Quick prequel to this: I run sort of an odd-ball setup, whereas I run my onboard Realtek audio constantly and have X3 ASIO through my Saffire. I will even leave other programs running in this mode unless recording audio. So far the only "seizure" I can give Windows 7 is to trip off the Saffire while X3 is open.
 
Anyway, I run programs simultaneously, and as long as I am not recording do not use ASIO mode in the others, but will often close X3 to open others I may have left in ASIO mode (just in case). I have seen that Melodyne responds well when opening and shifts itself as needed to the interface available, which is a nice feature of Melodyne alone.
 
The surprise I got today was this... I export audio from X3, show the desktop and pop Melodyne open in stand alone mode. I import the audio, hit play, and the sound is coming from the Saffire. This made me raise an eyebrow since X3 was running... but I just did what I needed to do and went back to X3. First thing I check in X3 is that "Share drivers with other programs" is not checked... and it isn't. So I happened upon a nice "Melodyne integration with X3 feature" that is definitely a "nice touch" to work flows.

Are you sure Melodyne is using the Saffire over ASIO, not WDM?
For instance my E-MU card allows WDM and ASIO at the same time. Sonar still sees it as getting exclusive control (through ASIO) but other applications can address the WDM. This way it's easy to grab audio from any application and record it into Sonar (through the E-MU mixer application).
 

Melodyne says it is in ASIO (too??):
 

 
Really not sure "why or how" here, but not complaining one bit
 
Edit: Quick side note - I pulled this same "stunt"  (by accident as well) with Adobe Audition, and it trashed Audition so bad that I had to re-install the program. Audition has been in "MME mode" since that day!

Haha, well good. Maybe it has to do with the Sonar/Melodyne integration. I guess the ARA thing is kind of a hybrid between VST and full program.
 
Whatever the reason, it's a cool feature and good to know, thanks!

Hmmm... this happened again, so may actually be the Saffire Pro 24 drivers.
 
I am running Geist in ASIO mode, and drag the MIDI to the desktop. As I am looking at it I think "better save this all first," so did and double-clicked it... X3 opens without a hitch! Both are running fine in "ASIO mode" so I am sitting here scratching my head now...
 
Could this be the Focusrite drivers?? This totally makes "no sense" at all.
 
Edit: This has to be Focusrite Saffire drivers (woot)... I just opened Audition out of morbid curiosity, shifted it to ASIO mode and played a recent wav file on it. Now I have three separate programs feeding the Saffire in "ASIO mode"... this is nuts.

Yup I have the same. Focusrite rules.