dBu to dBV converter
Convert audio levels between dBu, dBV and volts — the difference between professional and consumer gear in one number.
That's about the same as professional line level. That is about 1.228 volts RMS.
What it means
How hot is that signal?
dBFS depends on the converter’s alignment. The +4 dBu = −20 dBFS used here is the common broadcast standard; some studios align at −18 or −14.
Every unit
Your level in every unit
Learn
Three things worth knowing
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dBu = dBV + 2.2
So −10 dBV is −7.8 dBu, and the gap to the professional +4 dBu is 11.8 dB. That is why consumer gear sounds quiet plugged into a desk.
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The 600 ohm line
Telephone engineering matched everything to 600 ohms, where 1 mW needs 0.7746 V. The impedance matching is long gone; the reference voltage stayed.
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The difference is not 14 dB
Subtracting −10 from +4 gives 14, but the units differ. Convert first: the real gap between consumer and professional level is 11.8 dB.
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Background
About dBu and dBV
Both measure voltage in decibels, against different references. dBV is against one volt, which is tidy. dBu is against 0.7746 V — the voltage that once delivered one milliwatt into a 600 ohm telephone line.
Professional gear runs at +4 dBu and consumer gear at −10 dBV, which is a real difference of 11.8 dB, not 14.