I don't know your unit specifically
but
it doesn't suprise me that 0dBu to +4dBu
lands inside a digital unit at around -16dBFS

you must use the dB extensions like dBu, dBm, dBFS and so on
or it will never begin to make sense

one thing to know about your digital unit is
what analog level will produce -0dBFS
and
when at 0dBFS what analog level will come out

Kev wrote: I don't know your unit specifically
but
it doesn't suprise me that 0dBu to +4dBu
lands inside a digital unit at around -16dBFS

you must use the dB extensions like dBu, dBm, dBFS and so on
or it will never begin to make sense

one thing to know about your digital unit is
what analog level will produce -0dBFS
and
when at 0dBFS what analog level will come out

i'm going to check this out tonight, but i would imagine in order to get my levels up high enough for the recorder, i would be get clipping on the mixer meters?

so if this happens, do i back the mixer levels down until they don't clip, and then adjust the rest of the input gain i need with the recorders trim knobs?

You may also be experiencing the difference between actual "quasi" VU metering versus peak metering meters. Peak metering ballistics and vu metering ballistics are completely different and indicate different levels as well. They both show you import information but on different levels, quite literally.

Plus, the Teac/TASCAM stuff wants to see a -10 DB input with reference to 1 volt. The Mackie outputs a + 4 DB level with reference to a .775 volt output. The Mackie will in all probability overload the inputs of your Teac/TASCAM stuff. Try taking the white and red RCA outputs from your Mackie into your Porta studio, instead. I hate this kind of problem when dealing with professional studio level outputs and Teacs idea of how things should be.

Made in America
Ms. Remy Ann David

thanks for the replies, i'll both your ideas. to be honest i always thought my meters would match up across the board, guess not.