Thanks everyone for sticking this out with me. Sorry I got a bit testy. There are just a lot of things I love about Logic but I've always found the transition frustrating for whatever reason. I had to force myself to mix this project in Logic because I'm tired of putting it off.
David, you're right...
"doesn't get the same level out of Logic (when the song is peaking close to 0 dB FS) as he could get out of Pro Tools (when the song is peaking close to 0 dB FS)"... and I would add that in order to peak close to 0 in Pro Tools I have to do heavy limiting or compression, whereas I do no limiting and little compression in Logic and I'm metering above 0
this is why I feel like its a setting or preference or something. I'm interfacing with an apogee ensemble, the main out going into my central station is at full volume. In logic I'm using the Level plugin under Metering (I think)... in pro tools I believe the plugin is a bombfactory master meter. They seem to do the same thing... but the only time my meter in pro tools gets even above -10 is when I'm slamming it with a limiter... never from just mixing hot.
And yes I do mix hot. I usually only leave my mastering guy a couple db of headroom, I guess I'm a control freak that way. I know a lot of really good mixers that do the same thing and yes I know all the technical reasons I shouldn't do that, so save your breath
I will say that my Pro Tools rig is HD, maybe that makes some difference, but it shouldn't change the game that much, right? Also, I do sum analog sometimes and can assure you that's not the answer here, in fact it likely makes my problem worse. Luckily for this mix I'm completely "in the box" with a few nice Waves plugs.