I've been using Cakewalk since the 90's. It's a usable tool. However, out of frustration with features like a good notation editor and missing functionality like Ctrl+D, I've been actively evaluating other platforms over the last year or so. I'm not that great at song writing, but I can produce the crap out of a well written song. My main deal is to make really good covers, I've been doing that my entire musical career. My primary use for a DAW is to make backing tracks for live shows. For the most part, Sonar has performed well for that task. I don't presume to be a 'recording artist', all my demos are really just backing tracks for the live show.
After a hardware failure and replacement, I seriously looked at translating what I do to another DAW and was pleasantly surprised by the results. The things that I have been screaming for in the feature request forum were already implemented. I can nest folders within folders, bounce to tracks is approximately the same workflow, and Duplicate works! Not to mention the notation editor blows away anything possible in Sonar. I've been a huge fan of notation since I discovered the Norton Scores a lifetime ago.
The updates from Cakewalk have been OK, but they really haven't addressed any of the issues I've encountered with the product. I have no use for a drum replacer and I'm not planning on switching to Windows 10 in the near future. Rapture Pro was a massive disappointment, it's an extra heavy beast and AFAICT it still has issues. Maybe it's better now but I haven't bothered with it since the initial release.
We're bumping against Q4 with the new Sonar delivery model and so far there has been little to nothing there that improves my workflow. I don't give a crap about content, if I need a sound, I know how to make it. What I really care about is getting my work done faster and more efficiently, I guess I'm just not feeling the love.
 

Have to use what works for you. In the last couple of months I upgraded from Artist to Professional to Platinum. Cakewalk made some attractive email upgrade offers.
 
 Sometimes I am a bit overwhelmed by new added features, redundant plug-ins, and "content". But I do find that I like the functionality of the core program for what I do. And all of the extra features are there should I run into a situation where they will be useful.
 
Apparently notation is very important to you. So the funtionality of the core program is not meeting your needs. I guess Sonar won't be the perfect tool for everyone.  I never use notation, so it is irrelevant to me. 
 
Good luck in your endeavors.
 
 
 
 

Glad you found what works for you.
I find Samplitude X2's Notaion editor about the best of the PC daws.

What are you moving to?

TomHelvey
I've been using Cakewalk since the 90's. It's a usable tool. However, out of frustration with features like a good notation editor and missing functionality like Ctrl+D, I've been actively evaluating other platforms over the last year or so. I'm not that great at song writing, but I can produce the crap out of a well written song. My main deal is to make really good covers, I've been doing that my entire musical career. My primary use for a DAW is to make backing tracks for live shows. For the most part, Sonar has performed well for that task. I don't presume to be a 'recording artist', all my demos are really just backing tracks for the live show.
After a hardware failure and replacement, I seriously looked at translating what I do to another DAW and was pleasantly surprised by the results. The things that I have been screaming for in the feature request forum were already implemented. I can nest folders within folders, bounce to tracks is approximately the same workflow, and Duplicate works! Not to mention the notation editor blows away anything possible in Sonar. I've been a huge fan of notation since I discovered the Norton Scores a lifetime ago.
The updates from Cakewalk have been OK, but they really haven't addressed any of the issues I've encountered with the product. I have no use for a drum replacer and I'm not planning on switching to Windows 10 in the near future. Rapture Pro was a massive disappointment, it's an extra heavy beast and AFAICT it still has issues. Maybe it's better now but I haven't bothered with it since the initial release.
We're bumping against Q4 with the new Sonar delivery model and so far there has been little to nothing there that improves my workflow. I don't give a crap about content, if I need a sound, I know how to make it. What I really care about is getting my work done faster and more efficiently, I guess I'm just not feeling the love.
 

