Everything is running properly on my system but my condenser mic. My interface shows activity on the SIG indicator and I know the mic works. I am able to open an audio track and select my ins and outs - everything looks fine until this point but Sonar doesn't recognize anything plugged in and I cant record.
 
Anything helps, thanks.  

Is it a USB mic? If not, condenser mics require 2 things: phantom power and a preamp. If you don't have a preamp with phantom power, the signal will not be high enough to record. What is the make and model? What soundcard do you have? Need more info. 

you might have to set the input to your track in Sonar? On the Inspector at the bottom you should be able to click a dropdown to select the input you want to record from. Then, click the INPUT ECHO button to enable yourself to hear the audio from the microphone in your head phones.

SOnar doesn't know what you have plugged into an input - it just knows the interface's input.  Don't expect it to say Newman Condensor mic but something more prosaic like Input 1.

@

I'm using: an apex 435 mic, 
              octa-capture 10x10 interface
              sonar x2 pro
Not sure about the soundcard (newb), I don't know if the interface itself has a soundcard I'm running off or if it's the one in my computer. 
Here's some details about my laptop, maybe this helps...  Inspiron 17R Special Edition
Inspiron 17R Notebook (Inspiron 7720), Windows 8, 64-bit, English     Inspiron 17R Inspiron 17R Notebook (Inspiron 7720)
[225-2665]
Processor 3rd Gen Intel® Core™ i7-3630QM processor (6MB cache, up to 3.4Ghz)
[319-1112]
Memory 8GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory
[317-9510]
Wireless Driver Intel® Centrino® Wireless 2230, 2x2 bgn + Bluetooth
[421-7217]
Hard Drive 1TB 5400RPM SATA HDD + 32GB mSATA SSD w/ Intel® Smart Response
[340-9594]
[342-4360]
Operating System Windows 8, 64-bit, English
[421-8687]
Network Card Integrated 10/100 Network Card
[430-3605]

I definitely have phantom power on,

Mic is plugged into preamp (is there a way to activate/ deactivate a preamp? It doesn't say anything like that in the manual).
(Using preamp; Right OCTA-CAPTURE IN 5-6)

Input echo is ON

Track is armed and ready to record

Mic is connected properly to interface

Preamps/ inputs are available/ selected in both "Input Driver Preferences" and the "Track Input Selector."

Figured it out! For anyone who has the OctaCapture 10x10 this might be helpful.

Apparently the vocal condenser mics with XLR chords like to be in either preamp 3 or 4 because they are best for the type of mic. Hopefull when I get my drum mics and try them out input channels 5-8 are more cooperative.

Hmm that doesn't seem accurate. Maybe those are the inputs you have set on the channel you are trying to record in on? all XLR inputs should be able to pick up your mic and be routed into Sonar on a track to record on.

Lance

I don't know it's weird. I want to get my drum mics asap so I can see if they work. If not maybe the interface is defective?

OK, that helps a little.  Don't know about the apex mic.

The octacapture should have its own soft mixer - this is different than SONAR's internal mixer.  It gets very confusing until you get the two coordinated.  In SONAR's mixer there are three panels - tracks and buses and hardware.  Each has to be hooked up to the next to make it easy to remember.  The hardware in/outs will be ASIO names most likely.  If you are using a different driver I don't know what the names specs are.

The octamom-capture also needs to be set up and the signal flow should be analogous to SONAR.  It makes most sense if track 1 of SONAR goes to the master bus which goes to hardware output 1 (which is usually called mains).  Coming in it is the same way.  Octacapture input 1 should go to ASIO 1/2 (left) - yea, stereo is how the nomenclature works - which is choosen from a drop down menu in each of SONARs track.


If you are not getting a mic signal to sonar from the octa, it most likely is routing.  Or input 1 & 2 just don't have preamps.  Or the phantom power is switchable in 2s, not all at once.  Or ...  there are lots of reasons it ain't working.  Those are the most obvious.  Or the hardware channel is broke, like you suspect.

@
 
Ps, the maudio is the soundcard for all intents and purposes.  Some people disable their onboard soundcard, but it at leasst needs to be disengaged from SONAR's driver choices.  SONAR should be using the mauido's drivers, not MS something or other.