diff --git a/engine/MUNGA/AUDCMP.cpp b/engine/MUNGA/AUDCMP.cpp
index 50224e0..1e20e18 100644
--- a/engine/MUNGA/AUDCMP.cpp
+++ b/engine/MUNGA/AUDCMP.cpp
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include <cstdlib>
 #include "munga.h"
 #pragma hdrstop
 
@@ -793,6 +794,9 @@ void
       }
 
 		Check(audioComponentSocket.GetCurrent());
+		if (getenv("BT_AUDIO_SPATIAL") && mult_value <= 0.0f) { static int s_mx=0; if (s_mx++<300)
+			DEBUG_STREAM << "[mult0] mult=" << (void*)this << " -> tgt=" << (void*)audioComponentSocket.GetCurrent()
+				<< " in[" << index << "]=" << control_value << " product=" << mult_value << "\n" << std::flush; }
       audioComponentSocket.GetCurrent()->ReceiveControl(
       	outputControlID,
          mult_value
diff --git a/engine/MUNGA/AUDSRC.cpp b/engine/MUNGA/AUDSRC.cpp
index 6991519..765a4f2 100644
--- a/engine/MUNGA/AUDSRC.cpp
+++ b/engine/MUNGA/AUDSRC.cpp
@@ -663,6 +663,8 @@ void
 	Check(this);
 	Clamp(control_value, MinAudioVolume, MaxAudioVolume);
 	volumeScale = control_value / (MaxAudioVolume - MinAudioVolume);
+	if (getenv("BT_AUDIO_SPATIAL")) { static int s_vh=0; if (s_vh++<300)
+		DEBUG_STREAM << "[volset] src=" << (void*)this << " vol=" << volumeScale << "\n" << std::flush; }
 }
 
 //
diff --git a/engine/MUNGA/AUDWTHR.h b/engine/MUNGA/AUDWTHR.h
index 6e5974c..c36f706 100644
--- a/engine/MUNGA/AUDWTHR.h
+++ b/engine/MUNGA/AUDWTHR.h
@@ -305,6 +305,14 @@ template <class T>
 	MemoryStream_Read(stream, &controlValueOff);
 
 	triggerOn = False;
+
+	if (getenv("BT_ATTRBIND_LOG")) { static int s_tc=0; if (s_tc++<80)
+		DEBUG_STREAM << "[trigcfg] attrPtr=" << (void*)attributePointer
+			<< " thresh=" << attributeValueThreshold
+			<< " inverse=" << (int)inverseTrigger
+			<< " onID=" << (int)controlIDOn << "/" << controlValueOn
+			<< " offID=" << (int)controlIDOff << "/" << controlValueOff
+			<< "\n" << std::flush; }
 }
 
 //~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@@ -631,10 +639,8 @@ template <class T> void
 	Check(&audioComponentSocket);
 	Check(audioComponentSocket.GetCurrent());
 	if (getenv("BT_AUDIO_SPATIAL") && control_value <= 0.0f) {
-		static int s_sc=0; if (s_sc++<40)
-			DEBUG_STREAM << "[spatial] scale->0 attrPtr=" << (void*)attributePointer
-				<< " raw=" << current_value << " ctlID=" << (int)controlID
-				<< " ctl=" << control_value << "\n" << std::flush; }
+		static int s_sc=0; if (s_sc++<400)
+			DEBUG_STREAM << "[spatial] scale->0 attrPtr=" << (void*)attributePointer << " comp=" << (void*)audioComponentSocket.GetCurrent() << " raw=" << current_value << " ctlID=" << (int)controlID << " ctl=" << control_value << " aB=[" << attributeValueBoundary1 << "," << attributeValueBoundary2 << "]" << " cB=[" << controlValueBoundary1 << "," << controlValueBoundary2 << "]\n" << std::flush; }
 	audioComponentSocket.GetCurrent()->ReceiveControl(
 		controlID,
 		control_value
@@ -731,6 +737,12 @@ template <class T>
 	MemoryStream_Read(stream, &attributeMatchValue);
 	MemoryStream_Read(stream, &controlID);
 	MemoryStream_Read(stream, &controlValue);
+
+	if (getenv("BT_ATTRBIND_LOG")) { static int s_mc=0; if (s_mc++<80)
+		DEBUG_STREAM << "[matchcfg] attrPtr=" << (void*)attributePointer
+			<< " match=" << attributeMatchValue
+			<< " ctlID=" << (int)controlID << " ctlVal=" << controlValue
+			<< "\n" << std::flush; }
 }
 
