What have I done wrong?

I think I see the case now. Because you use an mp3 file in your original pictures, hence this is “normal” that you see this reduced bit presence at the bottom of the bit-meter (because mp3 does not have that 32 bit float full accuracy). On your 16 bit file, you don’t see that.

Coming back to your mp3 case, as soon as you process any channel, the 32 bit float range is used, then all bits are equally represented.

This means, on your 1st picture at the top of this thread, the left channel is being processed (even by just ±0.001 dB) while the right channel, is not (mp3 unprocessed signal).

I can reproduce all that now. But if my explanation was clear enough, you will understand that all this is normal and that the bit-meter is a great faithful tool :slight_smile:

Thanks.

I guess my question becomes why when I ctr+click either fader at 0 dB and neither fader has been moved…but maybe the ctr+click causes a .001 dB change, it changes to proper behavior? The ctr+click is making this change…when there is no visible actual movement of the fader.

I thought I have to actually move the fader even if very slightly to manifest the change?

So back to my original post here, the little I do know about the bit meter, since both faders were at 0 dB, I originally made a bad assumption that it could not have anything to do with the faders since they were not touched.

Thanks for the explanation.