From f8e4f2cf2975217c6bdf521329401ce257d41a8d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: gramps <gramps@llamachile.shop>
Date: Sun, 1 Nov 2026 13:48:28 -0800
Subject: [PATCH] ui(audio): master meter centred and biggest; TRAX gets its
 own bay and meter
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

Creator rulings, 2026-11-01.

- Master strip is 44px (from 36) and its meter is now the largest on screen: 420x14 with 32
  segments, centred under the preview, with a 12px MASTER label — bigger than the 9px bay
  labels. L/R imbalance is a flag on the left, MONO and the session clock on the right.
- The kbps / fps / dropped counters are gone from that line: the live readouts already sit
  above the preview, and the duplicate was noise rather than telemetry.
- TRAX is its own bay (MIC | GAME | TRAX | LIP-SYNC) with its own meter bound to
  TraxMeterFraction. It lived inside the game bay with no ladder, which meant whether the bed
  was actually playing could not be answered from the dock — and the player already measures
  its own output.
- Lip-sync is narrow (0.45 star) since it is one slider and three presets; the three sound bays
  are equal width, so their meters keep the same relative size.

AudioDockLayout moves with it (156 = 112 + 44; collapsed 44) and the layout test is updated.
TraxBayTests now asserts the opposite of the old ruling: the bay HAS a meter, and the game bay
no longer carries it.
---
 Controls/AudioDock.xaml              | 195 ++++++++++++++-------------
 Models/AudioDockLayout.cs            |   7 +-
 docs/ai/ui-surface.md                |   2 +-
 ytLive.Tests/AudioDockLayoutTests.cs |   4 +-
 ytLive.Tests/TraxBayTests.cs         |  26 ++--
 5 files changed, 128 insertions(+), 106 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Controls/AudioDock.xaml b/Controls/AudioDock.xaml
index 41c4a37..775ced8 100644
--- a/Controls/AudioDock.xaml
+++ b/Controls/AudioDock.xaml
@@ -10,16 +10,19 @@
             <Grid.RowDefinitions>
                 <!-- Master FIRST: during a live session attention is on the preview, so the
                      master strip sits against it and the bays hang below (creator, 2026-10-30). -->
-                <RowDefinition Height="36"/>
+                <RowDefinition Height="44"/>
                 <RowDefinition Height="*"/>
             </Grid.RowDefinitions>
 
-            <!-- Four bays: MIC | GAME | TRAX | SYNC. Filled in by the bay units. -->
+            <!-- Four bays (creator ruling 2026-11-01): MIC | GAME | TRAX | LIP-SYNC. The three
+                 sound bays share equal width so their meters stay the same relative size; lip-sync
+                 is narrow because its function is one slider and three presets. -->
             <Grid x:Name="Bays" Grid.Row="1" Margin="8,4,8,6">
                 <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                     <ColumnDefinition Width="*"/>
-                    <ColumnDefinition Width="1.4*"/>
                     <ColumnDefinition Width="*"/>
+                    <ColumnDefinition Width="*"/>
+                    <ColumnDefinition Width="0.45*"/>
                 </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
 
                 <!-- MIC -->
@@ -66,7 +69,6 @@
                             <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
                             <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
                             <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
-                            <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
                         </Grid.RowDefinitions>
                         <Grid Grid.Row="0">
                             <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
@@ -106,59 +108,72 @@
                                     Value="{Binding GameVolumeDb, Mode=TwoWay}" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
                         </DockPanel>
 
