Camera audio metering

[erik-sutton95]

Goal

Add trustworthy on-screen audio level meters using the channel data the camera can expose during recording and standby.

Why it matters

Operators need to catch muted inputs, weak levels, and clipping without leaving the monitor view. This request is for camera-reported metering and status, not a promise of live audio playback when the remote protocol does not provide an audio stream.

Proposed experience

• Show per-channel levels with peak and clip indicators
• Surface microphone mode, gain, attenuation, and wind-noise status where supported
• Keep the meter readable beside the existing image-monitoring tools
• Hide unavailable channels or controls based on camera capabilities
• Document model and firmware support explicitly

Success looks like

An operator can confirm that each active camera channel is receiving healthy signal and spot clipping from the OpenZCine monitor.

Open questions

• Which Nikon Z bodies expose usable real-time level data over the supported transports?
• What polling cadence is accurate without harming camera or live-view performance?
• Which audio controls are safe to write remotely?