diff --git a/HANDOFF.md b/HANDOFF.md
index 7782556..36646aa 100644
--- a/HANDOFF.md
+++ b/HANDOFF.md
@@ -8,6 +8,14 @@
 ## Session state (last updated: 2026-08-13)
 
 - **Branch:** `main`, in sync with `origin/main`.
+- **TASK 8 (new, after TASK 7 shipped):** `AudioLevelMeter.ToDisplay` gained **+10 dB input
+  amplification** so the meters use the full bar — speech peaks (~0.2 RMS) now read ~0.93 (red)
+  and normal speech (~0.05) ~0.73 (yellow) at maxed volume; ≤0.001 linear still reads 0 (idle
+  never shows noise). One knob shared by the mic bar and game bar; `× MicVolume` untouched.
+  Tests updated + new `ToDisplay_Pushes_Speech_Peaks_Into_Red_At_Maxed_Volume`. **Uncommitted**
+  (pending user review): `Services/Audio/AudioLevelMeter.cs`, `ytLive.Tests/AudioMixerTests.cs`,
+  `ai.md`, `Services/index.md`, `ViewModels/index.md`, `TASKS.md`, `HANDOFF.md`. Meter tests:
+  7/7 passing, build 0 warnings.
 - **This session (TASK 7 — UI polish batch, gramps's 6-point review):**
   1. **Scenes list cleaned:** the per-row edit/trash/visibility icons and the inline
      rename TextBox are gone. Scenes are pure selection rows; `IsHidden` stays
diff --git a/Services/Audio/AudioLevelMeter.cs b/Services/Audio/AudioLevelMeter.cs
index e7b0faf..8f3dbd6 100644
--- a/Services/Audio/AudioLevelMeter.cs
+++ b/Services/Audio/AudioLevelMeter.cs
@@ -15,15 +15,18 @@ public sealed class AudioLevelMeter
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Maps a linear level (0..1) onto the meter's display scale: -60 dBFS..0 dBFS
-    /// spread linearly across 0..1. Linear RMS of real speech or game audio is
-    /// ~0.01..0.1 (-40..-20 dBFS), which leaves a flat (linear) meter looking
-    /// dead; the log scale makes typical levels occupy the bar.
+    /// spread linearly across 0..1, with +10 dB of input amplification. Linear RMS
+    /// of real speech or game audio is ~0.01..0.1 (-40..-20 dBFS), which leaves a
+    /// flat (linear) meter looking dead; the log scale makes typical levels occupy
+    /// the bar and the amplification pushes real speech peaks into the red zone
+    /// (0.8+) at maxed volume instead of hovering at its edge. Inputs at or below
+    /// -60 dBFS (0.001 linear) read as zero — the meter never idles on background noise.
     /// </summary>
     public static float ToDisplay(float linear)
     {
         if (linear <= 0.001f)
             return 0f;
-        var db = 20f * MathF.Log10(linear);
+        var db = 20f * MathF.Log10(linear) + 10f;
         return Math.Clamp(1f + db / 60f, 0f, 1f);
     }
 
diff --git a/Services/index.md b/Services/index.md
index ab405a5..cd80b8d 100644
--- a/Services/index.md
+++ b/Services/index.md
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ External-facing logic: YouTube API, persistence. See
 | `Audio/WasapiLoopbackAudioSource.cs` | Desktop/game capture: NAudio `WasapiLoopbackCapture` on the default render device — automatic at unity; the game bar's meter consumes it |
 | `Audio/WasapiMicAudioSource.cs` | Mic capture: NAudio `WasapiCapture` with the device resolved by `FriendlyName` matching `MicSourceName` (DisplayName only), default capture endpoint fallback; name provider `Func<string?>` re-read at each `Start` so a device picked mid-session takes effect immediately (the mixer restarts the mic on pick) |
