glossary
Peak meters show the tallest moments. RMS meters show average energy. Neither one tells the whole loudness story alone.
Peak meters show the highest instantaneous level, usually in dBFS. They are essential for avoiding overload, setting headroom, and checking limiter behavior.
A transient-heavy drum loop can show high peaks while still feeling quieter than a dense synth pad with lower peaks.
RMS level represents average signal power over time. It often tracks density better than peak level, but it still does not model human loudness as directly as LUFS.
The gap between peak and average level is closely related to crest factor, which helps describe punch and dynamic shape.
Use peak and true peak for ceiling safety. Use RMS and LUFS to understand density and perceived level. Use references to decide whether the result fits the genre.
Meter Core combines these contexts so loudness decisions are not made from one isolated number.