Last night as you exited your studio, you were happy with how dynamic yet punchy your mastered mixes were sounding.

Unfortunately for you, as you dream of dynamic waveforms, the next Yuletide Trickster sneaks into your studio.

Sausage-Swiper is his name, and usually, he heads for the delis and grocery stores to soothe his addiction. This time, he's set his sights on the open mastering session you left on your studio computer.

He furrows his brow at the audio regions. They remind him of sausage casing that's not quite full of meat. He finds your limiter and squeezes your audio through it, making your entire album look like a brick wall.

Now the regions look like they're full and satisfactory to Sausage-Swipers' eyes. He feels a grumble in his stomach and heads out in search of some actual sausages, leaving your masters open for you to discover.

Luckily for you, Sausage-Swiper didn't bounce and overwrite your masters. When you come in the studio today, you immediately notice something wrong. You hit play and you're taken aback by the lack of dynamics.

You glance at your meters and notice that the Dynameter's color has changed from green to brown. If the Dynameter was a real person, you safely assume that it would be feeling just as sick as you about your completely squashed mixes.

You find the limiter and reel it back to a safe position. The Dynameter gives you a smile as it turns back to dynamic and green, and you both breathe easier, knowing that your mixes are safe.