I have scoured the internet for 3 days and surprisingly there are absolutely no detailed tutorials written or on YouTube explaining how to set up Sonar Platinum with the Behringer X32 as a Control Surface. I am extremely new to DAW and digital mixing/recording and have created a home studio that is nothing more than a pretty cool looking control room with lots of lights and buttons, because its currently non-functional. I know that this DAW and the X32 will work together because many are more than happy to brag about using them together yet no one explains how they defied the laws of engineering and got them to work. This being said, could someone PLEASE give me a step by step tutorial on how to set it all up? If you have never used the two together, please just be an observer without offering your thoughts and suggestions. I need concrete instructions from someone whose actually done this. Thanks in advance to any and all help I can get.
 
Kevin

A quick update. I finally got my PC and X32 to communicate with each other as my faders on my PC move faders on the X32. Now what I cannot figure out is how do I get sound from my PC to my KRK Rokit monitors through the X32? Where do I plug my monitors into on the board? What routing configuration do I need to use in X32? Do I need to change any settings in Sonar Platinum? I also need to know what inputs I should connect two condenser mics to, so I can record on tracks 1 & 2 in Sonar?
 
So for now, my immediate goal is to be able to record vocals with my condenser mics -And- monitor playback of the recordings and playback of YouTube videos through my monitors that I will hookup to the X32 -And- hear vocals through headphones as they're being sung live. As of right now, I get no sound from my PC, no sound from my monitors, no sound from my headphones and nothing from my mics. No signal meters or anything. Need lots of help!
 

Welcome to the forum!
 
I run two X32's in my live rig.
 
Well done getting the DAW control working!
 
To be honest, the absolute best advice I can give you to start off is to spend some time with the X32 manual. The routing options are limitless and you really neeed at the very least a basic understanding of how it works before jumping into DAW configuration, particularly if this is your first fully digital mixing desk. Unlike an analogue board, there is no 'right' output to plug your monitors into. You assign a pair of outputs as your main outs in the routing section of the mixer. You also assisgn the x-usb card returns (from the DAW) to whichever channels on the X32 you wish them to play back through.
 
You also have various options for the X-usb card with regard to the number of channels you wish to use(16x16, 32x32 etc). 
 
I would also suggest you head over to the Behringer X32 forum for more info. People there are very helpful too and have specialised understanding of the X32. The good news is once you have an understanding of the mixers routing, the setup in Sonar is a breeze:)

The X32 is a beast.  I run one for live mixes at church on Sundays.  It is infinitely configurable.  I have never used one as a control surface or interfaced with a pc, though.
 
You need to make sure your physical connections and digital (internal routing) connections match for inputs and outputs.

I can answer your questions I have used an X32 as my Sonar interface since 2013, and I now have a functionally equivalent M32 doing the same job. This are a zillion ways to configure this machine.  What I am describing below is relatively simple, and will work.  Ensure that you've installed the ASIO X-USB 4.11 driver, and Sonar preferences knows the X32 is there.
 
The key to communication between the Sonar computer and the X32 is the Card-out and Card-in setting.  
On the
Setup>>Card screen I used 32-in/8-out
On the
Routing>>CardOut tab, make sure the input mapping that you chose is the sequence of 32 channels you want
On the
Routing>>Home Aux-in Remap, use Card 1-6.  That is convenient to take 3 stereo outputs from Sonar master default.
On the 
Routing>>Home Input columns, choose which physical inputs you want to use; understanding that the pattern should match the CardOut tab is you want to avoid massive confusion.
 
You should see the pattern you've created now reflected in Sonar Preferences. This is the time to assign friendly names. It's worth the effort. After that create some track templates for ultimate convenience.
 
Phantom power is set on or off in the X32 on a per-channel basis. I generally leave my saved scenes with the phantom power off, and engage it manually.  It saves that awful pop when you first connect a microphone on an open headphone feed. 
 
That should get you away from the dock.  Reply here when you get stuck and we'll continue. Contact me directly through my website if you're in dire emergency mode. 

GaryMedia, thanks so much for the quick tutorial. It was very informative and easy to understand. I am a little stuck however beginning with this:
 
You should see the pattern you've created now reflected in Sonar Preferences. This is the time to assign friendly names. It's worth the effort. After that create some track templates for ultimate convenience.
 
What particular pattern should I be seeing? Though I selected 32 Ins and 8 outs as you had suggested, I noticed that I only have 16 Ins and 4 Outs showing up with checkmarks in their respective boxes and they are odd numbered drivers only. This is what I show under Preferences/Audio Devices/Input Drivers: 
X-USB ASIO Drivers IN: 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17,19,21,23,25,27,29,31
X-USB ASIO Drivers OUT: 1,3,5,7
Is this what I should be seeing?
 
Phantom power is set on or off in the X32 on a per-channel basis. I generally leave my saved scenes with the phantom power off, and engage it manually.  It saves that awful pop when you first connect a microphone on an open headphone feed. 
 
