the default in the preferences page) - default is -14 LUFS
Match to track with the Lowest volume
Keep meters running when switching between analysis pages (dynamics / loudness)
- (previously Meters restarted when switching between pages)
click transport icon ’latch to DAW transport to active this
Dynamics Meter
- Dynamics metering option to keep meters running when switching between analysis pages
Analysis Modes (Spectrum / Correlation / Stereo Image). - P29 - Video
- You can now select graph types independently for each analysis page - e.g. Plot for Spectrum / Octaves for Correlation / Multi-Band for Stereo-Image
File Compatibility
- M4a audio file compatibility for Windows (Mac has had it since v1)
Filter Bank
- Filters have been re-designed to be more accurate and powerful
- Drag the filter range area with the mouse (left-right motion) to re-position/sweep frequencies
- Use the scroll wheel to edit the size of the filter range (minimum 1 octave - max full range)
- Use the drag ball to move the range (useful for when the range is very small, and you can use the scroll wheel to resize)
- Filter presets now remember last used settings (no need to save as default when switching between presets e.g. bass / mid / high)
- Fixed - high filter band was not correctly calibrated
- Fixed - filters were reducing the volume of the audible range
Organisation -
- Folders for Preset organisation
- Create and save to presets from the preset menu.
- Create and browse presets in user folders.
- Remove Missing Files command on Missing Files menu
Settings and Behaviour
- Revert to A stream when closing plugin (Settings / Default)
MIDI parameters
- All automation parameters are now available to MIDI controllers (previously some parameters were not available in some DAWs)
Loop Markers
- Added - Reset marker to max - right click inside loop region and select
- Added - Delete loop marker - right click on loop marker and select
Text Support for Audio files
- All text now rendered for better clarity / resizing
- Global Languages Character support for audio file names
- Hover over track slot to scroll full name on display (great for long track names which are truncated)
Fixed
- Fixed - Correlation Window gets stuck on Windows
- Fixed - Filter bank Filter slope does not update user preference / load user default
- Fixed - Youtube Loudness preset now -14 LUFS
- Fixed - Tidal Loudness preset now -14 LUFS
- Fixed - Incorrect Latency reporting of 1 sample (found on v1.3)
- Fixed - Spectrum dB/Hz popup on graph was not always visible (Mac only)
- Fixed - dB range on spectrum analyser can now be set to +36dB (was locked at 0dB on v1.4)
the default should be +36dB - Test - Drag edit Zoom dB between 0 and +36 dB -
- Fixed - Loudness Meters did not update when switching to Hi-Resolution mode (0-18 LUFS)
- Fixed - Cue Select buttons now transmit Automation data and Smart Controls
- Fixed - FFT Weighting now only changes Spectrum Plot mode (previously applied to all bar graphs)
- Fixed - Spectrum Bar Graphs callibrated flat to Pink Noise
- Fixed - FFT Weighting - now only applies to PLOT mode (previously applied to all bar graphs incorrectly)
- Fixed - Crashes due to ‘can’t locate missing file’

Version 1.3.0 (May 14, 2021)
- Fixed waveform calculation failing in Studio One 5
- Added OpenGL user setting for Windows version
- Fixed decibel zoom not working for some spectrum plot modes
- Fixed a potential crash during session launch
- Offline bounce now compensates for latency correctly (when graphics latency enabled)
- Offline boounce now passes A stream to the output when B selected

Version 1.2 (Feb 28, 2020)
- Added notarization support for macOS Catalina
- Fixed preset incompatibilities with 1.1.0
- Fixed default user settings being reset after launching a new instance of the plugin
- Corrected version number in plugin alliance Toolbar
- Settings window tidy up
- Fixed potential crash when validating the plugin in Logic


Version 1.1 (May 20, 2019)
- Fixed a host crash when moving files to a different location
- Fixed Metric AB crashes when starting playback of a song in Studio One
- Fixed Metric AB crash in Propellerhead Reason
- Fixed MP3s not getting loaded in Reference Track
- Added 'Presets' sub menu for quick access to user presets
- Added latency compensated graphics rendering option
- Added A and B stream master faders
- Added 36dB and 48dB filter slopes
- Added drag and drop track re-ordered in the playlist
- Added 'Organise Tracks' menu option
- Added 'Apply Current Playback Mode Globally' menu option
- Added infinite average mode
- Added current playhead position time readout
- Added cue and loop marker position time readouts
- Added 'Import Folder...' to load entire fodler of audio tracks at once
- Added frequency marker readout and cross hairs for mouse position on analysis graphs
- Added selecting B track toggles A/B button state
- Added large dynamics target PSR meter readout panel
- Improved compatibility with some MP3 files
- Filter parameters now exposed to host for automation purposes
- Cue points can now be clicked on the waveform overview
- Latch mode playback now starts from the active cue point after a preset or session has been loaded
- Analysis metrics are now computed with loudness match gain applied
- Analysis meter hold times now settable down to .1 second
- Expanded settings and default preferences page


Version 1.0 (Sep 4, 2018)
- Release version