[roann]

I'm pretty sure this was caused by a compressor. It basically allows you to boost nearly anything that's lower than the highest peak to that maximum - if you a) have no clue how to use the compressor software properly, and b) cannot hear anything (even Pete Townsend will tell you how bad such a butchered recording sounds).

Using a compressor that moronic way the dynamic range will go down to zero. That's why you cannot get the second wave with normalisation. As said above this increases the volume with a given level while maintaining the dynamic range.