 | `Audio/AudioMixer.cs` | Owns both sources; capture starts once at startup (`MainViewModel.StartMicCaptureAsync`) and stops on `Shutdown` — NOT go-live (preview monitoring). Mic samples → `AudioLevelMeter` → `MicLevelChanged`; loopback samples → the game bar's meter via `LoopbackLevelChanged`. Surfaces mic connection state: `MicConnected`/`MicFailed` (drives the status dot) + `RestartMic()` (device swap mid-session, keeps loopback). Failures log via `AppLog`; mic failure zeroes the meter, loopback failure doesn't kill the mic. Note: the meter `Push` is unconditional (the `?.` on the event would otherwise skip the argument when nothing is subscribed) |
-| `Audio/AudioLevelMeter.cs` | Pure smoothed RMS level (0..1): `Push(AudioSample)` + `Reset` — the unit-tested math behind `AudioLevel` and `GameAudioLevel`. `ToDisplay(float)` maps the raw linear RMS onto the meter's display scale (−60..0 dBFS spread across 0..1) — real speech/game RMS (~0.01..0.1) would otherwise leave a flat scale looking dead |
+| `Audio/AudioLevelMeter.cs` | Pure smoothed RMS level (0..1): `Push(AudioSample)` + `Reset` — the unit-tested math behind `AudioLevel` and `GameAudioLevel`. `ToDisplay(float)` maps the raw linear RMS onto the meter's display scale (−60..0 dBFS spread across 0..1, with **+10 dB input amplification** so real speech peaks hit the red zone at maxed volume) — real speech/game RMS (~0.01..0.1) would otherwise leave a flat scale looking dead; ≤0.001 linear reads as zero (never idles on background noise) |
 | `Audio/WaveToFloat.cs` | Pure WASAPI buffer → float conversion: IEEE float 32-bit direct, PCM 16-bit normalized, `WaveFormatExtensible` IEEE-float subformat GUID, trailing partial samples ignored |
 | `IGameAudioDetector.cs` | **TASK 4 game audio bar seam**: `IsGameAudioActive` + `IsGameAudioActiveChanged` + `Poll()` — detects "a working game with sound is up in the preview" |
 | `GameAudioHysteresis.cs` | Pure show/hide state machine for the game bar: SHOW = full-screen app holds sound ~500ms; HIDE = the app leaves fullscreen ~1s. **Silence never hides an active bar** — only the game leaving the preview does (creator's rule). No timers; `Update(isFullScreen, hasSound, now)` |
diff --git a/TASKS.md b/TASKS.md
index d5959f2..2317a69 100644
--- a/TASKS.md
+++ b/TASKS.md
@@ -623,6 +623,22 @@ the validator → persisted), compositor bar overlay (top/bottom + above-flash),
 
 ---
 
+## TASK 8 — Meter scaling amplification (voice meter uses the full bar)
+
+**Goal:** the mic (and game) meters feel light — speech peaks should peg into the red at maxed volume.
+
+### Status: ✅ Done
+
+1. ✅ `AudioLevelMeter.ToDisplay` now adds **+10 dB of input amplification** before the −60..0 dBFS → 0..1 log mapping (was raw dB): speech peaks (~0.2 RMS, −14 dBFS) read ~0.93 → red zone; normal speech (~0.05, −26 dBFS) ~0.73 → yellow; background noise ≤0.001 linear (−60 dBFS) still reads 0 (the meter never idles on it)
+2. ✅ Unit tests updated to the new mapping + new `ToDisplay_Pushes_Speech_Peaks_Into_Red_At_Maxed_Volume` (0.2 → 0.92..0.95, 0.05 → 0.72..0.75)
+
+### Design decisions
+
+1. **Amplify at the mapping, not in the VM** — one knob (`ToDisplay`), shared by the mic bar and the game bar; the `× MicVolume` gain-on-noise behavior is untouched (raising the slider still moves ambient noise up the bar).
+2. **+10 dB, not more** — louder boosts push quiet speech into the lower half and make the noise floor visible; +10 puts speech peaks solidly in red while idle stays at zero.
+
+---
+
 ## Backlog (future versions)
 
 1. v0.2 — Recording to local file (recordings carry the branding flash — see TASK 3 / `ai.md` Monetization)
diff --git a/ViewModels/index.md b/ViewModels/index.md
index d647d89..78ef6b6 100644
--- a/ViewModels/index.md
+++ b/ViewModels/index.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ MVVM layer. See [`schema.md`](../schema.md) for the memory-map conventions.
