How to: Hardware setup with Focusrite Pro 40

This message usually comes up when:

1. You've got your Focusrite set as your default Windows sound device; and
2. Windows' sound settings (sampling rate / bit depth) are different from what they are in X3

So there's two options,

1. Change Windows' sound settings to match what you want in Sonar (note that after some windows updates, it'll annoyingly randomly change it back); or
2. Enable your on-board sound device, and get Windows to use that so that your Focusrite is free for Sonar to use without interruption.

 
The issue with (2) of course, is that you won't hear Windows sounds, sounds from your browser etc (e.g. youtube, spotify etc) unless you've got your on-board sound device connected to your speakers as well. 
 
Personally I use option (2) with a Mackie Big Knob to switch between my focusrite and my on-board device.
 

Coreysan123
7. Since its ASIO, the bit depth dropdown is greyed out, so it probably defaults to 16 bit. Nothing I can change.

 
Don't assume this - click on the ASIO Panel button and make sure your ASIO bit depth/sampling rate is set to be the same.
 
If you can, I'd use 24 bit rather than 16 bit. It makes a huge difference in dynamic range.
 
[Edit: obviously you'll need to set it to 24 bit in Windows / CbB too]
 

You do have to enable the loop back facility in the Pro 40's Mixer so SONAR can see the incoming audio.

Thanks so much for your help, friends. I'm really beginning to think it's my PCI card for FireWire. But I tried the configuration a third time, and wondered if you spot anything I did wrong:
 
1. I uninstalled the FocusRite Saffire sound driver software, and reinstalled from the original CD when I purchased the Focusrite Pro 40 (version 2.1).
 
2. I disabled all other sound devices, using Device Manager. Only Saffire is enabled.
 
3. I went into Windows Sound Devices Manager and configured both the playback and record on the Saffire software to use 24 bit/96000.
 
4. I doubled checked Saffire, and confirmed it inherited the 96000 sampling rate from the config.
 
5. Before using Sonar X3, I tested the routing presets. I get playback from the browser if I use DAW Tracking, and Mixing. I get absolutely no sound at all if I select "Loopback" for the preset. (I find that suspicious, but I could be wrong.)
 
6. So, I set up Saffire for DAW Tracking, but set up the Loopback 1 and Loopback 2 to use the Analog 1 in and Analog 2 In channels.
 
7. I brought up Sonar X3, and made absolutely sure that the ASIO config was set to 24/96000. I didn't know that
Sonar will inherit the 24 bit depth from Saffire, so that explains why it's greyed out. If I were to change the bit depth, I'd see the change in Sonar. I only had to make sure the sampling rate matched.
 
8. So, I can get playback just fine, but if I attempt to record anything off the browser, I get that same error message.
 
So unless I am still not understanding the configuration settings, I think ShmuelJoseph has a point. The PCI card I got for FireWire got a pass from Focusrite, but I still wonder if it's a cheapie. It was a standard PCI to Firewire card at Fry's Electronics.
 
Any thoughts, anyone? Again, thank you all so very much!
Corey

When I shifted to Win10, I had to back out MixControl to 3.4. 3.7 has a known bug that doesn't pass audio unless you shift the audio buffer (and cannot do this if the Saffire is the default Windows device since it will lock it). That bug is why the Mac-only 3.6 was made.

Backing out to 3.4 using Win10 requires two steps, so will post that later if Focusrite doesn't tell you how. Not at the computer ATM, but they sent me an email about that several months ago. 3.4 works as expected for my Saffire, but uninstalling 3.7 has an extra step (which IIRC was to uninstall the driver's from the device manager in addition to the MixControl software itself... Otherwise 3.4 will find/use the 3.7 drivers on you).