Perception AB 1.5

VICTORIA, BC: September 18, 2026 - MeterPlugs, developers of audio metering and analysis tools, today announced the release of Perception AB 1.5, which extends the plugin's level-matched A/B comparison to immersive channel layouts, up to 7.1.4, with support for Dolby Atmos workflows.

Louder almost always sounds better. When a compressor, EQ or limiter raises the output level, the ear reads the increase as an improvement — and the only way to know whether processing genuinely helps is to compare at matched loudness. Perception AB bypasses any processing chain with loudness automatically compensated, so engineers hear the tonal and dynamic changes rather than the volume difference.

Until now that has been a stereo discipline. Version 1.5 carries the same comparison into immersive work, with channel layouts from mono and stereo through 7.1.4 and support for Dolby Atmos workflows, including in Pro Tools, WaveLab and Logic.

An Atmos session is more than its bed, and Perception AB sits on the object tracks as readily as on the bed. The new Link control drives a whole session's worth of instances from whichever plugin window is open — switching between pre and post, matching levels and syncing across all of them at once — while Auto Match Level keeps them matched as the mix moves, so engineers are never re-matching object after object by hand.

"Perception is one of those most useful things, a plug-in that doesn't make your music sound better, instead it makes you listen — helping you to make better choices with the plug-ins you already have. I've been using it in stereo for years now, and I'm excited to be able to use it on Atmos projects going forward," says Mike Hillier of Metropolis Mastering, whose credits include RAYE, Chase & Status and Oasis.

The 1.5 feature set was developed in close collaboration with Gavin McGrath of Zvuk Mastering, whose immersive mastering work shaped how the plugin handles multichannel layouts and fits into an Atmos session.

Ian Shepherd and Gavin McGrath on Atmos mastering with Perception AB

"Perception AB is invaluable for judging the results of your processing choices — it's practical and easy to use for level-matching complex processing chains in both mixing and mastering projects. Highly recommended!" says Emre Ramazanoglu, MPG Dolby Atmos Mixer of the Year 2025, whose immersive credits include David Bowie, Brian Eno and Jon Hopkins.

• Immersive Support - Level-matched A/B comparison across channel layouts from mono and stereo up to 7.1.4.
• Built for Atmos Workflows - Optimized for Dolby Atmos sessions, including in Pro Tools, WaveLab and Logic, on the bed and across object tracks alike.
• Auto Match Level - Levels can be matched automatically as you work, rather than on demand.
• Pair All - Pair every pre and post instance in a session in a single action.
• Link - Control every instance in the session — pre/post, match level, sync and more — from a single plugin window.
• Hotkeys for Bypassing FX - Bypass processing from the keyboard, without reaching for the plugin window.
• Max Sync Time - Set an upper bound on how long Perception AB will spend synchronising.

Perception AB 1.5 is available now from the MeterPlugs website. The update is free for existing Perception AB owners.

For new users, Perception AB is available at 30% off until October 2. The regular price is $149 USD. Owners of the original Perception are eligible for an upgrade discount by clicking "click here to upgrade" on the Perception AB product page. A 60-day money-back guarantee is offered for all purchases.

Metering and analysis is all MeterPlugs does. No hardware, no effects. Founded in 2009 and based in Victoria, Canada, MeterPlugs builds Loudness Penalty, Dynameter, Perception AB, K-Meter, and LCAST, along with the free web tools LoudnessPenalty.com and DeliveryQC.com. The measurements are objective. The creative decisions belong to the engineer.

Ian Kerr
MeterPlugs
ikerr@meterplugs.com