 
 | File | Purpose |
 |------|---------|
-| `MainViewModel.cs` | The app brain: scenes/elements collections + commands, stream state (`IsLive`/`IsOffline`/`IsConnected`), chat feed, overlays, layout save/open, **resolution dropdown** (`QualityOptions`, `SelectedQuality`, `ResolutionHelp`, `ApplyStreamQuality`) that computes the output rect over the 1920×1080 master (`OutputRectX/Y/W/H`, `DimRects`, `IsOutputCropped`, `ResolutionBadgeText`). Auth: loads the saved DPAPI session at startup (`LoadSavedSessionAsync`), `SignInAsync` feeds the GoLive dialog; **End Livestream signs out** (`StopStream` clears session + token — crash-safe). **Connected account:** top-bar avatar/name (`AccountAvatarUrl`/`AccountDisplayName` via `SyncConnectedAccount`, cleared on End). **Element rows:** scenes are pure selection rows (no per-row icons); source rows carry edit/visibility/trash (`EditElementCommand` sets `element.IsEditing`, `ToggleElementVisibilityCommand` flips `IsVisible`, `RemoveSourceCommand`); duplicate resource names get a no-space incrementing suffix via shared `NextSourceName` (Image, Image2, Image3… — next free number derived from actual names, so deletions never collide; used by `AddSource` + `AddReusedImage`). **Audio (KISS — the mic is the creator's only audio control; capture SHIPPED, runs for the app's lifetime so the meters preview live):** the sound meter is a **READ-ONLY realtime level display**: fill = `Math.Min(1, AudioLevelMeter.ToDisplay((float)AudioLevel) * MicVolume)` (`MeterFillWidth`/`MeterBrush`, green→yellow→red, zone markers at 60%/80% — `ToDisplay` maps the raw linear RMS onto a −60..0 dBFS scale so real speech/game levels actually occupy the bar), where `AudioLevel` (live input, 0 with no input) is fed by the audio mixer once capture lands and `MicVolume` acts as a gain on ambient noise; while the slider is dragged the bar previews the slider position (`SetVolumeAdjusting`), returning to the live level on release (0 with no input — clicking the meter does nothing); `MicVolume` (default 0.8) + read-only `MicMuted`/`MicMuteText`/`ToggleMicMuteCommand` — **MicVolume drives MicMuted** (muted ⇔ volume 0): sliding to 0 flips the speaker to muted, sliding up from 0 clears it; muting stores the prior volume, unmuting restores it (default 0.8 if unknown) and flashes the meter to the restored position ~300ms (`BeginVolumeFlash`/`EndVolumeFlash`); `MicSourceName` = picked voice source, shown left-justified inside the meter bar (the fill runs at 75% opacity so the text + ruler markings show through); `OpenMicPickerCommand`/`PickMicrophone()` open the `MicPickerDialog` (a picked device takes effect immediately — `PickMicrophone` swaps the live source via `_audioMixer.RestartMic()`, loopback keeps running); the **MIC label is a button** (`OpenMicPickerCommand`) with a **status dot** (`MicStatus`, `Models/MicStatus`: green = `MicConnected` via the source's `Started` event, yellow = `MicFailed` — in use/unplugged, red = no mic device at startup; `MicStatusBrush`/`MicStatusToolTip`); capture starts once at startup (`StartMicCaptureAsync`) — NOT go-live (`BeginGoLive`/`StopStream` no longer touch the mixer) — zero devices = red dot + the mixer never starts. **Game audio bar** (desktop/game, **overlaid at the bottom of the preview window** — bottom-center chip, a mirror of the mic bar): `IsGameAudioBarVisible` (shown only while a full-screen game is producing sound — the VM polls `IGameAudioDetector` via the default `GameAudioDetector` every 250ms (`_gameAudioTimer`); the pure `GameAudioHysteresis` SHOWs after ~500ms of fullscreen+sound, HIDEs ~1s after leaving fullscreen, and **silence never hides an active bar**), `GameAudioLevel` (loopback meter via `LoopbackLevelChanged`, scaled by volume), `GameMuted`/`GameMuteText`/`ToggleGameMuteCommand`, `GameAudioVolume` (0..1 volume