Getting Started

Install PLVS and get through the first launch.

Windows

Download the installer from GitHub Releases and run it, or use the portable build if you'd rather not install. PLVS isn't code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen may warn on first run — choose More info, then Run anyway.

macOS

Download the DMG from GitHub Releases and drag PLVS into Applications. The build isn't notarized, so Gatekeeper blocks the first launch — remove the quarantine attribute once: xattr -cr /Applications/PLVS.app. Requires macOS 14.2 or later for system audio capture.

First launch

PLVS never starts capturing audio on its own. Pick a signal source (see Signal Source) and press Start when you're ready to monitor.

Signal Source

One dropdown covers every kind of input — you pick a signal, not an underlying API.

Automatic

Binds to your system's current default output. Good default for most sessions.

System playback

Monitor whatever your system is currently playing, with no virtual audio routing. On Windows this uses WASAPI loopback; on macOS it uses the native system-audio tap available on macOS 14.2 and later.

Physical input

Monitor a microphone or line input directly. On Windows this goes through WASAPI; on macOS it goes through cpal.

Panels

Seven meter panels, all reading the same live signal at once.

Level Meter

Peak or loudness display, switchable, shown per channel so you can spot an imbalance at a glance.

Loudness

LUFS readings (integrated, short-term, momentary) following ITU-R BS.1770 measurement with EBU R128 production/gating conventions.

Stats

A compact numeric summary of the key metrics from the other panels.

Spectrum

An FFT-based real-time analyzer using a fixed reference view: per-band level in the dBFS domain, aligned with common DAW practice rather than IEC 61260 filter-bank metrology.

Spectrogram

A scrolling time-frequency view, colored using your active theme's colormap.

Vectorscope

Correlation between a pair of channels, defaulting to Front L/R. Pick a different pair from the panel's controls when it's available.

Waveform

A time-domain view of the live signal.

Dialogue-Gated Loudness

An optional mode that limits loudness measurement to speech, using an on-device voice activity detector — no audio leaves your machine.

Choosing a VAD engine

Silero is the default; FireRedVAD and TEN VAD are available as alternatives from the same setting.

Reading the output

Four metrics: Coverage (how much of the session was classified as speech), Range and Offset (loudness spread and deviation within speech), and Active (whether gating is currently engaged).

Multichannel

PLVS follows your source's layout automatically, with a manual override when needed.

Automatic layout detection

Mono, stereo, 5.1, and 7.1 are recognized automatically from the input.

Manual presets

If detection doesn't match your setup, force Stereo, 5.1, or 7.1 from Settings.

Per-panel behavior

Level Meter shows every channel individually. Loudness computes the proper multichannel (L1) path for the detected or selected layout. Spectrum and Vectorscope let you choose which channel or channel pair to view.

Workspace

Arrange panels into the layout your session needs.

Split layout

Drag panel edges to resize, and split or merge panes to change which meters are visible at once.

Persistence

Your layout is remembered and restored the next time you open PLVS.

File Mode

Inspect a local audio file offline, using the same meter panels as live monitoring.

Opening a file

PLVS reads file metadata with ffprobe and decodes audio with a bundled FFmpeg — no external tools to install.

Scrubbing

Move through the file's timeline and every panel updates to match, exactly like live monitoring. Analysis stays read-only and local to the current session.

CLI

Installed builds include plvs-cli for agents, support workflows, and terminal automation that need PLVS analysis without opening the desktop UI.

Runtime check

Run plvs-cli doctor --json to verify the installed runtime and bundled FFmpeg sidecars. Windows installer builds add plvs-cli to the current user's PATH; portable builds may require the full executable path.

File analysis

Use plvs-cli analyze "C:\path\file.wav" --json for one local media file, or plvs-cli analyze-batch "a.wav" "b.wav" --json for multiple files. Batch mode also supports a JSON manifest when paths are generated or need to be reproducible.

Reports

Analysis commands write machine-readable JSON. Use plvs-cli report analysis.json --format markdown when you need a human-readable Markdown table. With --out <file>, stdout stays intact and the same output is also written to disk.

System Settings

Everything for making PLVS fit into how you work day to day.

Tray & Autostart

Choose whether closing the window sends PLVS to the tray or quits it, and whether it launches automatically at login.

Shortcuts

Built-in shortcuts cover common actions. You can also record a custom global shortcut for Clear, which works even when PLVS isn't focused.

Themes

Light and Dark ship built in, and PLVS follows your system theme by default. The theme editor lets you build and save a custom theme, including the spectrogram colormap.

Configuration Export/Import

Export your current settings and workspace layout to a file, import a previously exported file to restore them, or reset everything back to defaults. This exports app configuration, not audio measurement data.

FAQ & Known Limitations

What PLVS intentionally does not do, and why.

Does PLVS process or change my audio?

No. PLVS is read-only monitoring — it never adds effects, EQ, or rerouting, and it never changes what you hear.

Can I export the metered data, like CSV or screenshots?

Not yet. Configuration (settings and layout) can be exported and imported, but exporting measurement data itself isn't implemented yet.

Is there a Linux build?

No, and there's no near-term plan for one.

Is PLVS available as a plugin (VST/AU/AAX)?

No. PLVS is a standalone desktop app only.

Why does my OS warn me when I first open PLVS?

PLVS builds aren't code-signed (Windows) or notarized (macOS) yet, so SmartScreen and Gatekeeper show their standard first-run warnings. See Getting Started for how to get past them.

Does PLVS send my audio anywhere?

No. All audio and metering data stays on your device, and there's no default telemetry.