-                        <!-- TRAX: background music — one number, two buttons. No meter: it is
-                             background, and the desktop ladder already carries it. -->
-                        <Border Grid.Row="3" Margin="0,4,0,0" Padding="6,3" CornerRadius="{StaticResource Radius.Sm}"
-                                Background="{StaticResource Brush.SurfaceContainerLowest}">
-                            <Grid>
-                                <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
-                                    <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto"/>
-                                    <ColumnDefinition Width="*"/>
-                                    <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto"/>
-                                    <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto"/>
-                                </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
-                                <TextBlock Text="TRAX" FontSize="9" FontWeight="Bold" VerticalAlignment="Center"
-                                           Foreground="{StaticResource Brush.OnSurfaceVariant}"/>
-                                <TextBlock Grid.Column="1" Margin="6,0,0,0" FontSize="10" VerticalAlignment="Center"
-                                           TextTrimming="CharacterEllipsis" Foreground="{StaticResource Brush.OnSurface}"
-                                           Text="{Binding TraxTrackLabel}" Cursor="Hand"
-                                           MouseLeftButtonUp="TraxLabel_MouseLeftButtonUp"
-                                           MouseRightButtonUp="TraxLabel_MouseRightButtonUp"/>
-                                <Button Grid.Column="2" Width="20" Height="16" Margin="4,0,0,0" Padding="0"
-                                        Style="{StaticResource YtButtonSecondary}" Click="TraxPlayPause_Click"
-                                        ToolTip="{Binding TraxToolTip}">
-                                    <TextBlock FontSize="9" Foreground="{StaticResource Brush.OnSurface}">
-                                        <TextBlock.Style>
-                                            <Style TargetType="TextBlock">
-                                                <Setter Property="Text" Value="▶"/>
-                                                <Style.Triggers>
-                                                    <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding IsMusicPlaying}" Value="True">
-                                                        <Setter Property="Text" Value="❚❚"/>
-                                                    </DataTrigger>
-                                                </Style.Triggers>
-                                            </Style>
-                                        </TextBlock.Style>
-                                    </TextBlock>
-                                </Button>
-                                <StackPanel Grid.Column="3" Orientation="Horizontal" Margin="6,0,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Center">
-                                    <Button Content="−" Width="18" Height="16" Padding="0" FontSize="11"
-                                            Style="{StaticResource YtButtonSecondary}" Click="TraxStepDown_Click"
-                                            IsEnabled="{Binding CanLowerTrax}" ToolTip="5 dB quieter"/>
-                                    <TextBlock Width="52" TextAlignment="Center" FontSize="10" VerticalAlignment="Center"
-                                               FontFamily="{StaticResource FontFamily.Mono}"
-                                               Foreground="{StaticResource Brush.Tertiary}"
-                                               Text="{Binding TraxVolumeDbLabel}"/>
-                                    <Button Content="+" Width="18" Height="16" Padding="0" FontSize="11"
-                                            Style="{StaticResource YtButtonSecondary}" Click="TraxStepUp_Click"
-                                            IsEnabled="{Binding CanRaiseTrax}" ToolTip="5 dB louder"/>
-                                </StackPanel>
-                            </Grid>
-                        </Border>
                     </Grid>
                 </Border>
 
-                <!-- LIP-SYNC -->
-                <Border Grid.Column="2" Background="{StaticResource Brush.SurfaceContainerLow}" CornerRadius="{StaticResource Radius.Sm}" Margin="4,0,0,0" Padding="10,6">
+                <!-- TRAX: its own bay and its own meter now (creator ruling 2026-11-01). It used to
+                     be a strip inside the game bay because the desktop ladder "already carried it";
+                     that hid whether the music was actually playing. -->
+                <Border Grid.Column="2" Background="{StaticResource Brush.SurfaceContainerLow}" CornerRadius="{StaticResource Radius.Sm}" Margin="4,0" Padding="10,6">
+                    <Grid>
+                        <Grid.RowDefinitions>
+                            <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
+                            <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
+                            <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
+                        </Grid.RowDefinitions>
+                        <Grid Grid.Row="0">
+                            <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
+                                <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto"/>
+                                <ColumnDefinition Width="*"/>
+                            </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
+                            <Border Background="{StaticResource Brush.SurfaceContainerHighest}" CornerRadius="{StaticResource Radius.Sm}" Padding="5,1">
+                                <TextBlock Text="TRAX" FontSize="9" FontWeight="Bold" Foreground="{StaticResource Brush.OnSurfaceVariant}"/>
+                            </Border>
+                            <TextBlock Grid.Column="1" Margin="6,0,0,0" FontSize="11" VerticalAlignment="Center"
+                                       TextTrimming="CharacterEllipsis" Foreground="{StaticResource Brush.OnSurfaceVariant}"
+                                       Text="{Binding TraxTrackLabel}" Cursor="Hand"
+                                       MouseLeftButtonUp="TraxLabel_MouseLeftButtonUp"
+                                       MouseRightButtonUp="TraxLabel_MouseRightButtonUp"/>
+                        </Grid>
+
+                        <controls:SegmentMeter Grid.Row="1" Height="10" Margin="0,6,0,4" Orientation="Horizontal"
+                                               Level="{Binding TraxMeterFraction}" Segments="24"/>
+
+                        <DockPanel Grid.Row="2" VerticalAlignment="Center">
+                            <Button DockPanel.Dock="Left" Width="24" Height="20" Margin="0,0,6,0" Padding="0"
+                                    Style="{StaticResource YtButtonSecondary}" Click="TraxPlayPause_Click"
+                                    ToolTip="{Binding TraxToolTip}">
+                                <TextBlock FontSize="9" Foreground="{StaticResource Brush.OnSurface}">
+                                    <TextBlock.Style>
+                                        <Style TargetType="TextBlock">
+                                            <Setter Property="Text" Value="▶"/>
+                                            <Style.Triggers>
+                                                <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding IsMusicPlaying}" Value="True">
+                                                    <Setter Property="Text" Value="❚❚"/>
+                                                </DataTrigger>
+                                            </Style.Triggers>
+                                        </Style>
+                                    </TextBlock.Style>
+                                </TextBlock>
+                            </Button>
+                            <StackPanel DockPanel.Dock="Right" Orientation="Horizontal" VerticalAlignment="Center">
+                                <Button Content="−" Width="18" Height="16" Padding="0" FontSize="11"
+                                        Style="{StaticResource YtButtonSecondary}" Click="TraxStepDown_Click"
+                                        IsEnabled="{Binding CanLowerTrax}" ToolTip="5 dB quieter"/>
+                                <TextBlock Width="52" TextAlignment="Center" FontSize="10" VerticalAlignment="Center"
+                                           FontFamily="{StaticResource FontFamily.Mono}"
+                                           Foreground="{StaticResource Brush.OnSurfaceVariant}"
+                                           Text="{Binding TraxVolumeDbLabel}"/>
+                                <Button Content="+" Width="18" Height="16" Padding="0" FontSize="11"
+                                        Style="{StaticResource YtButtonSecondary}" Click="TraxStepUp_Click"
+                                        IsEnabled="{Binding CanRaiseTrax}" ToolTip="5 dB louder"/>
+                            </StackPanel>
+                        </DockPanel>
+                    </Grid>
+                </Border>
+
+                <!-- LIP-SYNC (narrow: one slider, three presets) -->
+                <Border Grid.Column="3" Background="{StaticResource Brush.SurfaceContainerLow}" CornerRadius="{StaticResource Radius.Sm}" Margin="4,0,0,0" Padding="10,6">
                     <Grid>
                         <Grid.RowDefinitions>
                             <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
@@ -193,23 +208,20 @@
                 </Border>
             </Grid>
 
