Hello! i am an EXTREME noob to this software (sonar x2 essentials) and these forums have helped me quite a lot already! I have a shure sm57 dynamic mic plugged into the xlr input on my interface (line6 ux1) and when i go to record through the mic the recording is extremely quiet even with all the volume settings high. not sure if this was the right place to ask this question, and i'm very sorry if it is not. If anyone has any help I would greatly appreciate it :) P.S. I am able to record guitar without any problems

Do you have PodFarm or Gearbox open in stand alone mode, if not, open PF up and in the mixer you have a db slider and a +18db boost, see if that helps to start.

Which input do you have the mic plugged into? It should be into the Mic or Guitar input, not the Line input. 

Many of the interfaces DO NOT have mic preamps in them. You will need to get either a mic preamp or a small mixer to use. The signal level simply needs to be raised. Either will do the job.  

You want something that will get the signal to noise ratio up into the useful range.  Just normalizing the signal you now get will result in both the signal and the noise being boosted.... not good.... you want to get the signal well above the noise.... a preamp or mixer should allow that to happen while keeping the noise well under control.   

When you look at future interfaces, check into the ones that offer pre-amps built in and one that has phantom power because, while a dynamic mic is really good for live stage, in the studio, most folks use condenser mics since they are more sensitive and when recording vocals and acoustic instruments, they excel at picking up the nuances in the voice and instrument tonal characteristics. 

you can find one channel preamps online fire not much money. I have a couple of art tube preamps that were around thirty dollars usd. I am still using them on occasion.

Not familiar with the line6 ux1, but maybe there is no preamp built in? If it does have one, then DaveNY5 is right, make sure you're plugged into a "mic" or "Instrument" port, not Line.

I went round and round about this myself. I bought one of those inexpensive one channel preamps and it went right back in the box (too noisy) and onto the shelf.  Finally, I invested in a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 sound card (less than $130) and it solved all my input problems. My Sure SM57 and my Tele plug straight into it with really strong, noiseless signals to X2.

Best,
Rob

At one time in my life I was doing a lot of recording on a Roland VS-1680, and my biggest issue was mic preamps.  An insufficient mic pre amp can make life miserable.

There are a lot of solutions, but I had good luck with a Presonus Eureka (roughly $499 today, although it was more expensive when I first got it).  It has a good preamp, compression, EQ, and +48V for phantom-powered mics. I am sure someone can recommend something less expensive, especially if you only need the preamp and phantom power, and not the full channel strip.

I still have it in the rack and use it sometimes.  Other times I use the preamps built into the V-Studio.

The main point is that if your preamp does not have enough clean and quiet gain, it will be very difficult to get a good sound.  There are a lot of good inexpensive mics but without a good preamp, they won't do well.
 
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Eureka
 

Typically, when you have an xlr input on an interface, there is a mic preamp. His unit has a mic pre.   Depending on the software you are using, you may need to increase the volumes there.

Here are the specs on the Line 6 UX1

Inputs and outputs:
1-1/4" guitar input
1 balanced XLR input with high-quality mic preamp and trim knob
2-1/4" line inputs
1-1/4" stereo monitor input
2-1/4" analog outs
1-1/4" headphone out

OP, you said that you have "the volume settings high" ("...the recording is extremely quiet even with all the volume settings high"); are you sure that you have the TRIM knob for the UX1 preamp cranked up? The *trim* is going to determine the "level of audio that gets sent to Sonar".  Very different from (say) monitor volume, or even fader volume, if the interface has that.  Just checking.  Best,
Ed

A mic needs a mic pre-amp. A dynamic mic doesn't need phantom power like a condenser mic needs, but it still needs a pre-amp to power the mic, none the less..

Cj