Why would I wanna set peak amplitude to 0db Wouldn’t that mean there’s no sound at all?
On a logarithmic scale 0dB is maximum loudness …
Decibels are relative (it’s a logarithmic ratio) so they need a reference. 0dB is a reference level and there are different standards for dB SPL (loudness in the air) digital levels, and electrical levels.
Dead silence is an infinite ratio which equals minus infinity dB. (You’ll get an error if you try to calculate it.) Dead silence exists in the digital domain but with electrical and acoustic signals there is always some noise so you can’t get pure silence.
With SPL, 0dB is approximately the quietest sound that can be heard so SPL levels are normally positive. i.e. A rock band can be 100dB SPL or louder. SPL levels can go negative but that’s rare on earth. “Soundproof” studios usually have background noise levels around 20-30dB SPL.
If you’ve ever seen an old VU Meter 0dB VU is a standard electrical audio signal level. VU levels are normally negative but sometimes they can go positive.
0dBFS (zero decibels full-scale) is the “digital maximum.” It’s represented by the highest number that you can “count to” (positive and negative) with a given number of bits. The numbers in a 24-bit file are bigger than the numbers in a 16-bit file but everything is scaled to match your DAC, so the 24-bit file isn’t louder.
With floating point audio a numerical value of 1.0 represents 0dBFS and for all practical purposes there is no maximum or minimum dB level. Audacity uses floating point internally so it can temporarily go over 0dB. But you’ll clip (distort) your DAC if you play it at “full digital volume”. Or you’ll get a clipped file if you go over 0dB and export as a regular (integer) WAV file.
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