IMO you should treat that 0VU exactly as if it's, well, 0VU. Forget referencing to 0dbfs, except to realize that that's the extreme upper limit of your headroom. Dance around 0vu just as you would in a totally analog system and you'll be fine. Don't worry, with 24 bits you're getting a plenty big chunk of audio even at the lower levels. -R

Use your ears. If everything in the room is already calibrated correctly before you even get there... all you'll ever have to do is use your ears. How will you know something is too loud? It'll sound too loud and hurt your ears. how will you know if something is too quiet? You'll be straining to hear it. so... use your ears. Don't mess with the control room volume as a way to adjust the level of what you are hearing. Leave the CR level at Unity and adjust the preamps accordingly, using your ears.

1. don't record very hot. drums with peaks between -10 to -6 dBFS should be ok but see if u can be happy with less hotter level. 2. set levels for best sound (without distortion - unless distortion is a desired sound/effect) 3. make sure you're not clipping the AD stage. some people only look at the meter on the DAW, and the meter on the PRE, but forget about the meter on the AD