I'm not sure where to find these settings and I know nothing about scenes. Sorry but I'm an idiot when it comes to digital mixing or sound mixing in general. I am eager to learn and will dive all in with video tutorials soon to learn all about this awesome board but for now, I just want to start recording (I am a singer trying to record my own stuff). I have condenser mics that require phantom power so I assume I should have these on. How do I do it?
 
Lets assume for now that I have just 3 tracks that I want to record. Tracks 1 and 2 I want to use as my two vocal tracks. Track 3 I want to use as a music track of imported prerecorded music that I can sing along with. This being said, here are my questions:
 
1. I have a pair of powered KRK Rokit monitors that I want to use for play back of my recordings. How and where do I hook them up? They each have an xlr and 1/4" jack in the back. Do I use Aux in/out jacks? Monitor out jacks? 2 channel out jacks? Right now you're probably thinking, "man this guy is a real dummy. He should just stick to singing." LOL! Moving forward...
 
2. I have high end AudioTechnica close-eared studio headphones that I want to hear myself through while singing/recording live. There is a headphone jack on either side of the X32. After hooking them up to one of these jacks, where do I go from there in order to hear myself while I speak or sing live into the microphone?
 
3. As mentioned previously, I have 2 condenser mics that I want to setup on tracks 1 & 2. How do I hook these up so they are on tracks 1 & 2? What configurations need made in both DAW and Board?
 
Please reply with detailed steps for setup requirements in both Sonar Platinum and the X32 just like you did before . And assume I am only in the 3rd grade and am an English speaking American trying to learn Spanish. Because really, all of this is like learning a 2nd language for me. 
 
Thank you so much again for all your help. I'm truly grateful!!!
 
Kevin

tenfoot
Welcome to the forum!
 
I run two X32's in my live rig.
 
Well done getting the DAW control working!
Thanks
 
To be honest, the absolute best advice I can give you to start off is to spend some time with the X32 manual. The routing options are limitless and you really neeed at the very least a basic understanding of how it works before jumping into DAW configuration, particularly if this is your first fully digital mixing desk. Unlike an analogue board, there is no 'right' output to plug your monitors into. You assign a pair of outputs as your main outs in the routing section of the mixer. You also assisgn the x-usb card returns (from the DAW) to whichever channels on the X32 you wish them to play back through.
I agree that learning the ins and outs of this board is essential. And I fully intend to do this in more depth fairly soon. I have already spent countless hours reading and watching videos and yet my questions still have gone unanswered. So right now I want to do what I do best, which is sing. Then I will work on learning what will become my new second best, which is record.
 
Think of it this way. You just bought a brand new car with features you've never seen before. You can fire up the engine and see all the bells and whistles. But after reading the manual and watching videos, you still can't drive it and you can't hear anything from your stereo speakers. Would you want to go back online and spend another 2 weeks trying to learn EVERYTHING there is to know about your new shiny hi tech car? Or would you rather quickly figure out how to drive the darn thing and listen to some great tunes while doing it and then learn about the other important and useful features over time? 
 
You also have various options for the X-usb card with regard to the number of channels you wish to use(16x16, 32x32 etc). Understood
 
I would also suggest you head over to the Behringer X32 forum for more info. People there are very helpful too and have specialised understanding of the X32. The good news is once you have an understanding of the mixers routing, the setup in Sonar is a breeze:) Great suggestion. Thanks. 

dwardzala
The X32 is a beast.  I run one for live mixes at church on Sundays.  It is infinitely configurable.  I have never used one as a control surface or interfaced with a pc, though.
It is a beast. And its scaring the poop out of me right now. Definitely intimidating!
 
You need to make sure your physical connections and digital (internal routing) connections match for inputs and outputs. Understood

Ok, Kevin; I have a lot of sympathy for your situation because I am currently in the throes of attempting to learn DaVinci Resolve and the whole video editing shtick. I've found myself in a new world where all the lingo is new, and every little thing has a gigantic back story with additional complexity attached to it.  
 
It seems you haven't had the 'training wheels' of a simple 4-channel or 8-channel interface, and now you've jumped into a world-class peloton by getting an X32 as your first interface. Although we might wind up doing a TeamViewer-with-Skype session to get this all sorted, here's some more info:
 
ASIO does things in stereo pairs, and numbers the pairs with the tradition of odd-channel is left.  Therefore, it's perfectly correct to see 32 channels represented as 16 pairs with odd numbers.  Sonar (and all DAWs) allow you to arm (enable) just one half of a pair for recording if you wish.
 
There is a 48v button on the X32 console.  For the channel you select on the console, it'll be lit orange if the phantom power is on.  Press it to toggle the phantom on or off.
 
Connect your active Rokit speakers to the main-L/R out ports of the X32.  The default routing for main-L/R of the X32 (full size one) is via XLR-out 15/16.
 
By default, the monitor output of the X32 is 'strapped' across the main-L/R output in a pre-fader (not affected by the fader/slider position) mode, and the headphones go along with it.  Headphone mixes are marvelous world of their own.
 
