diff --git a/interface/src/scripting/Audio.cpp b/interface/src/scripting/Audio.cpp
index fb64dbe098..2c4c29ff65 100644
--- a/interface/src/scripting/Audio.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/scripting/Audio.cpp
@@ -27,8 +27,9 @@ QString Audio::HMD { "VR" };
 Setting::Handle<bool> enableNoiseReductionSetting { QStringList { Audio::AUDIO, "NoiseReduction" }, true };
 
 float Audio::loudnessToLevel(float loudness) {
-    float level = 6.02059991f * fastLog2f(loudness);    // level in dBFS
-    level = (level + 48.0f) * (1/39.0f);                // map [-48, -9] dBFS to [0, 1]
+    float level = loudness * (1/32768.0f);  // level in [0, 1]
+    level = 6.02059991f * fastLog2f(level); // convert to dBFS
+    level = (level + 48.0f) * (1/42.0f);    // map [-48, -6] dBFS to [0, 1]
     return glm::clamp(level, 0.0f, 1.0f);
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp
index 60a95ff58a..8c50a195ee 100644
--- a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp
+++ b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ static float computeLoudness(int16_t* samples, int numSamples, int numChannels,
     const int32_t CLIPPING_THRESHOLD = 32392;   // -0.1 dBFS
     const int32_t CLIPPING_DETECTION = 3;       // consecutive samples over threshold
 
-    float scale = numSamples ? 1.0f / (numSamples * 32768.0f) : 0.0f;
+    float scale = numSamples ? 1.0f / numSamples : 0.0f;
 
     int32_t loudness = 0;
     isClipping = false;
@@ -249,6 +249,8 @@ AudioClient::AudioClient() :
     _outputBufferSizeFrames("audioOutputBufferFrames", DEFAULT_BUFFER_FRAMES),
     _sessionOutputBufferSizeFrames(_outputBufferSizeFrames.get()),
     _outputStarveDetectionEnabled("audioOutputStarveDetectionEnabled", DEFAULT_STARVE_DETECTION_ENABLED),
+    _lastRawInputLoudness(0.0f),
+    _lastSmoothedRawInputLoudness(0.0f),
     _lastInputLoudness(0.0f),
     _timeSinceLastClip(-1.0f),
     _muted(false),
@@ -1144,6 +1146,9 @@ void AudioClient::handleAudioInput(QByteArray& audioBuffer) {
             emit inputReceived(audioBuffer);
         }
 
+        // loudness after mute/gate
+        _lastInputLoudness = (_muted || !audioGateOpen) ? 0.0f : _lastRawInputLoudness;
+
         // detect gate opening and closing
         bool openedInLastBlock = !_audioGateOpen && audioGateOpen;  // the gate just opened
         bool closedInLastBlock = _audioGateOpen && !audioGateOpen;  // the gate just closed
@@ -1222,12 +1227,15 @@ void AudioClient::handleMicAudioInput() {
 
         // detect loudness and clipping on the raw input
         bool isClipping = false;
-        float inputLoudness = computeLoudness(inputAudioSamples.get(), inputSamplesRequired, _inputFormat.channelCount(), isClipping);
+        float loudness = computeLoudness(inputAudioSamples.get(), inputSamplesRequired, _inputFormat.channelCount(), isClipping);
+        _lastRawInputLoudness = loudness;
 
-        float tc = (inputLoudness > _lastInputLoudness) ? 0.378f : 0.967f;  // 10ms attack, 300ms release @ 100Hz
-        inputLoudness += tc * (_lastInputLoudness - inputLoudness);
-        _lastInputLoudness = inputLoudness;
+        // envelope detection
+        float tc = (loudness > _lastSmoothedRawInputLoudness) ? 0.378f : 0.967f;  // 10ms attack, 300ms release @ 100Hz
+        loudness += tc * (_lastSmoothedRawInputLoudness - loudness);
+        _lastSmoothedRawInputLoudness = loudness;
 
+        // clipping indicator
         if (isClipping) {
             _timeSinceLastClip = 0.0f;
         } else if (_timeSinceLastClip >= 0.0f) {
@@ -1235,7 +1243,7 @@ void AudioClient::handleMicAudioInput() {
         }
         isClipping = (_timeSinceLastClip >= 0.0f) && (_timeSinceLastClip < 2.0f);   // 2 second hold time
 
-        emit inputLoudnessChanged(_lastInputLoudness, isClipping);
+        emit inputLoudnessChanged(_lastSmoothedRawInputLoudness, isClipping);
 
         if (!_muted) {
             possibleResampling(_inputToNetworkResampler,
diff --git a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.h b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.h
index 94ed2ce132..29036b7c71 100644
--- a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.h
+++ b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.h
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ public:
 
     const QAudioFormat& getOutputFormat() const { return _outputFormat; }
 
-    float getLastInputLoudness() const { return _lastInputLoudness; }   // TODO: relative to noise floor?
+    float getLastInputLoudness() const { return _lastInputLoudness; }
 
     float getTimeSinceLastClip() const { return _timeSinceLastClip; }
     float getAudioAverageInputLoudness() const { return _lastInputLoudness; }
@@ -355,7 +355,9 @@ private:
 
     StDev _stdev;
     QElapsedTimer _timeSinceLastReceived;
-    float _lastInputLoudness;
+    float _lastRawInputLoudness;    // before mute/gate
+    float _lastSmoothedRawInputLoudness;
+    float _lastInputLoudness;       // after mute/gate
     float _timeSinceLastClip;
     int _totalInputAudioSamples;