Audio
dBFS — Decibels Full Scale
01 — Definition
The decibel scale of a digital system, referenced to the highest level the converter can represent: 0 dBFS is digital full scale, the hard ceiling above which samples clip. Every digital level is negative (−18 dBFS, −6 dBFS…). Unlike dBu and dBV, which reference analogue voltages, dBFS has no fixed analogue equivalent — the alignment (−18 or −20 dBFS = +4 dBu, for instance) is set per system by the converter's calibration.
02 — In the field
Aim a healthy digital signal around −18 to −12 dBFS average, leaving headroom up to 0 — not pinned against the ceiling like an analogue VU. A meter kissing 0 dBFS is already clipping; in digital there is no 'into the red' safety margin.