I am considering a new DAW, and there are a lot of things out there that I really like having in SONAR that I would miss if I chose to work in certain other DAWs.
 
I really like using Track Templates, and apparently a surprising number of DAWs don't have this feature.  I am also surprised how many don't natively support REX (Bitwig in particular came as a surprise).
 
I also like the ability to sync matrix loops to the transport.  I can't seem to do this in Mixcraft.
 
What else are the features that are missing in other DAWs?
 
EDIT - Grouping these by features below
 
Track Templates
Missing from:

• Bitwig (although Instrument Layer handles most of the functionality)
• Studio One

Native Rex Support
Missing From:

• Bitwig

Edit Multiple Tracks in Single PRV Window
Missing From:

• Bitwig
• Mixcraft

ARA Integration
Missing From:

• Cubase

Vocalsync
Missing From:

• Most DAWs

Step Sequencer
Missing From:

• Studio One

Dim Solo
Missing From:

• Most DAWs

Opening MIDI File maps tracks to a GM Module or Instruments
Missing From:

• Most DAWs
• Exists in Reaper, Cubase, Mixcraft

Build Tempo Map from Audio File
Missing From:

• Samplitude

 
 

Right now I'm working on a large audio book project and none of the candidates come close to the ease of editing that I find in Sonar. I have to take out breath noises, mistakes and such from a long wave file and nothing is as easy as Sonar. Some of the others make it absolutely painful to do this.
 
Every DAW I've looked at does something better than Sonar and they all fail to do something as well as Sonar.

Mixcraft can't edit multiple MIDI tracks in a single PRV window.
 
Samplitude can't build a tempo map from an audio file.
 
Cubase lacks ARA. Makes Melodyne far less convenient, but still can be used. Plus they have their own pitch correction utility.
 
Studio one doesn't have track templates or a step sequencer.
 
In Studio One I suspect there may be no way to mix a song without having the console (mixer) view open, as it's the only place you can create a bus. IIRC, Mixcraft is the same. 
 
Most DAWs do not have anything built-in to replace SONAR's VocalSync tool. I think Cubase is the only one that does.
 
Most DAWs lack SONAR's sysex features.
 
I haven't seen SONAR's dim solo feature on any other DAWs yet.
 
I haven't seen SONAR's track peak markers in any other DAW yet.

Magic Russ
 I am also surprised how many don't natively support REX (Bitwig in particular came as a surprise).

Yeah I was surprised by that as well. A thread I read about it seemed to think that it might have something to do with them maintaining parity across Windows, OSX and Linux versions, and there is no support for rex files on Linux. 
 
Having said that, I use Geist a lot and most of my useage of rex files happens in that, so I'm not too worried about it (should I decide to adopt Bitwig as my next DAW). 

Geist is a good solution for the rex file and step sequencer woes. It is a great VSTi that can be hosted in your DAW of choice. Stand alone it is a DAW unto itself for the things that it does.

Track templates... Well that is another story. Most DAWs seem to stop with project templates.

but which are actually "indispensable"?

Bitwig does not support track templates per se.  However, they do have a feature called instrument containers which would let you do something like chain an instance of Reaktor loaded with Monark chained into Replika, but you would still have to name the track and set up busses.

pwalpwal
but which are actually "indispensable"?

I have changed that to "Key" features, if it makes you feel better.

mettelus
Geist is a good solution for the rex file and step sequencer woes. It is a great VSTi that can be hosted in your DAW of choice. Stand alone it is a DAW unto itself for the things that it does.

As long as you have Geist 1. Boy is Geist 2 a turkey. Full of bugs, terrible design decisions and they appear to have put the brakes on development. Well that's $99 I'll never get back.....

sharke

mettelus
Geist is a good solution for the rex file and step sequencer woes. It is a great VSTi that can be hosted in your DAW of choice. Stand alone it is a DAW unto itself for the things that it does.

As long as you have Geist 1. Boy is Geist 2 a turkey. Full of bugs, terrible design decisions and they appear to have put the brakes on development. Well that's $99 I'll never get back.....

Glad i never made leap to upgrade. Lack of step sequencer doesn't bother me in srudio one since it is very easy to use prv in a simlar fashion.