When singing into the mic, keep your gain setting so that the first two orange lights for that channel are blinking. That'll put you in the -18dBFS -to- -12dBFS sweet spot in Sonar.
 
On that Routing>>Home tab of the X32, you'll see the word 'Local 1-8'.  My earlier append was intended to ensure that the first 8 XLR inputs in the back of the X32 are going to be the first 8 inputs for Sonar.  When you arm a track for recording and then used the little pull-down menu to choose and input, you'll see 1-left/right/stereo, 3-left/right/stereo, etc.  As you can see, input-2 is implicitly 1-right, and input-4 is implicitly 3-right.
 
Take a shot with this info and see how you do. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thanks to you Gary, I feel like I've finally awakened a sleeping giant and am one step closer to recording my first platinum album! Okay, maybe more like my first aluminum album. I followed your latest instructions and now hear sound out of my monitors and through my headphones when I speak or sing into the condenser mic. I see the meters move on my X32 (it is the full size console by the way) but see no activity on Sonar platinum. Also, I prefer that my KRK monitors volume can be controlled independently of the headphone volume. Right now, that doesn't appear to be the case. The gain controls the volume of monitors and headphones together. Moving forward, I want to address each of your instructions below with my comments and findings. My comments will be in bold so that you can view them easily.
 

GaryMedia
Ok, Kevin; I have a lot of sympathy for your situation because I am currently in the throes of attempting to learn DaVinci Resolve and the whole video editing shtick. I've found myself in a new world where all the lingo is new, and every little thing has a gigantic back story with additional complexity attached to it.
 
Thank you for the sympathy. Knowledge is power and the more we learn new things, the closer we come to achieving our goals and dreams. I wish you much luck in your new endeavor.
  
It seems you haven't had the 'training wheels' of a simple 4-channel or 8-channel interface, and now you've jumped into a world-class peloton by getting an X32 as your first interface. Although we might wind up doing a TeamViewer-with-Skype session to get this all sorted, here's some more info:
 
Yes, I dove right in with the big boys didn't I? I figured why not learn now on the console/interface that I want to ultimately use for years to come. I think a skype session would be quite helpful for someone like me. We could then combat trial & error in realtime.
 
ASIO does things in stereo pairs, and numbers the pairs with the tradition of odd-channel is left.  Therefore, it's perfectly correct to see 32 channels represented as 16 pairs with odd numbers.  Sonar (and all DAWs) allow you to arm (enable) just one half of a pair for recording if you wish.
 
That's great to know.
 
There is a 48v button on the X32 console.  For the channel you select on the console, it'll be lit orange if the phantom power is on.  Press it to toggle the phantom on or off.
 
I found the button and triggered it for channel 1 which is my mic input and it ultimately brought life to my mic.
 
Connect your active Rokit speakers to the main-L/R out ports of the X32.  The default routing for main-L/R of the X32 (full size one) is via XLR-out 15/16.
 
I have done this and can now my voice sound coming from the monitors! Hurray!
 
By default, the monitor output of the X32 is 'strapped' across the main-L/R output in a pre-fader (not affected by the fader/slider position) mode, and the headphones go along with it.  Headphone mixes are marvelous world of their own.
 
This is one of the areas that have me stumped. If not affected by fader position, how do I control the monitor/headphone volumes independently? There will be times that I want to hear the singer live through the monitors while the singer hears him/herself through the headphones but I need each to be able to have there volumes adjusted independently.  I want to also be able to hear through both during playback.
 
When singing into the mic, keep your gain setting so that the first two orange lights for that channel are blinking. That'll put you in the -18dBFS -to- -12dBFS sweet spot in Sonar.
 
Done.
 
On that Routing>>Home tab of the X32, you'll see the word 'Local 1-8'.  My earlier append was intended to ensure that the first 8 XLR inputs in the back of the X32 are going to be the first 8 inputs for Sonar.  
 
This makes the most sense for my application.
 
When you arm a track for recording and then used the little pull-down menu to choose and input, you'll see 1-left/right/stereo, 3-left/right/stereo, etc.  As you can see, input-2 is implicitly 1-right, and input-4 is implicitly 3-right.
 
I assume you're referring to Sonar here and not the X32. In Sonar under each track, I see these options in the pull-down menu for outputs but not for inputs. My options for inputs are: 1. None 2.  Select track inputs 3. Select track input series and 4. New patch point. I tried messing with these but no luck.
 
I want to also mention that I see no activity on Sonar anymore. Its as though my DAW somehow became disconnected from the X32. Moving my sliders on the X32 no longer moves them in Sonar and vica versa. Could that have happened when I made the most recent changes according to your instructions?
 
I do feel like I'm gaining ground here Gary and am learning with your help so again, thank you for getting me this far. I noticed that you're in North Carolina which is the same time zone as mine in Ohio. Would a Skype session sometime tonight or tomorrow night be feasible for you? I would love to be able to record over the weekend. Let me know if its possible. If not, we can continue this way for now.