 //~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@@ -777,6 +789,10 @@ template <class T> void
 
 	if (current_value == attributeMatchValue)
 	{
+		if (getenv("BT_AUDIO_SPATIAL")) { static int s_mf=0; if (s_mf++<40)
+			DEBUG_STREAM << "[matchfire] attrPtr=" << (void*)attributePointer << " comp=" << (void*)audioComponentSocket.GetCurrent() << " compClass=" << (int)audioComponentSocket.GetCurrent()->GetClassID()
+				<< " val=" << current_value << " -> ctl " << (int)controlID
+				<< "/" << controlValue << "\n" << std::flush; }
 		Check(&audioComponentSocket);
 		Check(audioComponentSocket.GetCurrent());
 		#if 1
diff --git a/engine/MUNGA/WATCHER.h b/engine/MUNGA/WATCHER.h
index 374739d..256894a 100644
--- a/engine/MUNGA/WATCHER.h
+++ b/engine/MUNGA/WATCHER.h
@@ -266,6 +266,13 @@ template <class T> void
 	if (getenv("BT_AUDIO_SPATIAL")) {	// poll-rate probe: total watcher polls + change events
 		static long s_polls=0; if ((++s_polls % 2000)==0)
 			DEBUG_STREAM << "[watchpoll] total polls=" << s_polls << "\n" << std::flush;
+		extern void *g_btFootStepAddr;	// DIAG: uncapped tracer on THE footstep watcher
+		if ((void*)attributePointer == g_btFootStepAddr) {
+			static long s_fsp=0;
+			if ((++s_fsp % 120)==0 || !(currentValue == *(T*)attributePointer))
+				DEBUG_STREAM << "[fswatch] poll#" << s_fsp << " cur=" << (int)*(int*)&currentValue
+					<< " mem=" << *(int*)attributePointer << "\n" << std::flush;
+		}
 	}
 	if (!(currentValue == *(T*)attributePointer))
 	{
diff --git a/engine/MUNGA_L4/L4AUDLVL.cpp b/engine/MUNGA_L4/L4AUDLVL.cpp
index ee4116e..efcaac4 100644
--- a/engine/MUNGA_L4/L4AUDLVL.cpp
+++ b/engine/MUNGA_L4/L4AUDLVL.cpp
@@ -138,6 +138,11 @@ void
 			ALenum sourceState;
 			alGetSourcei(sourceSet.sources[i], AL_SOURCE_STATE, &sourceState);
 
