mudgel
If you turn on Share drivers in Sonar only the program with windows focus can use it. If you uncheck share driver then all programs can access the driver simultaneously. It seems counter intuitive but that's the way it is.

I didn't know this. Seriously? If this is the case isn't this a bug as it seems to be the wrong way around if what you are saying is correct.

Quote from help..

"Tip: If you select Share Drivers With Other Programs in Edit > Preferences > Audio - Playback and Recording, SONAR will relinquish control of the audio device when the program loses Windows focus."

It needs to be renamed I think to:
Relinquish control of audio device when Sonar loses focus in Windows.

Very very misleading!!!
Bakers?

it works the opposite for me, I'm pretty sure when I have "Share" on SONAR plays nice with others... -S

+1 to the "sharing drivers" actually releasing when SONAR loses focus (mine is also off on my Saffire). Sharing is a combination of the drivers accepting this and the programs accessing the interface adapting to the sample rate on the interface (on the Saffire - the first one that gets it locks it out to change).
 
Another setting to be aware of is the "exclusive modes" in Windows sound card settings (properties for the device). Unless required for some reason, these should also be off, as it turns Windows into a "mindless gatekeeper" of the interface, and again the "finders keepers" rule applies (it is possible to lock out SONAR in this way because something else got it first).

Doktor Avalanche
Quote from help..

"Tip: If you select Share Drivers With Other Programs in Edit > Preferences > Audio - Playback and Recording, SONAR will relinquish control of the audio device when the program loses Windows focus."

It needs to be renamed I think to:
Relinquish control of audio device when Sonar loses focus in Windows.

Sort of like MIDI channel NONE = Omni which actually means all. If NONE can mean ALL then surely SHARE can mean CONFISCATE/RELINQUISH.

The reason for selecting Share drivers is so that you can lock out other programs from accessing the audio device. Because with out that box ticked it is possible for other programs to access the audio device at the same time as Sonar and pass an audio stream at the same time as Sonar causing a horrible confusion of noise.

Thanks all... just got back into town.  Consider me better educated now...
 

Doktor Avalanche
Quote from help..

"Tip: If you select Share Drivers With Other Programs in Edit > Preferences > Audio - Playback and Recording, SONAR will relinquish control of the audio device when the program loses Windows focus."

It needs to be renamed I think to:
Relinquish control of audio device when Sonar loses focus in Windows.

slartabartfast
Sort of like MIDI channel NONE = Omni which actually means all. If NONE can mean ALL then surely SHARE can mean CONFISCATE/RELINQUISH.

Bakers... are you here? Enhancement request please... Thanks...