Good luck Tom. In my own case i have been shopping around for much the same reasons as you. However SONAR is more solid and has a more familiar workflow for me than anything else out there for now. I keep hoping. I love Studio One but it's a step backwards in notation and midi imo. Digital Performer is awesome for midi and notation, brutal for general workflow, etc. 
At some point someone will get it all right and will attract a large influx of users, The Notion that people should use multiple Daws/Apps is based on the inherent flaws in each app. Some (like sonar) are getting close, from different approach angles,. Imo few users will maintain multiple licenses and upgrade cycles if one app serves all their needs.
i wish you luck in your own search for your own "perfect" DAW.

Hay Tom.
I am presently testing more and more software on PC, and now Mac.
 
I am trying out studio 1 (3) on 8 core mac. UAD dual firewire satalite/ via thunderbolt adapter, and Allen and Heath zed r16 x2.
Logic, and Protools 11....all work better on with Thundebolt.
Sound forge also has not given me any troubles on the Mac..
And other things...
I have crashed it a few times overloading plugings...Imagine that....lol
 
For song writing Studio 1 does have features for setting up chorus, bridge, and such on the time line, and once setup, one can move all tracks under the headings to change or try new mashing of...and bring it all back if needs be,...I also believe they have a Midi score freature addon one can use for extra.
I have Sibelius 7....on both PC and MAC...so I can do any editing on score in that...and render to midi, or audio.
 
Studio one also does Volume Leveling  for mastering of finished tracks for CD production...and it is kind of Just learning the new ways, different software address the word DAW...
 
Well thanks to the Grouve 3 website, any Daw you want to get, you can watch videos to get up and running, or just see it performing before you buy.
 
I think a worth while venture in payment is to Join Grouve 3, and check out some of what is out there before you buy anything...and even then check out the forums of any potential prospect, and see what is up with the people using it, before sinking into a cash cow....But it seems a pinnacle is now out, and stability can be reached in or on PC and MAC to a degree of merit.
 
I think for the PC side of things.
One really has to tweak the system for the purpose one wants to get out of it.
 
If you move to a system for audio video...?....Some of the bells and whistles Like wi fi, and even internet nics,...CAN CAUSE  issues With system performance.
 
And the new stuff just keeps on being added in...M2 ports, and Sata express, USB 3.1...new memory...new cpu, ...always new...But is it being perfected?....and the old tossed out ...
 
I think windows MS should bring back the early days ability to lock down IRQs on slots, on the MB, non plug and ply like..(to make exclusive to that device only)...through Bios also,... to exclusive states for designed designer setups of WS PC builds, and make selective boot ups, into different setups of the add on devises needed to work without interruption of the cpu, or memory, and work wanted to be done with Memory and HD/SSD/CD/DVD/Blu ray..
 
Some MB Bios let you make IRQ requests still?
 
Any hoot...Not sure about Studio 1 on a pc yet...
But I will be installing it shortly on a new x99/6core/32gb/Nvidia970 strinks/ thunderbolt 2 system Build.
I will also be testing win 10, and Sonar with this setup , using a Motu 828 TB Audio offerings.
 
I do think Protools works better on a MAC.
 
But no matter what you pick...I assure you, you will encounter issues!
 
In other thoughts.
I find turning off redundant devices ""in Bios"" more effective than using MS OS control panel.
 
Here is why,..."" I believe""....(No religious intent Meant)...LoL
 
When you boot up into windows..(with out tweaking the bios ), windows will boot up the drivers first, or install em, if it finds em, and drivers for nic, in its data base folder, or on its server when and if a nic is found, and installed for, when installing the OS, and load services up for them, then when entering the desktop, it will seek the instructions for Services once drivers are installed for all Main board devices...if it can find them...
 
Then you (enable or disable in control panel.)...((I believe))...and turn off lets say Wi fi in that control panel...But I believe also the services stay on waiting for it to be re enabled....running or checking for...that device...now disabled....windows logs..checks for connections...((see auto updates running as services?))(when this is checking it needs X internet nic...And services running for))...and this could cause issues with slight bits of time taken from the cpu doing your work...to do that check.
 
