How to increase audio meter scale sensivity to see -12dB

How do I increase the sensitivity of the audio meter scale, so I can see where -12dB is at?

My client needs the audio level to be at -12dB, and I need to constantly check the levels.

In premiere, I can simply stretch the audio meters tab, until -12dB comes up on the scale.
In resolve, no matter how much I stretch the audio meter, the scale stays the same: 0dB, -5, -10, -15.

I tried "guesstimating" the value, by using a compressor and trying to stay in between -10 and -15, and ended up re-importing the project into premiere, and re-adjusting the volume there, because it was all over the place.

Using Resolve Studio 18.6

None of the meter scales in Resolve have a -12 marking.

In Fairlight you can use the dynamics control to shape the levels to whatever you need with limiting, compression, or equalization in whatever combination you need. It also has a very useful graphical display of instantaneous levels updated in real time.

How do I increase the sensitivity of the audio meter scale, so I can see where -12dB is at?

The meter scale is fixed but a Bus meter level preference is available in:
Project Settings > Fairlight > Audio Metering

Bus Meter High Level and Bus Meter Low Level Preferences are available.
The Bus meter alignment level is also definable.

My client needs the audio level to be at -12dB, and I need to constantly check the levels.

Is the spec indicating -12dBFS Sample Peak level maximum or RMS?

In Fairlight you can use the dynamics control to shape the levels to whatever you need with limiting, compression, or equalization in whatever combination you need. It also has a very useful graphical display of instantaneous levels updated in real time.

Fairlight monitoring is ok, too bad I have to lose time by constantly switching between the Edit tab and Fairlight, in order to do such a simple thing as checking where the audio level is at, exactly.
Whereas in Premiere, I edit a clip, quickly glance at the sound level, adjust it, move on.

The meter scale is fixed but a Bus meter level preference is available in:
Project Settings > Fairlight > Audio Metering

Bus Meter High Level and Bus Meter Low Level Preferences are available.
The Bus meter alignment level is also definable.

How do I use these settings in order to see where -12dB is at?

Is the spec indicating -12dBFS Sample Peak level maximum or RMS?

maximum sample peak level, which should be what Premiere is displaying on it's meters, and where the client told me to keep the audio level at.

How do I use these settings in order to see where -12dB is at?

Set the Bus Meter High Level to -12dBFS and metered signal above that threshold will be displayed in red. Set the Low Level preference to match lineup (i.e. -18dBFS) which indicates 6dB of headroom - range displayed in yellow.

Alternatively, set the Bus meter alignment level to -12dBFS to set this level as “0” or the permitted maximum level. Set the Bus Meter High Level to -3dBFS as a warning when riding levels. Set the Low Level preference to -9dBFS to indicate headroom range in yellow.

maximum sample peak level

In other words -12dBFS = 0VU? Is this to deliver a DCP intended for a festival?

One option is to instantiate an instance of the Fairlight AFX Limiter on the Sum and set the Threshold to -12dBTP.

Set the Bus Meter High Level to -12dBFS and metered signal above that threshold will be displayed in red. Set the Low Level preference to match lineup (i.e. -18dBFS) which indicates 6dB of headroom - range displayed in yellow.

thanks, it should do the trick

Is this to deliver a DCP intended for a festival?

It's for an european TV channel, that needs my exports to stay between -8 and -12dB tops

One option is to instantiate an instance of the Fairlight AFX Limiter on the Sum and set the Threshold to -12dBTP.

will do that, thanks a lot!