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ADPTR AUDIO

Metric AB

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.

  • Precision A/B referencing

    Instantly compare your mix to unlimited references with level-matched playback and seamless switching.

  • Match tone and loudness

    Align EQ balance and perceived level in seconds so you can judge your mix fairly and make confident decisions.

  • See what you hear

    Deep metering, stereo analysis, and spectrum tools reveal exactly how your mix truly stacks up.

The ultimate mix referencing workflow

Metric AB is designed to make professional reference mix checking fast, accurate, and frictionless. Load multiple reference tracks and switch between them and your mix instantly, with smart level matching to remove loudness bias and keep comparisons accurate.

No more importing tracks into your DAW session or constant fiddling with your monitoring chain. Metric AB keeps your references organized and accessible, so you can focus on the data and decisions that actually improve your mix.

Instant loudness matching and playback options

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.

Sync reference track playback with your DAW. Set cue markers to play references at the beginning of different song sections, and choose between Latch, Cue, Sync, and Manual playback modes to change playback behavior to suit your workflow.

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Advanced metering and visual insights

Metric AB combines a powerful suite of metering and analysis tools into one clear interface. Switch between Spectrum, Stereo Image, Correlation, Dynamics, and Loudness (LUFS) views to show precisely how your track behaves compared to your references.

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.

Built for modern mixing and mastering

Beyond the mastering meters, Metric AB’s filter bank supports using your ears to determine whether or not you need to make changes to your mix, allowing you to solo different frequency ranges and audition your audio with precision.

All major audio formats are supported (WAV, AIFF, FLAC, M4A and MP3), and the latest version of the plugin includes optimizations for current Apple M-series chips, an enhanced and resizable GUI, multiple language/character support for track titling, and a raft of other tweaks and user-requested improvements.

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)

Sound Examples

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Product Information

Specifications
Supported Plugin Formats

AAX Native, AU, VST2, VST3

Supported Operating Systems

macOS 26 down to macOS 13
Windows 11 down to Windows 10

Mac

Intel, or Apple Silicon

PC

x64-compatible CPU

System Requirements

Display resolution: 1440 × 900px or 1280 × 960px or higher
Memory: 2 GB RAM

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.

Metric AB Installers

Installation Manager

Manuals

Changelog

Metric AB Changelog

ADPTR Metric AB - Changelog

Version 1.5.0 (Jul 10, 2026)

Feature Enhancements

- Added Custom Views on Analysis pages : Single / Dual / Layered

- Added Toggle Filter on Analysis Graph : Click to hear Filter Range, drag and scroll to edit range

- Added Sync Mode : Global Start Offset - Set Start offset for all tracks in Global mode

- Added LUFS On Meters on Output Meter and Compact UI

- Added Ram Playback - for seamless looping of sections

Workflow Refinements

- Keep Current settings when swapping Track in Player (playback mode / cue and loop etc)

- LUFS Target on Meters - Better Visibility

- Hotspot on Track Slot Menu - Easier clicking

- Improved graphics drawing - Windows Direct 2d and Mac Core graphics

- Bar Graph Displays remain in fixed position when toggling streams

- Additional Filter Save Settings added to Filter menu

- Seamless looping for Reference tracks

- Improved Sync Mode Reference track Position when jumping on timeline

- Increased Resolution when Zooming on Waveform

Bug Fixes

- Fixed: Logic Screen sets - No more Black Bar when switching screens

- Fixed: Saved Preset Name is displayed as ‘Default’ when recalling a session

- Fixed: Save As displays current Saved Name in OS

- Fixed: Logic Crash when saving session

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

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