if you got an ok mix, as long as the tracks aren't clipping in the daw you can just drop the input gain on the master bus, and the mastering plugins will work as intended atleast. everything except the master bus is 32-bit, float, meaning you can't clip it or in any way destroy the audio. it's only the mb that is hitting the DA, in better terms. modeled plugins, like 1176's and distressors and everything based on analog gear will probably work best with a lower input, like something from the chart above, since they model the analog circuitry which is VU. the stock cubase comp for example doesn't give a fuck since it is built so that you can control everything in accordance with the level, not the other way around.
but as far as recording goes; if you have a poor A/D, it will not handle the upper register well with higher levels (the last few bits). just drop the recording level and you'll get a cleaner less 'pushed' signal. the noise floor rises a bit, but in 24-bit that is not significant nor audible. if you're running i.e. a lynx aurora 16-vt with the screws trimmed to perfection you could easily have analog gear slamming their VU's in the red.
personal experience; tracks quickly stack up. i don't check every tracks led on my preamps or in the daw for clipping anymore when i'm recording drums etc, i just look at the master bus. play em to the scratch guitar just to get a gist of how much room i have to work with. when mixing time comes, my masterbus generally clips anyway because i have so many tracks going on and i can't record at -40 db, so i group the channels in like 5 groups or more, Guitars, Drums, Bass, Vox, EFX, etc and drop their input gain until i'm in the clear and have the mb peaking at like -3 ish. and i always keep my faders at zero until the final mixing, that makes it way easier to automate the snare and kick down for a certain part, raise the vox here and there, drag that note down on the bass that's just sticking out no matter what and most of all: transfering presets between projects! haha, i loved how joey shared this method and now everyone are dropping their group input gain levels to -9 even though their mbs might be hitting to low for plugins to work. presetz? but i'm using cali d plate? why i no asking alexandria? ¯\(°_o)/¯
thx man, i finally have full clarity on the topic now 
