This month we will look at the current Number 1 (Numero Uno) on the Billboard Chart.  It is Despacito by Fonsi in a version featuring Justin Bieber.  (File purchased from iTunes)  It was mastered by Dave Kutch.

​Typical brick shaped waveform...9,960 clipped samples in the left channel, 11,651 clipped samples in the right channel.  DC offset is -0.009% Left channel, -0.015% Right channel.  True peak level is +1.4dB. LKFS is -7.3dB.  Here is a look at the picture.

Here is what it should look like...

No clipped samples, no DC offset, low end problems fixed, 20% more dynamic range, and all fixed from their screwed up master.  True Peak level is -1.8dB, LKFS is -16dB.  As always, it sounds better.

Now that it is May, we will look at a song that has been at number 1 for a while and is now at number 3.   The Bruno Mars track we looked at last time is currently at the number 1 spot.

This one is mastered by Mike Bozzi at Bernie Grundman Mastering.  See previous posts to know how to compare it.

​We will start with the screen shot, and then explain the numbers.  This is the compressed MP4 version from iTunes.

The waveform has the squashed appearance that we have come to know and hate.  Boringly predictable. The true peak max level is at +0.7dB, with 3,581 clipped samples in the left channel and 2,325 clipped samples in the right channel.  (supposed to be 0)

The DC offset is .077% in the left channel and .100% in the right channel.   (supposed to be 0)

The LKFS number is -9.0.

The EQ has the low end problems that you hear in the track.  The distortion is easily audible and goes throughout the track from beginning to end. 

Just for fun, I went ahead and fixed the problems and it looks like this...and sounds much better.

These bad examples keep coming with no sign of stopping.  They are all predictable, but I keep pulling them from the very top, just so that you understand that it is a problem at the very top, not people at the bottom who do not know what they are doing.