when i stop recording, my tracks immediately change volume and start clipping. 
 
here is my setup;
Sonar X3 Studio
Windows 7 Pro
16GB ram, I7, SSD
 
i am using one Kontakt plugin, which has 5 instruments - all with their own separate midi/audio tracks. 4 tracks are playing in a 8-bar loop (1 track is sequenced, the others are pre-recorded), i then start recording my 5th track/loop (pressing record - comp mode), then after i stop recording (press record again), the other 4 tracks jump over 10db and start clipping. the only indication of this is by the level meters and my ears - none of the sliders or knobs move when it does this. if i then restart the recording it changes the volumes back to normal. i can't think of what the problem could be. i have reset audio and midi, made sure only the 5th track was armed, and double checked my routing.
 
how do i prevent the volume from changing on it's own? 

Welcome to the forum!
 
Just to get a better picture of the situation:
You first record/sequence tracks 1-4 and you can play them back normally, no clipping, track and master bus
meters at acceptable levels? Then you record track 5, and after the recording tracks 1-4 start playing back
much louder, and the track meters on each track 1-4 is showing a radical volume increase, but track 5 is playing back on the intended level?
You have everything routed: MIDI>Kontakt>Audio output track>Master Bus> Main out
 
My first thought was could tracks 1-4 be somehow copied during the recording of track 5. It is a normal thing that the monitor playback level during recording differs from the playback output level. Have you noticed if the actual material
on tracks 1-4 has changed in any way? And if you solo the tracks, you hear only the intended instrument on each track?
 
It sounds like something is summing up somewhere (as the controllers are not moving), but as I'm still on 8.5 I can't say what role the record modes of X3 possibly play in this.

You could be in Offset mode. Or volume automation.
 
Also, Sonar has no control over the recording levels you record into sonar. Those levels are controlled with everything before it reaches Sonar.
 
Cj

Kalle Rantaaho
You first record/sequence tracks 1-4 and you can play them back normally, no clipping, track and master bus
meters at acceptable levels? Then you record track 5, and after the recording tracks 1-4 start playing back
much louder, and the track meters on each track 1-4 is showing a radical volume increase, but track 5 is playing back on the intended level?

 
Exactly what is happening. For further clarity, 1-4 only increase in volume if they continue to play after recording track 5 (i.e live looping). If I stop transport and hit play, all the levels are fine. If I stop transport then solo each track all the levels are fine. If I start the recording again, all the levels are fine. And I verified only 1 instrument is being recorded per track.  I am not using any automation or envelopes at all. It's not recording any volume changes to any of the tracks, so don't know why the volume is changing. 
 
I am going to try another synth plugin later tonight to see if maybe Kontakt is the problem. 
 
 
 
 

If it's not the Offset mode CJ suggested I'm puzzled...