Read the output level meter on the Tube applet¶

The Output Level Meter in the Tube applet shows the smoothed post-saturation peak level of your audio signal. Use it to confirm that the Tube stage is not clipping its output and to judge how much headroom remains after drive and output gain are applied.

Before you start¶

The Tube applet must be present in the applet panel.
The Tube editor must be open. If it is not open, double-click the TUBE stage in the chain widget to open it.

Steps¶

Double-click the TUBE stage in the chain widget to open the Tube editor.
Locate the vertical meter on the right side of the editor, to the right of the saturation curve. The header label reads OUT.
Feed audio through the radio. The level bar rises and falls as signal passes through the Tube stage.
Read the color of the fill to judge headroom at a glance (see color meanings below).
Read the numeric value in the readout below the bar for a precise signed dB figure.

What each control does¶

Element	What it shows	Range	Notes
Header label	Identifies the meter	Reads OUT	Confirms this meter shows the post-saturation output level.
Level bar	Smoothed peak fill	−60 dB (bottom) to 0 dB (top)	Uses fast-attack (alpha = 0.6) / slow-release (alpha = 0.08) ballistics.
dB scale ticks	Static reference grid	0, −6, −12, −20, −40 dB labelled	Tick lines extend onto the bar so absolute level is readable at a glance.
Numeric readout	Smoothed peak as a signed dB value	`-inf` or a signed value to one decimal place, e.g. `+0.0 dB`	Displays `-inf` when the signal is below approximately −59.5 dB.

Level bar color meanings¶

Color	Approximate level	Meaning
Green	−60 dB to −12 dB	Plenty of headroom.
Lime	−12 dB to −6 dB	Moderate level; normal operating range for most signals.
Amber	−6 dB to −3 dB	Approaching clipping; consider reducing Drive or Output.
Red	Above −3 dB	3 dB or less from clipping. Reduce Drive or Output to bring the level down.

Tips¶

The meter ballistics match those of the EQ Output Fader meter, so the visual feel is consistent if you use both applets side by side.
If the bar stays red during normal speech peaks, reduce the Output knob (range −24 dB to +12 dB, default 0.0 dB) or reduce the Drive knob (range 0 dB to 24 dB, default 0.0 dB) until amber or lower is typical for your signal peaks.
The slow-release ballistics (alpha = 0.08) mean the bar descends gradually after a peak, making it easier to catch transient overloads visually.

Output Level Meter overview