-18 db means loosing 3 Bits, which is no problem with a 24 dB A/D converter. (Regaring that the resolution of a CD is 16 bits, and analogue Studio tape provides an equivalent of something like 14 Bits.)
hitting the digital limit at 0dB is a catastrophe..
Hence -18 dB is not a myth, but a compromise that seems useful in many situations.
Of course using an analogue compressor before the A/D converter allows for reducing the digital Headroom appropriately.
-Michael
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