Soundcraft Signature MTK

canieves
How is the sound quality when playing Sonar tracks?  Can you send each instrument sound from Sonar separately for each mixer channel?  Can I use each channel with Sonar insert and a microphone connected at the same time?

Sound quality is great, really impressed - could do with a little more gain on the pre-amps, though.  The asymmetric EQ sounds lovely, as does everything else - Limiters, etc. It sounds truly nice when it is "pushed", too.
 
Yes, "you can send each instrument sound from Sonar separately for each mixer channel."
 
The return into the desk comes after the input and gain, and then travels down the channel, so does not affect the input stage.
 
It is really flexible.  The inputs and "returns" just show up as inputs and outputs in Sonar.  So you can have any channel's output sent to any track in Sonar, and any track in Sonar sent to any channel on the desk.
 
If I understand your last question correctly, then the answer is yes.  For example, if you had a microphone  plugged in to channel 1, you could set the input on any track to channel 1 (the signal would pass through the pre-amp, gain and dbx limiter, if it's on).  You could then either set that tracks output to channel 1, and the signal would return into the mixer and run through the EQ, Aux etc.   Alternatively you could set the output somewhere else, and set another track's output to channel !.  I am not sure when or why I would do this.
 
The possibilities are endless. When I first came across the mixer, I was worried that the set up would have too many limitations - no inserts, no direct outs, etc., but I was wrong.  The routing is fantastic, and almost every day I discover another possible set up.
 
When initially starting a piece, I tend to set the Master Out (in Sonar) to Channels 11/12, and the individual outs on the desk to any track in Sonar - I tend to route those tracks to the Master (via any busses in Sonar).  Here it works as just a great 12/14 input Audio Interface with nice pre-amps, and under 5 msecs of roundtrip latency.  It is as stable as a rock.
 
Later I can route a track in sonar back into the desk if I want to take advantage of the EQ, etc.
 
When mixing I can mix the track in Sonar, route the tracks back into the desk (or use busses if there are more tracks than channels) and use it just for analogue summing, and send the master out on the MTK back into Sonar to record the stereo "Master".
 
I can also choose to mix the piece live on the desk (the group tracks are great for this), and send that back into Sonar.
 
You can also route tracks back into the MTK to take advantage of the Lexicon FX.  I have not had the chance to explore these yet, though.
 
Sorry for the long, rambling essay of a reply.  I could write for days about the possibilities with the Aux channels, the grouping channels (very use, and all the normal advantages of using an analogue mixer.
 
Hope some of that helps.  feel free to ask anything else.  I highly recommend the MTK for the money.
 
 

I just started using my MTK12 a few weeks ago with SONAR. Both impress me, easy to use together as a home project studio. My mic recorded waveforms were small,too,compared to the stereo .wav file I added to use as a drum/backing track, which showed up the same original size in 3 different DAW's track windows. That was with a strong,peak signal going in, no reason to have small wave forms in the recorded mic/inst channels. Did the same in Studio One 3.5. I will be able to get back to recording this week and see what the heck that was all about. 

What does the track meter show? 
Generally Sonars meters will show approximately what your interfaces meters are showing. 
It's possible they have purposely padded down the USB output so as not to go over during live recordings where the live sound might be on the edge of clipping. 
 
If the mixers peak light is active , but Sonars track meter is way down then that's proof. No big deal, it's digital so you can apply normalizing to bring it up to par. 
 
What you need to keep in mind is this is a Live Mixer first and an Audio interface second. It's optimized for live not recording. The recording feature is an add on to help sell the board to bands wishing a rough live recording of gigs. It is why I might be purchasing one. I'm not going to even dream it will replace a proper interface,, even though that would sort of be nice.