Dorrough Surround

Waves' Dorrough Surround plugin brings hardware-grade metering precision to surround sound production, addressing a genuine technical need that software-only solutions have historically underserved. Built in collaboration with Dorrough Electronics, the plugin models the analog ballistics and response characteristics of professional hardware meters with accuracy that justifies its use as a monitoring reference rather than merely a visual aid.

The core strength lies in its simultaneous display of average and peak levels across 5.0 and 5.1 configurations, eliminating the guesswork inherent in mixing surround content where channel relationships become critical to maintaining coherence and preventing distortion. The plugin's instant peak response combined with ballistic averaging gives you an honest picture of what's actually happening in each channel, while the "Overs" indicator catches the brief transients that can wreak havoc on broadcast or theatrical delivery.

Support for DTS, ITU/SMPTE, and Film/Dolby Digital standards ensures compliance with delivery specifications from the outset rather than discovering problems during mastering or final QC. The inclusion of Sum/Difference, phase correlation, and stereo collapse modes adds diagnostic depth, allowing engineers to verify stereo compatibility and identify phase issues that compromise translation to various playback systems.

This tool belongs in any serious surround production workflow, particularly for film, television, and immersive music work where specification adherence is non-negotiable. While not essential for every mix, the Dorrough's metering accuracy provides confidence that your surround mix will translate reliably across playback environments and meet technical delivery requirements without surprises.