APU Software APU Loudness Leveler 5.7.1

APU Loudness Leveler is a real-time volume leveler and gain rider developed by APU Software, part of a broader family of loudness-focused plugins that also includes APU Loudness Compressor, Limiter, Meter, and Contour. Rather than requiring manual fader riding or complex compressor chains, the Leveler is built to be a "set it and forget it" tool: users set a target loudness and a tolerance range, and the plugin continuously applies gain correction to keep dialog, vocals, podcasts, streams, or other program material hovering around that level. What distinguishes the Leveler within APU Software's loudness lineup is its depth of control over how and when correction happens. Configurable timing modes range from a very fast 25ms "Tight" window for close, responsive riding of short notes, to slower short-term correction and a traditional RMS mode for steadier program material. Dual target zones let users define a primary operating range alongside a secondary loudness and tolerance zone that can take over or blend in during sidechain-triggered or low-level moments, while learnable gain correction can analyze the average or integrated loudness of a full render and apply a locked compensation offset automatically. APU Loudness Leveler 5.7.1 requires macOS 10.14 or later on Intel (x64) or Apple Silicon (ARM) Macs, with OpenGL 3.2 needed for its interface. It's available as a standalone application and as a VST, AU, or AAX (Pro Tools 11+) plugin. Version 5.7.1 is a focused maintenance update improving the plugin's raster shader rendering, fixing trimmed popup menu text, and correcting some presets that weren't using the correct raster type.

Set your target loudness and tolerance range in the main Leveling tab to define the Leveler's normal operating zone. Choose a timing mode — Tight, Focus, a slower short-term mode, or RMS — based on how responsive you want the correction to be. Enable guard modes and adjust the detector EQ if you need to fine-tune how the Leveler reacts to specific frequency content. Set up a secondary target and sidechain trigger mode if your material needs different handling during specific sections or triggered events. Use the built-in limiter to catch any peaks that exceed your desired ceiling after leveling is applied. Run a representative pass through your material and use the Learn function to calculate an average or integrated gain correction, then Lock it in place. Adjust channel-link settings depending on whether your source is mono, stereo, or a linked multichannel signal, and fine-tune until the output sits consistently within your target range.