”We got no such standardized reference. x dBFS is a digital voltage
level (peak) and y dBVU or dBu is an analog voltage level (RMS).
Digital and analogue are two totally different realms.
There is no relation between dBFS and dBVU or dBu, whatsoever.
Analog meter (ppm): attack time 10 to 300 ms − reading rms values.
Digital meter: attack time < 1 ms − reading peak values. That is really
some difference.
Advice: Watch only your digital meters and go up to 0 dBFS, but never
go over this mark. We use "headroom" in the analog domain. That is OK,
but we don't need digital "headroom" as an always unused forbidden zone.
You are free to choose your private headroom, if you like that, but here is
no standard that you must do that.
Never take the following funny guessing game for granted. Use it only as a rough guide:
European & UK calibration for Post & Film is −18 dBFS = 0 VU
BBC spec: −18 dBFS = PPM "4" = 0 dBu
American Post: −20 dBFS = 0 VU = +4 dBu
Orchestral −18 dBFS = 0 VU = +4 dBu
Rock and / or Radio −16, or −14, or −12 dBFS = 0 VU = +4 dBu
Digi 002 is only capable of −14 dBFS.
German ARD & studio PPM +6 dBu = −10 (−9) dBFS. +16 (+15)dBu = 0 dBFS. No VU.
EBU R68-1992 - The European Broadcasting Union recommends: digital level
-9 dBFs (maximum). Reference level -18 dBFs. 0 dBFs equal to +15 dBu.
Notice: 0 dBFS is the permitted maximum level.”
Nog om detta nu då det drar åt OT!