-            <!-- Master strip: always visible, even collapsed — it is the telemetry line. -->
+            <!-- Master strip: always visible, even collapsed. Rebuilt 2026-11-01 — the meter is
+                 CENTRED under the preview and is the biggest one on screen; MASTER's own label is
+                 larger than the bay labels. The kbps / fps / dropped counters that used to end this
+                 line are gone: the live readouts already sit above the preview. -->
             <Border x:Name="MasterStrip" Grid.Row="0" Background="{StaticResource Brush.SurfaceContainerLowest}" Padding="12,0">
-                <DockPanel VerticalAlignment="Center">
-                    <TextBlock DockPanel.Dock="Left" Text="MASTER" FontSize="10" FontWeight="SemiBold"
-                               Foreground="{StaticResource Brush.OnSurfaceVariant}" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
+                <Grid>
+                    <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
+                        <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto"/>
+                        <ColumnDefinition Width="*"/>
+                        <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto"/>
+                    </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
 
-                    <!-- One ladder for the mix, plus the imbalance flag: two ladders would cost the
-                         width that the telemetry needs, and the flag is the case that matters. -->
-                    <controls:SegmentMeter DockPanel.Dock="Left" Width="120" Height="8" Margin="10,0,0,0"
-                                           Orientation="Horizontal" Segments="24"
-                                           Level="{Binding MasterMeterFraction}" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
-                    <TextBlock DockPanel.Dock="Left" Width="62" Margin="6,0,0,0" FontSize="10"
-                               FontFamily="{StaticResource FontFamily.Mono}" VerticalAlignment="Center"
-                               Foreground="{StaticResource Brush.OnSurfaceVariant}"
-                               Text="{Binding MasterLevelLabel}"/>
-
-                    <Border DockPanel.Dock="Left" Margin="6,0,0,0" Padding="5,1" VerticalAlignment="Center"
+                    <!-- Left: the imbalance flag, the one case that silently ruins a mix. -->
+                    <Border Grid.Column="0" Margin="0,0,8,0" Padding="5,1" VerticalAlignment="Center"
                             CornerRadius="{StaticResource Radius.Sm}" Background="{StaticResource Brush.SurfaceContainerHigh}"
                             Visibility="{Binding MasterImbalance, Converter={StaticResource BoolToVis}}"
                             ToolTip="Left and right differ by more than 6 dB — one side may be inaudible.">
@@ -217,32 +229,33 @@
                                    Foreground="{StaticResource Brush.Attention}"/>
                     </Border>
 
-                    <!-- MONO: the accessibility switch, one click, remembered. -->
-                    <ToggleButton DockPanel.Dock="Left" Margin="10,0,0,0" Height="20" Padding="8,0"
-                                  Style="{StaticResource SegmentToggle}" IsChecked="{Binding MonoOutput, Mode=TwoWay}"
-                                  ToolTip="Fold the output to mono — both ears hear everything">
-                        <TextBlock Text="MONO" FontSize="10" FontWeight="Bold"
-                                   Foreground="{Binding Foreground, RelativeSource={RelativeSource AncestorType=ToggleButton}}"/>
-                    </ToggleButton>
+                    <!-- Centre: MASTER + the long meter + its reading. -->
+                    <StackPanel Grid.Column="1" Orientation="Horizontal" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center">
+                        <TextBlock Text="MASTER" FontSize="12" FontWeight="Bold" VerticalAlignment="Center"
+                                   Foreground="{StaticResource Brush.OnSurface}"/>
+                        <controls:SegmentMeter Width="420" Height="14" Margin="12,0,0,0"
+                                               Orientation="Horizontal" Segments="32"
+                                               Level="{Binding MasterMeterFraction}" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
+                        <TextBlock Width="72" Margin="10,0,0,0" FontSize="12"
+                                   FontFamily="{StaticResource FontFamily.Mono}" VerticalAlignment="Center"
+                                   Foreground="{StaticResource Brush.OnSurface}"
+                                   Text="{Binding MasterLevelLabel}"/>
+                    </StackPanel>
 
