Why does the Audio Meters in Final Cut Pro not show the real audio levels?

Thank you Terry! Very useful information that I didn't know about. I did some research on this difference, and I leave the summary below for anyone else who's interested.

Scenario: Limiter shows it's outputting -1dB which is also indicated by the visualization of the audio in the timeline that has a yellow bar across the top of it - but the Audio Meters beside the timeline is only showing an output of approximately -6dB.

Explanation:

• Limiter & Timeline Waveform (shows -1dB): These are showing you the peak level of your audio. The yellow color on the audio waveform is Final Cut Pro's visual cue that the audio is getting very close to 0dB, the maximum possible level before clipping. This is a peak warning. Trust the Limiters level display and the yellow timeline waveform indicator to know if you are preventing clipping and distortion. They are your safeguard against technical problems.

• Audio Meters (shows -6dB): The large audio meters next to the timeline are showing the RMS (also known as average) loudness. Even though you have some very quick sounds hitting -1dB (the peaks), the overall average volume of your audio at that moment is lower, around -6dB. This meter gives you a better sense of how loud the audio will sound to a listener. Trust the main Audio Meters to understand the perceived loudness of your audio and to achieve a balanced and consistent mix.

So the Limiter's level display and timeline waveform is showing a more detailed and technically correct audio representation, while the Audio Meters are displaying an average that better represents the perceived loudness.