Bob. I think we're getting there!

Just to expand on your comments about VU meters, all music contains what are called instantaneous peaks which can last for milliseconds, but will effect the overall level. The VU meter is designed to give a more average view of the perceived volume and has a damping factor which ignores these peaks. In effect, anything which lasts for less than about 300 milliseconds won't register on the meter. Some "posh" desks have meters which will switch between VU mode and PPM mode (Peak Program Mode) to enable the engineer to get a more comprehensive view of what's going on.

A small amount of upward limiting can be applied to most tracks to get rid of the instantaneous peaks and increase volume without overly effecting the sound. As you correctly say, RealTracks are recorded to give the engineer the option of treating the track, or not.

ROG.