-                    <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" HorizontalAlignment="Right" VerticalAlignment="Center">
-                        <TextBlock FontSize="10" FontFamily="{StaticResource FontFamily.Mono}" Margin="0,0,12,0"
-                                   Foreground="{StaticResource Brush.OnSurfaceVariant}">
-                            <Run Text="{Binding CurrentHealth.CurrentBitrate, StringFormat={}{0:0} kbps}"/>
-                        </TextBlock>
-                        <TextBlock FontSize="10" FontFamily="{StaticResource FontFamily.Mono}" Margin="0,0,12,0"
-                                   Foreground="{StaticResource Brush.OnSurfaceVariant}">
-                            <Run Text="{Binding CurrentHealth.FPS, StringFormat={}{0:0} fps}"/>
-                        </TextBlock>
-                        <TextBlock FontSize="10" FontFamily="{StaticResource FontFamily.Mono}" Margin="0,0,12,0"
-                                   Foreground="{StaticResource Brush.OnSurfaceVariant}">
-                            <Run Text="drop "/><Run Text="{Binding CurrentHealth.DroppedFrames}"/>
-                        </TextBlock>
-                        <TextBlock FontSize="10" FontFamily="{StaticResource FontFamily.Mono}"
+                    <!-- Right: MONO (accessibility, remembered) + the session clock. -->
+                    <StackPanel Grid.Column="2" Orientation="Horizontal" VerticalAlignment="Center">
+                        <ToggleButton Height="20" Padding="8,0"
+                                      Style="{StaticResource SegmentToggle}" IsChecked="{Binding MonoOutput, Mode=TwoWay}"
+                                      ToolTip="Fold the output to mono — both ears hear everything">
+                            <TextBlock Text="MONO" FontSize="10" FontWeight="Bold"
+                                       Foreground="{Binding Foreground, RelativeSource={RelativeSource AncestorType=ToggleButton}}"/>
+                        </ToggleButton>
+                        <TextBlock FontSize="11" FontFamily="{StaticResource FontFamily.Mono}" Margin="12,0,0,0"
+                                   VerticalAlignment="Center"
                                    Foreground="{StaticResource Brush.OnSurfaceVariant}"
                                    Text="{Binding CurrentHealth.StreamDuration, StringFormat={}{0:hh\:mm\:ss}}"/>
                     </StackPanel>
-                </DockPanel>
+                </Grid>
             </Border>
         </Grid>
     </Border>
diff --git a/Models/AudioDockLayout.cs b/Models/AudioDockLayout.cs
index 4c83a9f..993fce7 100644
--- a/Models/AudioDockLayout.cs
+++ b/Models/AudioDockLayout.cs
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ namespace ytLive.Models;
 /// telemetry strip when the window is short, because at 1366×768 a full dock leaves ~398px for the
 /// preview and the composition starts letterboxing into a postage stamp.</para>
 ///
+/// <para>2026-11-01: the master strip grew from 36 to 44 so its meter could be the biggest one on
+/// screen (centred under the preview), so both constants moved with it — 156 = 112 bays + 44.</para>
+///
 /// <para>Pure, so the switch is testable without a window.</para></summary>
 public static class AudioDockLayout
 {
@@ -15,8 +18,8 @@ public static class AudioDockLayout
 
     /// <summary>148 = 112 of bays + the 36px master strip. The mockup wanted 168; the creator
     /// read that as wasted space under a 154px scene strip, so the bays lost 20px of air.</summary>
-    public const double ExpandedHeight = 148;
-    public const double CollapsedHeight = 36;
+    public const double ExpandedHeight = 156;
+    public const double CollapsedHeight = 44;
 
     public static bool IsCollapsed(double windowHeight) => windowHeight < CollapseBelowHeight;
 
diff --git a/docs/ai/ui-surface.md b/docs/ai/ui-surface.md
index fc10065..ef19a04 100644
--- a/docs/ai/ui-surface.md
+++ b/docs/ai/ui-surface.md
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ Placement math itself is covered by `WindowPlacementTests` (pure function, no HW
 
