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The idea always has been about getting the signal to line level. That's what the mic preamps are for. That is the level that all the analog equipment in your signal chain works best at.
Line level is an average signal level (what an analog VU meter reads) not a peak level (what the meters in your DAW reads) or an average peak level (the average level of the peaks).
There is no standard for what a line level signal will equal in a DAW. Most of the converters that I have run across seem to be calibrated somewhere between -15dbfs and -20dbfs. The manual will normally tell you that spec, or at least tell you how much headroom it has so you can do the math. (18db of headroom would put line level at -18dbfs)
Sounds with low peak to average ratios like heavily distorted guitars, sine wave synth patches, etc... will have peaks around -15dbfs when recorded at line level (assuming line level = -18dbfs)
Sounds with high peak to average ratios like drums, piano, etc.. can have peaks up around digital clipping when recorded at line level.
Peak levels are only useful to see if you are clipping. The average level is the key to clean recordings.
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