Here's another viable SONAR alternative that we've been overlooking. I decided to do some research after Acoustica's Anthony Conte posted on one of our "what are the options" threads.
 
To quote Professor Farnsworth: Good News, Everybody! Mixcraft is definitely in the running for a preferred SONAR alternative.
 
The most-asked question is "what DAW is most like SONAR?" We've all invested a lot of time learning our DAW and are reluctant to embark on a steep learning curve while we put creative pursuits on hold. Well, if you spend a lot of time in the PRV, you're going to feel right at home in Mixcraft's PRV. It's very similar to SONAR's (even better, it's like SONAR's PRV at 8.5). Audio editing, almost the same story. Routine things such as splitting clips, crossfades and trimming will be instantly intuitive.
 
Some other pluses that stood out (after an admittedly cursory investigation):

• Plenty of bundled effects, including Melodyne Essential and iZotope Mastering Essentials
• Lots of useful virtual instruments, e.g. lite versions of VB3 and Lounge Lizard, and a nice sampled piano
• Supports FX chains and project templates (don't know about track templates yet, still digging into it)
• Has flexible routing that rivals Reaper
• Punch-in recording, take lanes and comping
• Track freeze
• Excellent automation, e.g. volume automation can be absolute or additive to faders
• Includes lots of loops, if that's your thing, and makes loop slicing easy
• Step sequencer
• Bit bridging and VST3 assure your current plugins will port over
• Notation looks decent; you can quantize MIDI and notation independently
• Noise reduction tool
• Compatible with your favorite control surfaces
• Integrated CD-burning
• iOS or Android mobile app for remote transport control (but no track select)
• Option to export each track to separate files
• Direct publishing to YouTube, Facebook, Soundcloud, etc.
• Markers can be color-coded and used for purposes other than just noting song sections, e.g. triggering tempo change
• Insert Time works like you'd expect, moving markers and automation
• Pretty good manual and gobs of well-made tutorial videos online

 
Limitations:

• Limited export options. MP3, WAV, OGG and WMV only. No AIFF or FLAC. As far as I can tell, no BWF option, either.
• Keyboard shortcuts are pretty logical but AFAIK cannot be customized; could be wrong about that
• Does not have the install base of SONAR, so doesn't have as active a user forum

 
And what may be the clincher for many - it's cheap. Currently $99 for the Pro edition, and the same price (plus shipping) for the boxed version with a substantial printed manual. Half that for the entry-level edition, but it's limited to 16 tracks and lacks many of the plugins that come with the Pro version such as Melodyne Essential. 
 
I still have many unanswered questions, but right now this DAW seems the equal of Studio One - based on my own personal criteria, for my specific needs. Goes without saying that YMMV. 
 
 
 

Mixcraft is about one third the price and is quite
formidable.  It's a very viable alternative, howbeit
the interface is kind of "cartoony".

Thank you bitflipper for doing the research. You have provided a fair assessment. Appreciate it greatly. Please allow me to point out the intangibles. We are a small software-only company focusing on the PC (like the early days of Cakewalk). We have a CTO who came from Sonic Foundry and worked on Acid and Vegas, which is why you will see that the Loop Library asset management and Video editing are far superior than any other DAW on the market today. Mixcraft 8 is for real!

bitflipper
Here's another viable SONAR alternative that we've been overlooking. I decided to do some research after Acoustica's Anthony Conte posted on one of our "what are the options" threads.
 
To quote Professor Farnsworth: Good News, Everybody! Mixcraft is definitely in the running for a preferred SONAR alternative.
 
The most-asked question is "what DAW is most like SONAR?" We've all invested a lot of time learning our DAW and are reluctant to embark on a steep learning curve while we put creative pursuits on hold. Well, if you spend a lot of time in the PRV, you're going to feel right at home in Mixcraft's PRV. It's very similar to SONAR's (even better, it's like SONAR's PRV at 8.5). Audio editing, almost the same story. Routine things such as splitting clips, crossfades and trimming will be instantly intuitive.
 
Some other pluses that stood out (after an admittedly cursory investigation):

• Plenty of bundled effects, including Melodyne Essential and iZotope Mastering Essentials
• Lots of useful virtual instruments, e.g. lite versions of VB3 and Lounge Lizard, and a nice sampled piano
• Supports FX chains and project templates (don't know about track templates yet, still digging into it)
• Has flexible routing that rivals Reaper
• Punch-in recording, take lanes and comping
• Track freeze
• Excellent automation, e.g. volume automation can be absolute or additive to faders
• Includes lots of loops, if that's your thing, and makes loop slicing easy
• Step sequencer
• Bit bridging and VST3 assure your current plugins will port over
• Notation looks decent; you can quantize MIDI and notation independently
• Noise reduction tool
• Compatible with your favorite control surfaces
• Integrated CD-burning
• iOS or Android mobile app for remote transport control (but no track select)
• Option to export each track to separate files
• Direct publishing to YouTube, Facebook, Soundcloud, etc.
• Markers can be color-coded and used for purposes other than just noting song sections, e.g. triggering tempo change
• Insert Time works like you'd expect, moving markers and automation
• Pretty good manual and gobs of well-made tutorial videos online

 
Limitations:

• Limited export options. MP3, WAV, OGG and WMV only. No AIFF or FLAC. As far as I can tell, no BWF option, either.
• Keyboard shortcuts are pretty logical but AFAIK cannot be customized; could be wrong about that
• Does not have the install base of SONAR, so doesn't have as active a user forum

 
And what may be the clincher for many - it's cheap. Currently $99 for the Pro edition, and the same price (plus shipping) for the boxed version with a substantial printed manual. Half that for the entry-level edition, but it's limited to 16 tracks and lacks many of the plugins that come with the Pro version such as Melodyne Essential. 
 
I still have many unanswered questions, but right now this DAW seems the equal of Studio One - based on my own personal criteria, for my specific needs. Goes without saying that YMMV. 
 
 
 

Thanks for chiming in, Anthony.
 
An easy question for you: 
 
I spend much more time in SONAR's Track View than its Console View ("Mixer" in Mixcraft-parlance). If I use the console at all it'll be in my second monitor, because vertical space (number of visible tracks) is more important to me than horizontal space (number of visible mixer channels). So my question is: can the Mixer be undocked and slid over to a second screen?

When you said Mixcraft, I was thinking Majix and wrote it off. Mixcraft look much more formidable.

Thanks for posting this.  Very helpful info!

All very interesting. Customising keyboard shortcuts is an absolute must for me. Can Anthony clarify if that's possible?

I downloaded a Mixcraft demo and recorded audio and midi without reading the manual, so to me it looks rather intuitive so this could be my new DAW(n).   :)

Does it have busses and sends? I watched the Mixer video and I couldn't see any.

Yes it has busses and sends, works fine.
 
One annoying thing is that when I inserted Korg M1 it automatically made 8 tracks, maybe there are som options so I can get just one track.