slider), `Begin/End/CancelGameVolumeFlash` (mirrors the mic bar's volume flash); the game speaker + slider share the mic bar's `PreviewMouseLeftButtonDown/Up` + `LostMouseCapture` code-behind pattern. **Webcam:** owns `CameraManager` (MediaCapture), `AddWebcamToActiveSceneAsync` (picker → default 480×270 bottom-right placement → acquire; the Windows camera picker ALWAYS opens so the creator chooses — never silently reuses the previous camera; picking a different camera swaps the app-wide identity via `SwapWebcamIdentityAsync`, same path as `ChangeWebcamAsync`; propagates the running shared bitmap via `CameraManager.GetPreviewBitmap` first, so a webcam added mid-session never renders a transparent container; greys out when the active scene already has a config via `CanAddWebcamToActiveScene`), `ChangeWebcamAsync` (device swap — `ReleaseAllAsync` old + re-acquire), `ShowWebcamInActiveScene` (reveal hidden config / empty-canvas right-click), `ReacquireWebcam` after layout load (re-propagates the shared bitmap to every config), `OnCameraPreviewBitmapChanged` forwards the shared bitmap into every `WebcamSceneConfig.VideoImageSource`; `SelectedElement` drives the preview overlay + `internal ClampWebcamToBounds(config, sceneName)` (per-scene size cap seam: 50%-per-dimension everywhere, half-screen-AREA in Chat via `MaxWebcamWidthFor`/`MaxWebcamHeightFor`). **Scenes (five-scene catalog):** empty DB seeds Starting/Live/BRB/Chat/Ending (`SceneCatalog.All`); `AddScene(name)` accepts only canonical, missing names; `MissingScenes`/`ShowAddScene` drive the "+" button (hidden once all five exist; its menu lists only the missing scenes via `AddSceneCommand`). **Screen backdrop (Live-only by policy):** owns `ScreenCaptureManager` + `ScreenCaptureSourceFactory` (WinRT GraphicsCapture), `internal static EnsureBackdrop` heals one per backdrop-enabled scene (gated on `Scene.HasBackdrop`), `ReacquireScreenCaptures`/`RefreshBackdropAutoCapture`/`NoteBackgroundWindow` key by full-screen game monitor or the **primary display** via `Win32FullScreenDetector` (`GetDisplays()`/`PrimaryMonitorIndex()`), `ChangeBackdropCaptureAsync` (OS picker) + `SetBackdropCapture(DisplayInfo)` (in-app "Capture Display"), `RedesignateBackdropAsync` re-targets all backdrops and releases orphaned sessions, `internal static EnforceBackdropPolicy` normalizes `Scene.HasBackdrop` by name on every load + strips lingering non-Live backdrops, `CanChangeBackdrop` gates the capture menu to Live (the only scene with a backdrop), `BackdropImage` hides the preview watermark (`ShowPreviewPlaceholder`). **REC sign (2026-08-13):** top-center indicator always visible — `RecDotBrush` (offline `#555555`, live `#e94560`, live-private `#8f1f1f`), `RecTextBrush` (dim offline, white live), `RecDotOpacity` (0.55 offline, pulsing 1.0/0.35 live via `_recDotPulse` flipped on the live tick), `IsLivePrivate` (`IsLive && StreamVisibility == "Private"`) — notified from the `StreamStatus` + `StreamVisibility` setters; `LiveIndicatorVisible`/`LivePulseOpacity` removed. **Mic mute icon:** a second 16px clickable glyph (mic, red + slash when muted) between the meter and the speaker on the mic bar — same `ToggleMicMuteCommand`. **Health stats (TASK 4 ship step 6, 2026-08-13):** `OnFramePumpHealthUpdated` marshals `FramePump.HealthUpdated` (encoder's parsed bitrate/FPS/dropped/duration — raised on the stderr thread) onto the UI thread into `CurrentHealth` (bottom bar bindings); `ResetHealth(status)` zeroes dropped/duration on go-live/End so stats never linger |
