Recording from Sonar to Sonar

I now use a Steinberg MR816x audio interface. I used to use an M-Audio Delta 66 (yes, it was ancient), and I used to be able to play tracks in Sonar and record them at the same time to a new audio track in Sonar. There were many reasons why I liked to do this. I have been trying everything to get my Steinberg to do the same thing but have not been successful. A forum member has suggested that perhaps doing a physical loop where I would just run cables from a pair of unused line outs into a pair of unused line inputs. I am not around the equipment right now so I have not tried this yet. If that works, I'm fine with it, but I am wondering if anyone else using a Steinberg MR816X might know another way to do it without physical cabling. Thanks, Mike

If you are going to be patching physically for the best quality it is best if you can arrange the digital output from your masterbuss say to be routed to the input of a stereo track. I do it using a digital mixer. It is one of the great features of using one. It easily allows any output to be routed back to an input and all digital connection.

You may need to stop input monitoring from your track that you are using in order to prevent a feedback loop but if you observe these things that can be avoided.

Using the analog Outputs back to your analog Inputs I think is a secondary option. If you cannot make this connection internally with your interface, using a digital switcher might be an option for physical connection. It will be a simple touch of a button to make the connection then when you want to. You could use your SPDIF connections to do this.

Just reading about it on the website also mentions the full capabaility of that unit may not be realised until you are running Cubase with it. Cubase may have the internal routing options you need. I don't think that is fair in a way. I think audio interface software should be tied to the computer rather than a program. eg EMU Patchmix is amazing for routing anything to anything and it operates right at the base computer level before you open up any DAW software.