Hi All!
I posted a little a few days ago, but I think this post may be more exact in expressing my concerns.
 
I can't find anything recent that speaks to my confusion about meters and calibration (or I might have missed something).
 
For instance, are the Sonar meters 3 dB-too-hot (or is it too cold???) or is that an old issue?
How do Sonarians go about calibrating their meters to make sure that a ProToolian, Cubasarian, Logilander, etc, will not come back to us with a gripe?
 
Thanks,
Ray (aka Oluon)

Calibration is standard: full code is full code, no matter what DAW you use.
 
However, different DAWs default to different pan laws which can lead to level variations when transferring projects from one DAW to another (and can also account for why some people think different DAWs "sound" different). Please read the following:
 
http://blog.cakewalk.com/panning-laws/
http://www.harmonycentral.com/articles/the-truth-about-panning-laws
 

It is true that a meter on DAW A may show a clip when DAW B doesn't. This may be due to the A DAW seeing inter-sample clipping and other not. I believe it isn't that important as long as you keep the final mixdown without clipping.  I normally put a limiter on the master buss (Concrete Limiter) to catch any stray overs.  I really don't worry about it.

SONAR's RMS level meters show -3 dB at full scale.
 
Other programms (DAWs or audio interface software and their meters) could be set to show RMS +3 dB, so that a full scale level would be identical for Peak and RMS at 0 dBFS.
 
Not a problem at all, just keep it in mind if you compare RMS levels between DAWs and see a difference.
 
 

Not sure whether the OP is referring to Peak or RMS values.

Not sure, too.
He only mentioned "3 dB" and that could mean pan law (as you said above) or Oversampling Peaks mentioned by John or RMS level (or maybe something completely different...  )
 
 
 

Klaus
SONAR's RMS level meters show -3 dB at full scale.
 
Other programms (DAWs or audio interface software and their meters) could be set to show RMS +3 dB, so that a full scale level would be identical for Peak and RMS at 0 dBFS.
 
Not a problem at all, just keep it in mind if you compare RMS levels between DAWs and see a difference.
 
 

Try this test: Load up a metering plug in. but do it like this:
 
1-Insert a stereo bus.(call it M Bus 1)
2- Now go to the output of your Master bus and send that output to the newly created bus you made in step 1.
3- Load a metering plug in, into the FX bin of M Bus 1.
4-Reference the metering plug in Vs. the Master bus meter.
What do you see ? About 3db ?
 
Im not sure why, someone explained it in detail to me once before (a very cool gentlemen).
I couldn't wrap my head around it. So when I am in Mix down stages / or Mastering Stages,
this is how I meter (Waves Peak, Dorrough, BX Meter, Exc.)

When I use BX Meter in your test, I see a difference of 3 dB in RMS level.
SONAR shows e.g. a RMS level of -15 dB while BX Meter shows a RMS value of -12 dB.
 
That's why I mentioned it above. 
Some meter plug-ins can be set/calibrated to -3 dB RMS, so the reading is the same as in SONAR.
 

Klaus
When I use BX Meter in your test, I see a difference of 3 dB in RMS level.
SONAR shows e.g. a RMS level of -15 dB while BX Meter shows a RMS value of -12 dB.
 
That's why I mentioned it above. 
Some meter plug-ins can be set/calibrated to -3 dB RMS, so the reading is the same as in SONAR.
 

BX Meter, Great plug in isn't it .
when I put a metering plug in in the master bus FX bin, I see a big difference between what Sonar is showing and the metering plug in. I've tried playing with post/pre FX but as a metering plug ion, it really shouldn't matter.
(unless you have FX in the bus bin)
 
I thought this was what the OP might have been asking about, maybe im wrong though.
but when I ever hear someone mention a 3db difference in meters, this is one of the first thing that comes to mind.
The test above is how I set up for mix down and mastering. by simply adding the extra bus off the master bus, one can get an accurate reading. I simply delete the bus once im finished.

Klaus
SONAR's RMS level meters show -3 dB at full scale.
 
Other programms (DAWs or audio interface software and their meters) could be set to show RMS +3 dB, so that a full scale level would be identical for Peak and RMS at 0 dBFS.
 
Not a problem at all, just keep it in mind if you compare RMS levels between DAWs and see a difference.
 
 

Hi All!
 
Am I the OP? (LOL!)
 
(I am not referring to the Panning Laws.)
 
If I understand the post I am quoting, I could mix to -9 dB peak in Sonar and another - using the AES calibration, for example, a mastering engineer, could see my peak as -6 dB (if his DAW follows the AES calibration rules).
Would the same hold for RMS values?
 
Thank you for your help.
 
Ray (aka Oluon)