+| `MainViewModel.cs` | The app brain: scenes/elements collections + commands, stream state (`IsLive`/`IsOffline`/`IsConnected`), chat feed, overlays, layout save/open, **resolution dropdown** (`QualityOptions`, `SelectedQuality`, `ResolutionHelp`, `ApplyStreamQuality`) that computes the output rect over the 1920×1080 master (`OutputRectX/Y/W/H`, `DimRects`, `IsOutputCropped`, `ResolutionBadgeText`). Auth: loads the saved DPAPI session at startup (`LoadSavedSessionAsync`), `SignInAsync` feeds the GoLive dialog; **End Livestream signs out** (`StopStream` clears session + token — crash-safe). **Connected account:** top-bar avatar/name (`AccountAvatarUrl`/`AccountDisplayName` via `SyncConnectedAccount`, cleared on End). **Element rows:** scenes are pure selection rows (no per-row icons); source rows carry edit/visibility/trash (`EditElementCommand` sets `element.IsEditing`, `ToggleElementVisibilityCommand` flips `IsVisible`, `RemoveSourceCommand`); duplicate resource names get a no-space incrementing suffix via shared `NextSourceName` (Image, Image2, Image3… — next free number derived from actual names, so deletions never collide; used by `AddSource` + `AddReusedImage`). **Audio (KISS — the mic is the creator's only audio control; capture SHIPPED, runs for the app's lifetime so the meters preview live):** the sound meter is a **READ-ONLY realtime level display**: fill = `Math.Min(1, AudioLevelMeter.ToDisplay((float)AudioLevel) * MicVolume)` (`MeterFillWidth`/`MeterBrush`, green→yellow→red, zone markers at 60%/80% — `ToDisplay` maps the raw linear RMS onto a −60..0 dBFS scale with +10 dB amplification so real speech/game levels occupy the bar and peaks hit red at maxed volume), where `AudioLevel` (live input, 0 with no input) is fed by the audio mixer once capture lands and `MicVolume` acts as a gain on ambient noise; while the slider is dragged the bar previews the slider position (`SetVolumeAdjusting`), returning to the live level on release (0 with no input — clicking the meter does nothing); `MicVolume` (default 0.8) + read-only `MicMuted`/`MicMuteText`/`ToggleMicMuteCommand` — **MicVolume drives MicMuted** (muted ⇔ volume 0): sliding to 0 flips the speaker to muted, sliding up from 0 clears it; muting stores the prior volume, unmuting restores it (default 0.8 if unknown) and flashes the meter to the restored position ~300ms (`BeginVolumeFlash`/`EndVolumeFlash`); `MicSourceName` = picked voice source, shown left-justified inside the meter bar (the fill runs at 75% opacity so the text + ruler markings show through); `OpenMicPickerCommand`/`PickMicrophone()` open the `MicPickerDialog` (a picked device takes effect immediately — `PickMicrophone` swaps the live source via `_audioMixer.RestartMic()`, loopback keeps running); the **MIC label is a button** (`OpenMicPickerCommand`) with a **status dot** (`MicStatus`, `Models/MicStatus`: green = `MicConnected` via the source's `Started` event, yellow = `MicFailed` — in use/unplugged, red = no mic device at startup; `MicStatusBrush`/`MicStatusToolTip`); capture starts once at startup (`StartMicCaptureAsync`) — NOT go-live (`BeginGoLive`/`StopStream` no longer touch the mixer) — zero devices = red dot + the mixer never starts. **Game audio bar** (desktop/game, **overlaid at the bottom of the preview window** — bottom-center chip, a mirror of the mic bar): `IsGameAudioBarVisible` (shown only while a full-screen game is producing sound — the VM polls `IGameAudioDetector` via the default `GameAudioDetector` every 250ms (`_gameAudioTimer`); the pure `GameAudioHysteresis` SHOWs after ~500ms of fullscreen+sound, HIDEs ~1s after leaving fullscreen, and **silence never hides an active bar**), `GameAudioLevel` (loopback meter via `LoopbackLevelChanged`, scaled by volume), `GameMuted`/`GameMuteText`/`ToggleGameMuteCommand`, `GameAudioVolume` (0..1 volume slider), `Begin/End/CancelGameVolumeFlash` (mirrors the mic bar's volume flash); the game speaker + slider share the mic bar's `PreviewMouseLeftButtonDown/Up` + `LostMouseCapture` code-behind pattern. **Webcam:** owns `CameraManager` (MediaCapture), `AddWebcamToActiveSceneAsync` (picker → default 