diff --git a/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Audio.cs b/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Audio.cs
index ba347a4..412c427 100644
--- a/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Audio.cs
+++ b/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Audio.cs
@@ -13,6 +13,49 @@ namespace ytLive.ViewModels;
 
 public partial class MainViewModel
 {
+    private readonly DispatcherTimer _meterTimer;
+    private int _traxSilentTicks;
+    private bool _traxSilenceLogged;
+
+    /// <summary>The dock's heartbeat: every meter readout is refreshed here, 20 times a second,
+    /// from whatever the audio threads last measured.</summary>
+    private void TickMeters()
+    {
+        OnPropertyChanged(nameof(MicMeterFraction));
+        OnPropertyChanged(nameof(MeterFillWidth));
+        OnPropertyChanged(nameof(MeterBrush));
+        OnPropertyChanged(nameof(GameMeterFraction));
+        OnPropertyChanged(nameof(GameMeterFillWidth));
+        OnPropertyChanged(nameof(GameMeterBrush));
+        OnPropertyChanged(nameof(TraxMeterFraction));
+        RaiseMasterReadouts();
+        UpdateDuckState();
+        CheckTraxSilence();
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>One honest diagnostic: "playing" with a flat player meter means the samples never
+    /// reached the device (or the metering was not attached). Logged once per playback, so the next
+    /// run says which side is broken instead of another round of guessing.</summary>
+    private void CheckTraxSilence()
+    {
+        if (!IsMusicPlaying)
+        {
+            _traxSilentTicks = 0;
+            _traxSilenceLogged = false;
+            return;
+        }
+        if (_musicPlayer.Level > 0f)
+        {
+            _traxSilentTicks = 0;
+            _traxSilenceLogged = false;
+            return;
+        }
+        if (++_traxSilentTicks < 40 || _traxSilenceLogged) return;   // 2s at 20 Hz
+        _traxSilenceLogged = true;
+        AppLog.Write("TRAX: playing but the player meter reads 0 — the output device is silent or " +
+                     "the metering stream is not attached (the dock's ladder has nothing to show)");
+    }
+
     private readonly DispatcherTimer _volumeFlashTimer;
     private readonly DispatcherTimer _gameVolumeFlashTimer;
     private double _audioLevel;
diff --git a/ViewModels/MainViewModel.cs b/ViewModels/MainViewModel.cs
index 86b3303..3ed8928 100644
--- a/ViewModels/MainViewModel.cs
+++ b/ViewModels/MainViewModel.cs
@@ -178,6 +178,13 @@ public partial class MainViewModel : ViewModelBase
         _gameVolumeFlashTimer.Tick += (_, _) => EndGameVolumeFlash();
 
         _saveDebounce = new DispatcherTimer { Interval = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(1500) };
+
+        // Dock meters beat on their own 20 Hz clock instead of riding the mic's level callback.
+        // Coupling them to capture was a bug: with a silent or absent mic the ladder never
+        // refreshed, so a playing TRAX showed nothing (creator, 2026-10-30).
+        _meterTimer = new DispatcherTimer { Interval = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(50) };
+        _meterTimer.Tick += (_, _) => TickMeters();
+        _meterTimer.Start();
         _saveDebounce.Tick += (_, _) => SaveLayoutNow();
 
         _brandFlash = new BrandFlashPresenter();