That means the signal was clipped going into SONAR.... what your interface sent in. Anything with meters should lock in a clipping event so you know it occurred.

greg54
Something I forgot to mention.   Someone posted something (I looked for it but couldn't find it) that said to check the recorded clip to see if the top of where it distorts was cut off.
It is cut off.     What would this mean?
 
Thanks!
Greg

This could mean your recording too loud and clipping your signal.
Someone already said this, but do you ever check Sonar track meters? If you clip a track the red will stay there if your meters are set to peak and hold. 

Cactus Music:  That's impossible.  When I have the Volume of the interface so low that I can barely hear it through the monitors or earphones when I record, when the wave of the recorded clip is very small, when the meter goes about half way up, not even coming near the red/clipping, it's not possible that I'm recording too hot.  
I would think that somehow there is something within Sonar or my interface causing it.  
 
Thanks!
Greg

Checking out a different interface sounds reasonable - I don't understand why the difference when clean, but I am mostly a keyboard guy, so I don't understand guitar players - I just tolerate them (kidding).
 
This sure seems like a weird issue you are having to work through - I wish I had a better understanding of this end of things, so I could help.
 
Bob Bone
 

robert_e_bone
but I am mostly a keyboard guy, so I don't understand guitar players - I just tolerate them (kidding).
 
Bob Bone
 

 
Yeah, that's how guitar players feel about drummers.  lol
 
It's not making sense to me, but I believe I'll find the problem sooner or later.
 
Thanks!
Greg
 

It's how we ALL feel about drummers.  :)
 
Bob Bone
 

Correct... if you have a clipped wave form at low amplitude that is a key indicator of an interface issue. Can be something simple as far as pilot errror.... but... if that interface passed a clipped signal to SONAR without locking in a clip indicator, something is up with it.

Edit-try recording again with the interface control panel open. The top of the meters on that graphical interface should have red dots that lock in and must be manually clicked to reset (so you acknowledge a clip occurred)

Good call, Mr Mettelus.
 
Bob Bone
 

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This is what the clips look like.   Some are worse.  But you can see the tops that are cut off.
While the clips were playing, I checked the meter inside Quad-Capture's control panel and saw that the Output meter is almost always in the yellow, and many times just about clipping - even though, as you can see, that the track is not too hot.
 
Greg

mettelus:  I'm not understanding about the red dots.    There are no red dots that come up that I see.
 
Thanks!
Greg