 - `ViewModelBase.SetProperty<T>()` for property change notifications
 - `RelayCommand` for all button actions; commands gate on state (e.g. Start only when Offline). **Typed `CommandParameter`s — no stringly-typed command tokens:** menu items that pick a source type pass the enum value itself (`CommandParameter="{x:Static models:SourceType.DisplayCapture}"`), so a typo breaks the build instead of silently adding an Image; `AddSource` still falls back to `Enum.TryParse<SourceType>(..., true)` for safety. The webcam item is its own `AddWebcamCommand` (it greys out via `CanAddWebcamToActiveScene` and isn't a `SourceType` — webcams are `WebcamSceneConfig`, not `Source` rows)
-- **Audio is KISS by rule** — the whole of audio is *one knob*: **desktop/game audio is automatic** (WASAPI loopback from the default output at unity, zero UI — "it just is"); the **mic is the creator's only audio control** — sound meter + mute button + volume slider (`MicVolume`, defaults to 0.8) all sit together on the second line of the preview bottom row, BELOW the TRAX row, CENTERED beneath the preview panel. The TRAX button + Desktop Audio meter sit on the first line of that same row; Socials is on the preview rail. Meter: 288px, muted slate track (`#3a3b52`) with ruler graduations and muted yellow/red zone tints at 60%/80%; fill = green → yellow → red via `MeterFillWidth`/`MeterBrush`; the meter is a **READ-ONLY realtime level display** — it shows the live input level scaled by the volume (raising the volume moves ambient noise up the bar), NOT the volume setting: the fill is `Math.Min(1, AudioLevelMeter.ToDisplay(AudioLevel) * MicVolume)` — `ToDisplay` maps the raw linear RMS onto a −60..0 dBFS display scale, because real speech sits around −40..−20 dBFS (0.01..0.1 linear) which would leave a flat scale dead (`AudioLevel` is fed by the audio mixer once capture lands, 0 with no input) and 0 while muted. While the volume slider is being dragged the bar previews the slider position (`SetVolumeAdjusting`, from `PreviewMouseLeftButtonDown/Up` + `LostMouseCapture` handlers) so the creator sees where they're setting it; on release it returns to the live level — with no input it bounces back to 0, exactly as it does today. Clicking the meter does nothing; **clicking the MIC label opens the mic picker** (`OpenMicPickerCommand`), and the picked voice source name (`MicSourceName`) is shown left-justified INSIDE the meter bar (FontSize 10, ellipsized to the bar) — the fill runs at 75% opacity so the text and the ruler markings stay visible through it. Mute (`ToggleMicMuteCommand`/`MicMuted`) is a plain clickable speaker icon (`MicSpeaker_MouseLeftButtonUp` code-behind handler — not a Button, `Stretch="Uniform"` so the glyph is never clipped) that swaps to a red do-not-symbol (slashed speaker) when muted. **The slider and the speaker can never disagree:** `MicMuted` is read-only, derived from `MicVolume == 0` — sliding the volume off flips the speaker to muted (storing the prior level in `_volumeBeforeMute`), sliding it up from 0 clears the mute indicator (and the stored level); the speaker button just runs the volume to 0 or restores it (default 0.8 if unknown). Muting zeroes the meter; **unmuting flashes the meter to the restored position for ~300ms** (`BeginVolumeFlash`/`EndVolumeFlash` on a DispatcherTimer, cancelled if the slider is grabbed) before it returns to the live level. Line 2 of the footer holds everything else: stream stats (bitrate/fps/dropped/duration/health) on the left, quality dropdown + gear on the right. The slider is a slim dimensional style in `Themes/Controls.xaml` (gradient track, beveled green fill on a 5px pill, gloss-sphere thumb with drop shadow — deliberately NOT flat). No device pickers (never show device names — no "install a device you didn't know existed"), no filter stacks, no monitoring, no routing — OBS's confusion (dynamic mixer, unintuitive names, four required filters) is deliberately absent. A production-ready mic chain (high-pass → noise gate → compressor) will be applied invisibly in the mixer, unconfigurable. Capture runs only while live (privacy indicator stays off otherwise). Capture pipeline = `IAudioSource` seam + NAudio `WasapiCapture`/`WasapiLoopbackCapture` + `AudioMixer` (pending — the UI is in place now). **Mic mute icon (2026-08-13):** a second 16px clickable glyph — a microphone, red + slash when muted — sits **between the meter and the speaker** (both mutes adjacent, spacing between the icons) and reuses the same `MicSpeaker_MouseLeftButtonUp` → `ToggleMicMuteCommand` handler. **REC / ON-AIR pills + signs (TASK 18, 2026-08-29):** the top-center area is now two **sliding pill toggles** (intent) next to two **status signs** (reality). REC pill (`RecordPillOn`) is the local-recording intent — works signed-out; ON-AIR pill (`OnAirPillOn`) is the streaming intent — greyed/disabled until `IsConnected`. The **REC sign** (`RecDotBrush`/`RecTextBrush`/`RecDotOpacity`) is dark-gray + dim offline and **green-tinged, pulsing only while actually recording** (`IsRecording`), not merely pill-on. The **ON-AIR sign** (`OnAirBrush` = `#555` offline, `#22c55e` live) is green while actually streaming (`IsLive`); the `PRIVATE` badge (`IsLivePrivate`) still shows when the broadcast is private. Both sign labels share the `StatusSignText` style (`Themes/Controls.xaml`) so REC and ON-AIR can't drift apart — status color lives on the dot only, never the label. The elapsed timer shows while `IsLive || IsRecording`. The connected account's avatar/name shows in the top bar next to the primary button (`AccountAvatarUrl`/`AccountDisplayName` via `SyncConnectedAccount`), so the creator always sees WHICH account will go live.