+			if (getenv("BT_AUDIO_SPATIAL")) { static int s_se=0; if (s_se++<200)
+				DEBUG_STREAM << "[audio] SetupPatch ENTRY bank=" << (int)bankID << " patch=" << (int)patchID << " src=" << sourceSet.sources[i]
+					<< " file=" << (info.file?info.file:"?")
+					<< " state=" << sourceState << " (INITIAL=" << AL_INITIAL << ")" << "\n" << std::flush; }
+
 			if (sourceState == AL_INITIAL)
 			{
 				alSourcei(sourceSet.sources[i],AL_BUFFER,AL_getBuffer(info.bufferIndex));
diff --git a/game/reconstructed/btstubs.cpp b/game/reconstructed/btstubs.cpp
index 5d358ff..946a7b2 100644
--- a/game/reconstructed/btstubs.cpp
+++ b/game/reconstructed/btstubs.cpp
@@ -398,3 +398,7 @@ void VideoComponent::ReceiveControl(VideoControlID /*control_ID*/, Scalar /*cont
 void VideoComponent::Execute()
 {
 }
+
+// DIAG (audio footstep chain): the live &mech->footStep, exported so the
+// engine watcher poll can trace THE footstep watcher without per-run pointers.
+void *g_btFootStepAddr = 0;
diff --git a/game/reconstructed/mech.cpp b/game/reconstructed/mech.cpp
index b4cf913..2def1f2 100644
--- a/game/reconstructed/mech.cpp
+++ b/game/reconstructed/mech.cpp
@@ -925,6 +925,7 @@ Mech::Mech(
 	collisionTemporaryState = 0;
 	footStep                = 0;					// FootStep pulse (audio trigger)
 	footStepDecay           = 0;
+	{ extern void *g_btFootStepAddr; g_btFootStepAddr = &footStep; }	// DIAG: watcher-poll tracer target
 	radarRange          = 1000.0f;						// radar display scale (SetTargetRange is stubbed;
 														// 1km default zoom so contacts within ~500m show on
 														// the radar, vs the config maximum_range=4000 edge)
diff --git a/game/reconstructed/mech.hpp b/game/reconstructed/mech.hpp
index 265e73a..94f46c6 100644
--- a/game/reconstructed/mech.hpp
+++ b/game/reconstructed/mech.hpp
@@ -847,8 +847,12 @@ protected:
 		// stride clip (each walk/run/reverse alternation == one foot plant) and the
 		// per-frame motion tick decays it back to 0 a few frames later, giving one
 		// clean rising edge per step.  [T2]
-		int				footStep;			// the Logical the trigger polls (1 = contact)
-		int				footStepDecay;		// frames until the pulse clears
+		int				footStep;			// the Logical the matcher polls (1 = contact)
+		int				footStepDecay;		// MILLISECONDS until the pulse clears (time-based:
+											// the watcher polls ~10Hz and strides re-pulse ~2Hz,
+											// so the pulse must be one poll-period wide but end
+											// well before the next stride -- match=1 fires on the
+											// CHANGE to 1, so footStep must return to 0 in between)
 		// Radar/map gauge attributes (binary @0x404/0x408/0x40c/0x3f8).  The map
 		// widget reads position/angle as POINTERS into the mech's live origin, so
 		// radarLinearPosition/radarAngularPosition point at localOrigin.{linear,
diff --git a/game/reconstructed/mech2.cpp b/game/reconstructed/mech2.cpp
index 388bb0f..82efecd 100644
--- a/game/reconstructed/mech2.cpp
+++ b/game/reconstructed/mech2.cpp
@@ -261,9 +261,9 @@ void
 	if (state >= 1 && state <= 0x17)
 	{
 		footStep      = 1;
-		footStepDecay = 20;				// ~1/3s: outlives the watcher poll cadence (still < stride period)
+		footStepDecay = 150;			// ms: ~1.5 poll periods ON, OFF well before the next stride
 		if (getenv("BT_AUDIO_LOG")) { static int s_fs=0; if (s_fs++<40)
-			DEBUG_STREAM << "[audio] footstep pulse (clip " << state << ") addr=" << (void*)&footStep << "\n" << std::flush; }
+			DEBUG_STREAM << "[audio] footstep pulse (clip " << state << ") leftover=" << footStepDecay << "\n" << std::flush; }
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/game/reconstructed/mech4.cpp b/game/reconstructed/mech4.cpp
index 925fc93..685975c 100644
--- a/game/reconstructed/mech4.cpp
+++ b/game/reconstructed/mech4.cpp
@@ -292,10 +292,8 @@ Logical
 	// Choose this frame's forward-cycle slew rate.
 	forwardCycleRate = airborneSelect ? airborneCycleRate : groundCycleRate;	// 0x344<-0x5bc/0x5b8
 
-	// FootStep pulse decay (see SetBodyAnimation): clear the contact flag a few
-	// frames after the plant so the AudioLogicalTrigger re-arms for the next step.
-	if (footStepDecay > 0 && --footStepDecay == 0)
-		footStep = 0;
+	// (FootStep pulse decay moved to PerformAndWatch -- this integrator does not
+	// run on the current gait path, so a decay here never fired.)
 
 	if (IsDisabled())								// FUN_0049fb54
 	{
@@ -5205,6 +5203,21 @@ void
 	// (AudioLogicalTrigger FootStep, AudioMotionScale/Trigger LocalVelocity, ...)
 	// never executed -- only the PUSHED StateIndicator watchers fired.  That's
 	// why footsteps/motion-scaled sounds were silent while state sounds worked.  [T0]
+	// FootStep pulse decay (see SetBodyAnimation): clear the contact flag ~150ms
+	// after the plant so the FootStep matcher (fires on the CHANGE to 1) sees a 0
+	// before the next stride re-pulses.  Lives HERE (not IntegrateMotion, which the
+	// current gait path never calls) so it provably ticks every mech frame, right
+	// before the watcher poll below reads it.  Time-based -- tick-rate immune.
+	if (footStepDecay > 0)
+	{
+		footStepDecay -= (int)(dt * 1000.0f);
+		if (footStepDecay <= 0)
+		{
+			footStepDecay = 0;
+			footStep      = 0;
+		}
+	}
+
 	if (getenv("BT_AUDIO_LOG")) { static int s_wd=0; if ((s_wd++ % 300)==0)
 		DEBUG_STREAM << "[audio] mech watcher poll: delayed=" << (int)AreWatchersDelayed() << " audioWatchers=" << DebugAudioWatcherCount()
 			<< " simFlags=0x" << std::hex << (unsigned)simulationFlags << std::dec