I might as well have switched, it's like learning a whole new product.  But I didn't actually switch, just upgraded first from Cakewalk (running under Windows 3.1) some years ago and recently from Home Studio 4 to Sonar X2.  These were both pretty big jumps and I've had a lot of learning to do.  The learning curve for me is rather steep and tiring- I'm just a hobbist and poke around with this now and then.  I find that I often have to poke around for hours to do some simple thing, then weeks later have to go through most of the same motions again when I don't remember how I ended up doing something.  An example is trying to find in X2 what used to be the Console View that was so easy to find in Home Studio 4.  Twice I went through a 5-minute, "Where the heck is that menu with the button I push to see the console?"  The first time was much longer than 5 min. while reading through the manual.
 
Granted, this software does tons of neat stuff and is therefore necessarily complex. 
 
After spending what amounted to years getting halfway up to speed with Home Studio, that product was being phased out and I figured I'd have to upgrade in order to get any support.  So after considering switching to Cubase, and much agonizing, I finally upgraded to X2 Studio.  Some of the things I'd like to see have not been incorporated - it's still easier for me to enter midi in MuScore then export the midi to Sonar.  Entering midi in Sonar's staff view or piano roll view seems very tedious to me.   The scores that Sonar produce do not seem much better than before - but, in truth, I haven't dug around to see what's been improved.  Now that I found MuScore (FREE!) I can just send everything back to it for printing scores.
 
Few of the new whiz-bangs in X2 are of interest to me - I don't do much audio processing and I'm happy to send my midi to my old Yahama PSR-500 or my Clavinova to listen to my creations.   Having said that, I do find that all these soft synths are very interesting and helpful in ways I hadn't realized, and will undoubtedly be making more use of them - although it looks like learning about just one of them and all its features and voices will take a large effort; I'm quite sure one could spend a lifetime digging into all this stuff.  And of course it will all be obsoleted in another 3 or 4 years with yet greater and better stuff!
 
So here's an important part of my story;  what convinced me to take the plunge and upgrade: 
    1. Reading something about audiosnap.  I could sing or play an audio track and then adjust the track so that the audio is always precisely on the beat?  Well, that sure sounded like a nice gimmick - maybe I can now produce an audio track that sounds a little more respectable.  I've been fussing with this during the last week without any outstanding success and still with limited understanding of what's going on and how I should be going about it.
    2. Reading something about adjusting pitches so that I can correct a sour note.  I imagined an "In Tune" feature wherein I could specify "peg the frequencies on this audio track to the pitches specified in this midi track."  So far it doesn't look like I'm going to find that buried in all the features of X2.
    3. Reading something about defining harmonys that not available on a normal piano, using some "in between" notes.  This I hoped would be useful as I use Sonar to practice barbershop songs where those "in between" notes are what we should be singing.  I haven't yet looked specifically for how to do this yet, nor come across a feature I might use for this unless it's the snap to scale feature, which I've yet to delve into.
    4. Reading that CAL is still suppored.  When I upgraded from the original Cakewalk to Home Studio 4, I lost the capability to run the numerous CAL routines I had developed.  Another thing I haven't actually tried yet - had to read up some old floppy disks to get my old CAL files!  By the time I got them into this computer, I've had other things to do!
 
To complete this story I guess I should say what it is I use Sonar for:  Primarily it plays the keyboard for me while I play my trumpet, guitar, or sing.  I like the fact that it can play the notes precisely as written with millisecond precision.  I known that is not what makes music sound musical, but it gives me a good standard to follow as I practice.  I make some CD's and MP3's for my own use, usually just to practice barbershop songs when I'm in the car.  I suspect Sonar X2 may be overkill for my uses - I recall reading someone (in this forum I believe) saying that midi should be dumped, no longer used, it'so old fashion and working only with actual audio is where it's all at.   I couldn't agree less.
 
I fully admit to being burnt out and less than eager to learn new software - I spent a career as a software developer and have forgotten more programs and operating systems than most people will ever run accross, starting with FORTRAN and going through at least 6 operating systems before the Apple MacIntosh and MS Windows were introduced, numerous assembly languages, Pascal, Ada, Basic, Blah, Blah, Blah - who cares!  Now I just want to use my PC as a tool, not an end within itself.
Likewise with the software.  I especially like intuitive, easy to learn software that's well integrated.
 
One of the nicest things about Sonar is this forum!  Who are these helpful people who answer our questions minutes after they are asked?  This is truly a great resource. 
 
 
 
 

Day 2 with sonar ,feel like sending my thousand dollar investment to where sonar works best...the ocean.Unable to get noise out.Tried different hardware, every conceivable setting etc. get a clicking that is not constant like a clock problem,the clicking varies in time and volume,bout 3 clicks a second,also kind of a reverb white noise effect that follows input volume peaks of recording.I have Pro Tools on same machine.This could be the only problem I can think of (the two programs somehow fighting each other) other than a 32/62 bit problem which shouldnt be there but some people have mentioned,Pro Tools stays.... sonar goes.Wish there was some self diagnostic option available or at least ability to reset to factory settings/default.Think I will put it aside till after the holidays or until I go halibut fishing.Ha

Yeah, keep this on topic. I switched to SONAR because they stopped making the ProAudio line. I would probably be using ProAudio XXII if it were available.

pengconglong


Yes of course, why you say?
Downloadable demo  good plugs included  I could figure out the basics without a look at the manual  Groove clips and V-vocal (though i don't use them that much) 
Pipe and drapePipe and drape track icons  unlimimited busses  easy saving and archiving  the forum ( I lurked for a while)  Price 

did you just spam the forum in a really creative way ?

Cubase constantly crashed my system, continuous drop-outs.  I needed something reliable.  Sonor has been constantly reliable.