I've learned to love Ableton's workflow for electronic dance stuff but its included instruments aren't as good,or rather Z3TA+ kills any synth offering in Ableton. On the production side there isn't much in Ableton you couldn't do with Sonar, just in a different and sometimes roundabout way. Some things are easier too. On the whole, unless you're going to perform live, I'm not sure it would really be worth your time to switch as Ableton takes quite a while to get used to.

Electronic is all I do and have done since 1982, and I've been using Cakewalk DAWs in all that time. Sonar is as adept at electronic music production as any other leading DAW.
 
KEv

If you want to make your own sounds, i.e. sound design for EDM/dance music then Ableton is probably your best bet. It is much easier to have control over individual sounds as well as allowing internal routing so you can get creative. Sonar is great if you are used to using it and providing you make good use of automation can work just as well in some cases. But as you may find, ableton live tends to be the main choice for dance music production. As for it's internal synths being rubbish, that is all down to the user plus, if you have any vsts, you can always use them in there.

Native instruments 'Maschine', traktor pro, and Sonar....together! ;)

I'm like you, Gavin. Traditional instruments and samples of traditional instruments for the most part. But regardless of the methods of tone generation, electronic music is all about MIDI, and SONAR does MIDI as well as anyone and better than most.
 
I gather that Z3ta+ and Rapture are favorites among the EDM crowd, along with Massive. Zebra suits my own needs better, as it's versatile enough to satisfy a broad range of genres. It's pretty much the only conventional synthesizer I use. 
 
It should also be noted that the secret weapon for people who knock out generic pop EDM quickly and easily is Nexus. It's a rompler, and overpriced IMO, but it's ready right out of the box for one-note EDM masterpieces. If I was ever offered a paying gig doing that kind of music, I'd invest in Nexus and let them think I was working harder at it than I really was.

I would just second the motion to try out Camel Audio's Alchemy. 
 

PilotGav
My question is... is Sonar still the tool to use, or should I really be looking at a 2nd setup like Ableton Live, etc?

 
I make of lot of electronica/EDM, and I also make a lot of pop/alt-rock, singer-songwriter stuff, etc.  I do the majority of my work in Sonar, but I also use PT11, Ableton Live 9, and (previously) Studio One.  Sonar is more than adequate for making any style of music, but really shines when it comes to EDM, mostly due to its MIDI capabilities.  There's no need to try to learn a new DAW just to try a new style of music before you've explored the possibilities with your existing DAW.
 

PilotGav
Do you create your electronic music in TRACK view, as you would a more traditional recording project... or do you use other tools such as the step sequencer (yuch), the matrix, etc?

I do most of my work in the track and piano roll views, but the step sequencer is excellent for sequencing drums for EDM/electronica.  In fact, it's one of the features that really sets Sonar apart from many other DAWs.  My advice is to keep an open mind and take advantage of the tools available to you, rather than dismissing them.

I'm pretty seasoned with edm . The tools set you get with sonar is more than you need .
For me , rob papen plugins ,sugar bytes, z8ta. Dune, Catanya , punch evolved , Valhalla room verb, zplane elastic pitch , and a ton of loops sound ex's and midi gear ,including NI machine and the komplete bundle . Kontak,mouth,grt 5, reactor ect. Is basicly all I need to make any edm track.

Blogman
Native instruments 'Maschine', traktor pro, and Sonar....together! ;)

Traktor Pro?? I own that but how does it integrate with Sonar? Or are you just saying for the actual performance side?

Thank you ALL for your excellent answers!
 
Is there a set of tutorials (paid is fine) or anything else that would help me learn more about the theory and practical side of creating EDM?
 
Gavin