480×270 bottom-right placement → acquire; the Windows camera picker ALWAYS opens so the creator chooses — never silently reuses the previous camera; picking a different camera swaps the app-wide identity via `SwapWebcamIdentityAsync`, same path as `ChangeWebcamAsync`; propagates the running shared bitmap via `CameraManager.GetPreviewBitmap` first, so a webcam added mid-session never renders a transparent container; greys out when the active scene already has a config via `CanAddWebcamToActiveScene`), `ChangeWebcamAsync` (device swap — `ReleaseAllAsync` old + re-acquire), `ShowWebcamInActiveScene` (reveal hidden config / empty-canvas right-click), `ReacquireWebcam` after layout load (re-propagates the shared bitmap to every config), `OnCameraPreviewBitmapChanged` forwards the shared bitmap into every `WebcamSceneConfig.VideoImageSource`; `SelectedElement` drives the preview overlay + `internal ClampWebcamToBounds(config, sceneName)` (per-scene size cap seam: 50%-per-dimension everywhere, half-screen-AREA in Chat via `MaxWebcamWidthFor`/`MaxWebcamHeightFor`). **Scenes (five-scene catalog):** empty DB seeds Starting/Live/BRB/Chat/Ending (`SceneCatalog.All`); `AddScene(name)` accepts only canonical, missing names; `MissingScenes`/`ShowAddScene` drive the "+" button (hidden once all five exist; its menu lists only the missing scenes via `AddSceneCommand`). **Screen backdrop (Live-only by policy):** owns `ScreenCaptureManager` + `ScreenCaptureSourceFactory` (WinRT GraphicsCapture), `internal static EnsureBackdrop` heals one per backdrop-enabled scene (gated on `Scene.HasBackdrop`), `ReacquireScreenCaptures`/`RefreshBackdropAutoCapture`/`NoteBackgroundWindow` key by full-screen game monitor or the **primary display** via `Win32FullScreenDetector` (`GetDisplays()`/`PrimaryMonitorIndex()`), `ChangeBackdropCaptureAsync` (OS picker) + `SetBackdropCapture(DisplayInfo)` (in-app "Capture Display"), `RedesignateBackdropAsync` re-targets all backdrops and releases orphaned sessions, `internal static EnforceBackdropPolicy` normalizes `Scene.HasBackdrop` by name on every load + strips lingering non-Live backdrops, `CanChangeBackdrop` gates the capture menu to Live (the only scene with a backdrop), `BackdropImage` hides the preview watermark (`ShowPreviewPlaceholder`). **REC sign (2026-08-13):** top-center indicator always visible — `RecDotBrush` (offline `#555555`, live `#e94560`, live-private `#8f1f1f`), `RecTextBrush` (dim offline, white live), `RecDotOpacity` (0.55 offline, pulsing 1.0/0.35 live via `_recDotPulse` flipped on the live tick), `IsLivePrivate` (`IsLive && StreamVisibility == "Private"`) — notified from the `StreamStatus` + `StreamVisibility` setters; `LiveIndicatorVisible`/`LivePulseOpacity` removed. **Mic mute icon:** a second 16px clickable glyph (mic, red + slash when muted) between the meter and the speaker on the mic bar — same `ToggleMicMuteCommand`. **Health stats (TASK 4 ship step 6, 2026-08-13):** `OnFramePumpHealthUpdated` marshals `FramePump.HealthUpdated` (encoder's parsed bitrate/FPS/dropped/duration — raised on the stderr thread) onto the UI thread into `CurrentHealth` (bottom bar bindings); `ResetHealth(status)` zeroes dropped/duration on go-live/End so stats never linger |
 | `GoLiveViewModel.cs` | Start Stream dialog: **account row** (saved channel shown with Change Account, or Sign in to YouTube; Start gated on `IsSignedIn`/`IsBusy`) + title/description/visibility, start/cancel requests |
 | `ReuseImageViewModel.cs` | Add Image dialog: candidate list (`ReuseImageCandidate`), reuse/new/cancel |
 | `CameraPickerViewModel.cs` | Add Webcam dialog: async camera list (loading / has / none states), `UseRequested(CameraDeviceInfo)`/`CancelRequested` |
diff --git a/ai.md b/ai.md
index bf99a49..cf6ecb2 100644
--- a/ai.md
+++ b/ai.md
@@ -383,8 +383,11 @@ devices, no timers).
