The starting point
Provide practical audio-plugin tools for loudness, stereo, and spectrum inspection; reference-track tonal matching; and a prototype mastering chain, helping engineers assess and shape mixes inside a DAW.
This is the public-source Nexus family case study and only uses evidence from fvckfac3/N3XU5Plugins. It covers the observed Meter → Match → Master scaffold family. A related private Nexus Match repository is represented separately as a private draft and is not used as public evidence. All listed service opportunities are proposals, not shipped functionality.
What’s implemented
- Nexus Meter pass-through loudness analysis UI with momentary/short-term/integrated LUFS, true-peak estimate, L/R correlation, log spectrum, parameter state, and XML state save/restore
- Nexus Match background reference loading, whole-file windowed FFT, 24 log-spaced mean-normalized bands, live analysis, difference-curve match amount, 24 serial peaking IIR filters, and live/reference display
- Nexus Master mono/stereo input/output metering, three-band LR4 multiband compressor, limiter, bypass, crossover controls, gain-reduction displays, correlation, and spectrum UI
Technical approach & boundaries
Technology
- C++17
- JUCE 7.0.12 via CMake FetchContent
- JUCE audio_processors/audio_utils/audio_formats/dsp
- VST3, AU, and Standalone targets configured in bundled CMake projects
- FFT/custom JUCE UI
- LUFS, true-peak estimate, stereo correlation, 24-band IIR matching EQ, LR4 crossover, multiband compression, JUCE limiter
Limitations & readiness
- Public portfolio prototype/starter-scaffold. Compilation/runtime behavior was not independently verified; there are no committed binaries, tests, CI, release evidence, clients, deployment, or quantified outcomes.
- Meter: relative gating is not implemented, surround weighting is simplified, true peak is approximate, and reference-meter validation remains
- Match: coefficient updates are not strictly audio-thread-safe, resolution is fixed at 24 bands, transients can affect average matching, analysis is mono-summed, and MP3 needs testing
- Master: no parameter smoothing, no true lookahead/delay-compensated brickwall limiter, approximate GR meters, internal-only crossover clamp, and channel-0-only GR estimate
- Manufacturer/plugin codes use placeholders; no license-key or copy-protection flow
- No root README, manifest, tests, CI, release binaries, license, or host/OS compatibility matrix; dependencies fetch from the network at configure time
Inside the idea.
Public project notes and a separate visual interpretation.
StatusprototypeCategoryaudio
Stack
- C++17
- JUCE 7.0.12 via CMake FetchContent
- JUCE audio_processors/audio_utils/audio_formats/dsp
- VST3, AU, and Standalone targets configured in bundled CMake projects
- FFT/custom JUCE UI
- LUFS, true-peak estimate, stereo correlation, 24-band IIR matching EQ, LR4 crossover, multiband compression, JUCE limiter
Implemented notes
- Nexus Meter pass-through loudness analysis UI with momentary/short-term/integrated LUFS, true-peak estimate, L/R correlation, log spectrum, parameter state, and XML state save/restore
- Nexus Match background reference loading, whole-file windowed FFT, 24 log-spaced mean-normalized bands, live analysis, difference-curve match amount, 24 serial peaking IIR filters, and live/reference display
- Nexus Master mono/stereo input/output metering, three-band LR4 multiband compressor, limiter, bypass, crossover controls, gain-reduction displays, correlation, and spectrum UI
Repository links
Conceptual provenance. The alternate view is an original portfolio diagram based only on this public project record. It is not a product screenshot, live data, or a claim about a shipped interface.
BEYOND THE ORIGINAL PROJECT
What this could become for you.
These are proposed client adaptations—not claims that they have already been delivered.
Potential engagements & deliverables
- branded loudness QA plugin with JUCE VST3/AU/Standalone build, BS.1770/reference-meter comparison, host test matrix, and install guide
- reference-matching workflow with analyzer, live-vs-reference UI, configurable match amount, test corpus, and engineer handoff
- mastering-chain proof of concept with multiband processing, smoothed automation, lookahead limiter design, before/after sessions, and limitation documentation
- audio-plugin engineering hardening with lock-free updates, cross-platform CMake packaging, CI, signing/installers, state-compatibility tests, and release notes
- DSP/UI consulting with reusable meter components, host-compatibility checklist, and visual calibration/interaction review
Related work
- Observable public Nexus family: Meter → Match → Master, sharing JUCE scaffolding, metering components, and a mastering-oriented roadmap.
- No AppArchitect overlap observed.