What are they? My understanding is that dB is used for analog audio and dBFS is used in digital hardware/software audio. Why are Sonar meters described as VU, (an anolog standard)? Are they VU meters with three different flavors, (rms, peak and peak+rms)? Why aren't they dBFS level meters? Every time there's a subject on volume here in this forum referring to Sonar, I keep seeing descriptions in dB. Even in Sonar's help program volume is described in dB. I assumed all DAW programs are digital not analog. So again I ask, (I am very confused), what are they? There is nothing I could find anywhere as to what they are. Isn't the level output reading supposed to be dBFS? Even the measurement range selection for the meters is in dB. Please excuse my dumminess...I'm just so confused.

http://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR&language=3&help=Mixing.18.html
 

Thanks for the link but I already know all of that. Good try but you didn't read or perhaps understood my question.

I would assume the meters in Sonar are dbFS since if you go over 0db it will clip.

No.
 
Your Track and Bus meters can go WAY into the red but because of the 64 bit floating point maths involved, you won't clip your output if you drag your master fader down to a point where there is no "clipping".
 
You can easily prove this for yourself.
 
Your interface outputs (Main Outs) are different. If you clip  these then you're introducing digital distortion which sounds horrible. So my take is that your track & buss meters emulate analog VU meters whereas your Mains are true DbFS meters.
 
Someone with a bit more knowledge than myself should be able to prove or disprove these rambling thoughts. 
 
 

I would assume that everything referred to as dB in the digital world is just an abbreviation for dBFS.  I also think that if this topic is expounded upon in detail, we will have a general increase in knowledge for gain staging analog and digital components, but I also think the differences can't really be heard until they add up to an overly saturated mix or something odd happening that's hard to fix.  I think we should talk about it.  

Bristol_Jonesey
Someone with a bit more knowledge than myself should be able to prove or disprove these rambling thoughts. 
 

Thanks brother. It seems like no one so far knows either. I guess this will be the one time were the members are stumped.

I too am in the dark as to how these work. Although I track and mix paying attention to staying away from the red, I have noticed that on occasion when I have strayed into the red, I don't really hear any obvious distortion.

"The red" is still -6 dB. You shouldn't get distortion until you reach 0 dB.
Or not?

Dreamer
What are they? My understanding is that dB is used for analog audio and dBFS is used in digital hardware/software audio. Why are Sonar meters described as VU, (an anolog standard)? Are they VU meters with three different flavors, (rms, peak and peak+rms)? Why aren't they dBFS level meters? Every time there's a subject on volume here in this forum referring to Sonar, I keep seeing descriptions in dB. Even in Sonar's help program volume is described in dB. I assumed all DAW programs are digital not analog. So again I ask, (I am very confused), what are they? There is nothing I could find anywhere as to what they are. Isn't the level output reading supposed to be dBFS? Even the measurement range selection for the meters is in dB. Please excuse my dumminess...I'm just so confused.

Download a third party Level Meter Plugin and run some test compared to Sonar meters, and you can probably figure out yourself what you are actually seeing in Sonar. Think there are some decent free ones out there, if I am not mistaken (dBFS and VU types).
For my final mix I always use third party Level Meters, as well as for my gain staging and especially for Mastering. Yes Sonar could probably have more accurate level metering, although to be fair, IMHO,I haven't used a DAW yet that has accurate level meters, and I use a few.
Just my 2 cents.