+- **Audio is KISS by rule** — the whole of audio is *one knob*: **desktop/game audio is automatic** (WASAPI loopback from the default output at unity, zero UI — "it just is"); the **mic is the creator's only audio control** — sound meter + mute button + volume slider (`MicVolume`, defaults to 0.8) all sit together on the second line of the preview bottom row, BELOW the TRAX row, CENTERED beneath the preview panel. The TRAX button + Desktop Audio meter sit on the first line of that same row; Socials is on the preview rail. Meter: 288px, muted slate track (`#3a3b52`) with ruler graduations and muted yellow/red zone tints at 60%/80%; fill = green → yellow → red via `MeterFillWidth`/`MeterBrush`; the meter is a **READ-ONLY realtime level display** — it shows the live input level scaled by the volume (raising the volume moves ambient noise up the bar), NOT the volume setting: the fill is `Math.Min(1, AudioLevelMeter.ToDisplay(AudioLevel) * MicVolume)` — `ToDisplay` maps the raw linear RMS onto a −60..0 dBFS display scale, because real speech sits around −40..−20 dBFS (0.01..0.1 linear) which would leave a flat scale dead (`AudioLevel` is fed by the audio mixer once capture lands, 0 with no input) and 0 while muted. While the volume slider is being dragged the bar previews the slider position (`SetVolumeAdjusting`, from `PreviewMouseLeftButtonDown/Up` + `LostMouseCapture` handlers) so the creator sees where they're setting it; on release it returns to the live level — with no input it bounces back to 0, exactly as it does today. Clicking the meter does nothing; **clicking the MIC label opens the mic picker** (`OpenMicPickerCommand`), and the picked voice source name (`MicSourceName`) is shown left-justified INSIDE the meter bar (FontSize 10, ellipsized to the bar) — the fill runs at 75% opacity so the text and the ruler markings stay visible through it. Mute (`ToggleMicMuteCommand`/`MicMuted`) is a plain clickable speaker icon (`MicSpeaker_MouseLeftButtonUp` code-behind handler — not a Button, `Stretch="Uniform"` so the glyph is never clipped) that swaps to a red do-not-symbol (slashed speaker) when muted. **The slider and the speaker can never disagree:** `MicMuted` is read-only, derived from `MicVolume == 0` — sliding the volume off flips the speaker to muted (storing the prior level in `_volumeBeforeMute`), sliding it up from 0 clears the mute indicator (and the stored level); the speaker button just runs the volume to 0 or restores it (default 0.8 if unknown). Muting zeroes the meter; **unmuting flashes the meter to the restored position for ~300ms** (`BeginVolumeFlash`/`EndVolumeFlash` on a DispatcherTimer, cancelled if the slider is grabbed) before it returns to the live level. Line 2 of the footer holds everything else: stream stats (bitrate/fps/dropped/duration/health) on the left, quality dropdown + gear on the right. **Dock layout (2026-11-01):** four bays — MIC | GAME/PC | TRAX | LIP-SYNC — where the three sound bays share equal width so their meters stay the same relative size, and lip-sync is narrow (0.45*) because its function is one slider and three presets. TRAX is its own bay with its own meter (`TraxMeterFraction`), which it did not have while it lived inside the game bay. The master strip is 44px tall, its meter is the largest on screen (420×14, 32 segments) and is centred under the preview with a 12px MASTER label — bigger than the 9px bay labels. The kbps / fps / dropped counters were removed from that line: the same readouts already sit above the preview, and duplication on a telemetry strip is noise. The slider is a slim dimensional style in `Themes/Controls.xaml` (gradient track, beveled green fill on a 5px pill, gloss-sphere thumb with drop shadow — deliberately NOT flat). No device pickers (never show device names — no "install a device you didn't know existed"), no filter stacks, no monitoring, no routing — OBS's confusion (dynamic mixer, unintuitive names, four required filters) is deliberately absent. A production-ready mic chain (high-pass → noise gate → compressor) will be applied invisibly in the mixer, unconfigurable. Capture runs only while live (privacy indicator stays off otherwise). Capture pipeline = `IAudioSource` seam + NAudio `WasapiCapture`/`WasapiLoopbackCapture` + `AudioMixer` (pending — the UI is in place now). **Mic mute icon (2026-08-13):** a second 16px clickable glyph — a microphone, red + slash when muted — sits **between the meter and the speaker** (both mutes adjacent, spacing between the icons) and reuses the same `MicSpeaker_MouseLeftButtonUp` → `ToggleMicMuteCommand` handler. **REC / ON-AIR pills + signs (TASK 18, 2026-08-29):** the top-center area is now two **sliding pill toggles** (intent) next to two **status signs** (reality). REC pill (`RecordPillOn`) is the local-recording intent — works signed-out; ON-AIR pill (`OnAirPillOn`) is the streaming intent — greyed/disabled until `IsConnected`. The **REC sign** (`RecDotBrush`/`RecTextBrush`/`RecDotOpacity`) is dark-gray + dim offline and **green-tinged, pulsing only while actually recording** (`IsRecording`), not merely pill-on. The **ON-AIR sign** (`OnAirBrush` = `#555` offline, `#22c55e` live) is green while actually streaming (`IsLive`); the `PRIVATE` badge (`IsLivePrivate`) still shows when the broadcast is private. Both sign labels share the `StatusSignText` style (`Themes/Controls.xaml`) so REC and ON-AIR can't drift apart — status color lives on the dot only, never the label. The elapsed timer shows while `IsLive || IsRecording`. The connected account's avatar/name shows in the top bar next to the primary button (`AccountAvatarUrl`/`AccountDisplayName` via `SyncConnectedAccount`), so the creator always sees WHICH account will go live.
 - ViewModels are constructed in XAML (`<vm:MainViewModel/>` as DataContext)
 - **True decomposition beats partial-shuffling (2026-08-31, Commit G):** `MainViewModel` is a ~4100-line god-object split into 17 partials — but partials are a *myth of decomposition*: every partial shares the same class, same `SetProperty` state, same collaborators via `Scenes`/`StagedScene`/`IsLive`/`Source.VideoImageSource`, so an AI fetching one partial still reconstructs the whole class. The only thing that actually improves retrieval is a boundary where a feature **owns its own state + collaborators**. `Services/ChatOverlayLayer.cs` is the model (extracted from `MainViewModel.Chat.cs` 194→44): the layer owns the message buffer, `ChatBoxRenderer`, fade/mock timers, preview renders, and the live `RenderFrame`; the VM keeps only the binding surface (`ChatMessages` delegates to `_chatLayer.Messages` so XAML + LeftPanel `CollectionChanged` hold; the two computed gate props stay on the VM because their `OnPropertyChanged` is raised from VM setters). **`Services/AlertOverlayLayer.cs` (TASK 43, 2026-09-24) is a second true component built fresh on the same contract** — it owns the event queue, the 33ms playback ticker, the per-source preview renders and the live `RenderFrame`, with `Advance(double)` exposed as the deterministic test clock; the VM again keeps only the facade (`RenderAlertBox`, `UpdateAlertBoxPreview`, `CanAddAlerts`). Two COMPONENT layers, one facade partial. **Diagnostic — glue vs. component:** before extracting, count `OnPropertyChanged`/`SetProperty` touches (glue) and bound-property reads per partial. Zero/low-glue + a cohesive state blob (renderer/timers/buffer) = extract (chat). High glue over an already-extracted service (Audio, Webcam, Background, Scenes — `AudioMixer`/`CameraManager`/`ScreenCaptureManager`/`ChatBoxRenderer` already exist) = leave as VM glue; forcing it adds coupling, doesn't remove it. Don't manufacture seams to hit a line count — the line count is a guideline for context, not a design goal.
 - **SceneGraph component + baked-crust compositor (TASK 31):** `Services/SceneGraph.cs` owns the scene collection (`Scenes` — the ViewModel's `Scenes` property delegates to it) and the element mutation surface (`AddElement`/`InsertElement`/`RemoveElement`/`MoveElement`, each invalidating the bake cache) plus queries that were scattered LINQ (`GetBackground`/`GetWebcam`/`GetChatBoxes`/`GetSplitPoint`/`IsStatic`). Elements expose `ElementKind Kind` (`Static` = images/background art, `Dynamic` = webcam/live capture/chat/web). The **split point** is the index of the first dynamic element; `SceneGraph.GetBakedBase` bakes/caches all static layers below it (keyed by scene id + static element identities), and `SceneCompositor.BakeStaticBase`/`CompositeLayers`/the `Render(.., staticBase, split)` overload composite the dynamic/above-split layers per frame. `FramePump.RenderScene` uses the optimized path when a `SceneGraph` is wired in (falls back to full render without one). Invariant: dynamic-only pixel changes never invalidate; static layout/opacity/visibility/asset changes do (via `InvalidateBake` from the VM's element-property and background-heal paths). **Defensive deviation from the TASK 31 spec:** `ChatOverlayLayer` keeps taking `IEnumerable<Scene>` instead of depending on `GetChatBoxes()` — it is deliberately decoupled from the graph (its doc comment says "without owning the scene graph"); and the static background helpers (`EnsureBackground`/`NormalizeBackgrounds`) stay on the ViewModel because `BackgroundTests.cs` unit-tests `MainViewModel.EnsureBackground` directly. Queries + invalidation moved; helpers stayed.
diff --git a/ytLive.Tests/AudioDockLayoutTests.cs b/ytLive.Tests/AudioDockLayoutTests.cs
index 015dc11..e9e0f2b 100644
--- a/ytLive.Tests/AudioDockLayoutTests.cs
+++ b/ytLive.Tests/AudioDockLayoutTests.cs
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ public class AudioDockLayoutTests
         Assert.True(AudioDockLayout.IsCollapsed(AudioDockLayout.CollapseBelowHeight - 1));
 