   no longer touch the mixer). Mic samples feed a pure **`AudioLevelMeter`** (RMS with 0.2 exponential
   smoothing) → `MicLevelChanged` → marshalled to the UI thread → `AudioLevel`; loopback samples feed a
   second meter → `LoopbackLevelChanged` → the game bar's `GameAudioLevel`. The raw linear level is
-  mapped to the meter's display scale by `AudioLevelMeter.ToDisplay` (−60..0 dBFS → 0..1): real speech/
-  game RMS is ~0.01..0.1 linear, which would leave a flat scale looking dead. **Mic connection state
+  mapped to the meter's display scale by `AudioLevelMeter.ToDisplay` (−60..0 dBFS → 0..1 with **+10 dB
+  input amplification**): real speech/game RMS is ~0.01..0.1 linear, which would leave a flat scale
+  looking dead; the amplification (added 2026-08-14) pushes real speech peaks (~0.2 RMS, −14 dBFS) to
+  ~0.93 at maxed volume so the meter uses the whole bar proportionately instead of hovering at the red
+  edge. **Mic connection state
   surfaces as events:** `MicConnected` (source `Started`), `MicFailed` (source `Failed`), and
   `RestartMic()` re-resolves + restarts just the mic (loopback keeps running). Failures log via
   `AppLog`; a mic failure zeroes the meter, a loopback failure never kills the mic. Meter `Push` is
diff --git a/ytLive.Tests/AudioMixerTests.cs b/ytLive.Tests/AudioMixerTests.cs
index b004af1..98503e5 100644
--- a/ytLive.Tests/AudioMixerTests.cs
+++ b/ytLive.Tests/AudioMixerTests.cs
@@ -331,11 +331,22 @@ public class AudioLevelMeterTests
         Assert.Equal(0f, AudioLevelMeter.ToDisplay(0f));
         Assert.Equal(0f, AudioLevelMeter.ToDisplay(0.001f), 2);
 
-        // -60 dBFS floor → 0, 0 dBFS → 1, and a decade (~-20 dB) is 1/3 up the bar.
+        // -60 dBFS floor → 0, 0 dBFS → 1, and +10 dB amplification: a decade
+        // (~-20 dB) is 2/3 up the bar.
         Assert.Equal(1f, AudioLevelMeter.ToDisplay(1f), 3);
-        Assert.Equal(0.5f, AudioLevelMeter.ToDisplay(0.0316f), 2);
-        Assert.InRange(AudioLevelMeter.ToDisplay(0.1f), 0.66f, 0.67f);
-        Assert.InRange(AudioLevelMeter.ToDisplay(0.01f), 0.32f, 0.34f);
+        Assert.InRange(AudioLevelMeter.ToDisplay(0.0316f), 0.66f, 0.67f);
+        Assert.InRange(AudioLevelMeter.ToDisplay(0.1f), 0.83f, 0.84f);
+        Assert.InRange(AudioLevelMeter.ToDisplay(0.01f), 0.49f, 0.51f);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void ToDisplay_Pushes_Speech_Peaks_Into_Red_At_Maxed_Volume()
+    {
+        // ~0.2 linear RMS (-14 dBFS) is a loud speech peak; at maxed volume it
+        // must land in the red zone (0.8+) and normal speech (~0.05, -26 dBFS)
+        // in the yellow — the meter uses the whole bar proportionately.
+        Assert.InRange(AudioLevelMeter.ToDisplay(0.2f), 0.92f, 0.95f);
+        Assert.InRange(AudioLevelMeter.ToDisplay(0.05f), 0.72f, 0.75f);
     }
 
     [Fact]