Jagged Rocks on the Perimeter

[user151]

That's not correct at all. They should be peaking at around -6db. 

I do the engineering, the mixing and the mastering. Even the final mix needs to be peaking at -6db before you send it off for mastering. That's so the mastering engineer has something to work with when applying EQ, dynamics processing and leveling.

Yeah, the mix engineer leaves 6dB in the final mix for the mastering engineer. That's what I was trying to say. The tracks need to utilize the full resolution of the recorder to give them presence though, so they don't sound flat and lifeless. A track that peaks at a hair under 0dB on the recorder won't be at that level when the mix engineer plugs it into the console because he should be starting with all of the faders pulled back to around -10dB. This assumes your DAW works like a regular recorder and mixer, of course. I know it's all one big piece of software, so the lines between the different components may be obscured.