         // The two heights are the design's numbers, not whatever looked fine.
-        Assert.Equal(148, AudioDockLayout.ExpandedHeight);   // 112 bays + 36 strip
-        Assert.Equal(36, AudioDockLayout.CollapsedHeight);
+        Assert.Equal(156, AudioDockLayout.ExpandedHeight);   // 112 bays + 44 master strip
+        Assert.Equal(44, AudioDockLayout.CollapsedHeight);
     }
 }
diff --git a/ytLive.Tests/TraxBayTests.cs b/ytLive.Tests/TraxBayTests.cs
index f5da2da..220c458 100644
--- a/ytLive.Tests/TraxBayTests.cs
+++ b/ytLive.Tests/TraxBayTests.cs
@@ -5,14 +5,15 @@ using ytLive.ViewModels;
 
 namespace ytLive.Tests;
 
-/// <summary>The TRAX bay shows the track, plays/pauses it, and carries a level — but no meter:
-/// nothing measures the bed, and a decorative ladder would be a lie. Its fader moves a gain the
-/// player actually applies, separate from the desktop-mute follow.
+/// <summary>The TRAX bay shows the track, plays/pauses it, and carries a level. It got its OWN bay
+/// and its own meter on 2026-11-01 (creator ruling): the player measures its real output, so the
+/// ladder is not decorative, and living inside the game bay hid whether the bed was playing.
+/// Its fader moves a gain the player actually applies, separate from the desktop-mute follow.
 /// </summary>
 public class TraxBayTests
 {
     [Fact]
-    public void The_trax_bay_binds_the_track_level_and_play_state_without_inventing_a_meter()
+    public void The_trax_bay_is_its_own_bay_with_a_real_meter()
     {
         var dock = SourceAssert.Text("Controls", "AudioDock.xaml");
         Assert.Contains("Text=\"{Binding TraxTrackLabel}\"", dock);
@@ -26,13 +27,18 @@ public class TraxBayTests
         Assert.Contains("Binding=\"{Binding IsMusicPlaying}\" Value=\"True\"", dock);
         Assert.Contains("Click=\"TraxPlayPause_Click\"", dock);
 
-        // The bay DOES carry a ladder now — the player measures its own output, so "is music making
-        // sound" is answerable without hearing it (a play glyph cannot answer that).
-        // The TRAX row lives under the desktop volume, inside the GAME bay.
-        var traxRow = dock[dock.IndexOf("Text=\"TRAX\"", System.StringComparison.Ordinal)
-                           ..dock.IndexOf("Text=\"LIP-SYNC\"", System.StringComparison.Ordinal)];
+        // TRAX is its own bay, between GAME and LIP-SYNC, and it carries a real ladder bound to the
+        // player's own level — "is the bed making sound" is not answerable from a play glyph.
+        var traxRow = dock[dock.IndexOf("<!-- TRAX: its own bay", System.StringComparison.Ordinal)
+                           ..dock.IndexOf("<!-- LIP-SYNC", System.StringComparison.Ordinal)];
         Assert.Contains("TraxTrackLabel", traxRow);
-        Assert.DoesNotContain("SegmentMeter", traxRow);
+        Assert.Contains("SegmentMeter", traxRow);
+        Assert.Contains("Level=\"{Binding TraxMeterFraction}\"", traxRow);
+
+        // …and the GAME bay no longer embeds it.
+        var gameBay = dock[dock.IndexOf("<!-- GAME / PC", System.StringComparison.Ordinal)
+                           ..dock.IndexOf("<!-- TRAX: its own bay", System.StringComparison.Ordinal)];
+        Assert.DoesNotContain("TraxTrackLabel", gameBay);
 
         foreach (var name in new[] { "TraxVolumeDb", "TraxVolumeDbLabel", "TraxTrackLabel", "CanRaiseTrax", "CanLowerTrax" })
             Assert.NotNull(typeof(MainViewModel).GetProperty(name));