If you turn off redundant issue causing Devices in Bios, the redundant devices is not dected or loaded any drivers for OS on boot up...Windows does not even load the drivers for it...as it is not detected at all, as Bios turns it off on the MB before booting up win OS....check control panel...Not listed in there eh?...so no log...no service?
 
Now some may or may not agree....
But from my testing and seeking to route issues with audio ...and it has been a nightmare since the dawn of..PC.
So many things plague it in the MS world....That it becomes a troubleshooting nightmare the more you try to get all the bells and whistles working on some motherboards with 3rd party devices,...and the wide range of ports to use...mostly because of funds, and cost being high on new gear...and perhaps not enough cash flow to play with more than one ...at first.
 
Which one is best?....and can it work if..X, Y , or Z is used with....and if removing this, does it help or worsen?....
 
Round we go...and then the standards change on everyone.(new os)(new software with bugs attached)..and it starts over....""troubleshooting""....I wish this hat would be retired in my house...
 
Yet it is always something needs addressing, or was corrupted via the new.....or the change...or the added or taken out due to failure.
 
Yet it is as I know to be the cash cow method, of reselling the same old, with a new face, and new port, new this, new that.....
 
8 track Tape my friend was much easier, to capture the magic of murh, with a good old Multi FX processor or two, and a small mixing board....(and a reel to reel)( Imagination, and methods made much more fun, because it mostly worked right out of the box )...and a few cables and mics in the room....methods bent time....Until needed repairs entered the scope of field of dreams.
 
Now time is Method lost wasting away seeking bliss....in a box...
 
Remember, Music comes from the minds that melds it....you do not need the box....to write score!
 
 Have a look at Reason Propellerhead on Gouve 3...also...
a scanner to scan paper score...into x is possible.
 
Just try n have fun!
Hope you find your bliss inside you, already made!
 
Cheers!
 
 
 
 
 

In a way what seems to be happening is they are moving so fast that people like me cannot keep up with the upgrades and changes. When I turn on my DAW I want to go right to work , I don;t have the time to spend figuring new stuff out.
 I think Sonar's problem is it's only powerful if you can master it and how does anyone find the time to do this?? You have to be unemployed or retired.
 I got pretty good at 8.5 and can even return to it and know my way around still. I miss the simplicity of midi editing and copy paste functions. I still screw up and make big messes with the new versions when I try and do simple things like add a extra verse in the middle of a song ( pure midi). 
The upgrades have come so fast that I haven't even installed the last 3 versions. 
And with a client I'm working with I even choose to stay working in X3 studio  because I'm insecure about messing with half finished projects. Ya I know there are no issues but still.. 
 
I will not be changing DAW's however as that to me seems pointless. I have Cubase and compared to Sonar it gives you very little bang for the buck. 
 
ANd there's nothing wrong with using different software for different tasks. That's a good thing and the best solution. No one software can do it all perfectly and never will. 
 

TomHelvey
 I'm not that great at song writing, but I can produce the crap out of a well written song.
 

I find that is the last thing you need to do to a well written song Tom! A trained monkey with a dictaphone could capture a great song that stands on its own merits. The not so brilliant ones maybe:)
 
I use Sonar mostly to produce backing tracks for live shows as well and am yet to find any other DAW hat has a playlist function like Sonars. I would miss that, amongst other things.
 
I hope you find something that suits your workflow.

Why does it have to be an either/or situation? A Sonar install doesn't really take up much disk space.
 
I would love to have multiple DAWs installed on my machine. I of course love Sonar (I think it is a great creative artist's tool) but came from another DAW that had some things I miss and I read about stuff other modern DAWs are offering I would like to use.
 
Install Sonar alongside your new DAW(s) and bingo bango... you get to use each whenever you want based on the needs of the project.
 
I would never limit myself to one guitar or amp and as an ex contractor I would never limit myself to one tool (or brand of tool).
 
You already own the stuff so why not keep it available?
 
Full disclosure... if I were running a multitrack studio, I probably would not use Sonar to record with (if I had another option). For me creating on my own and for mixing whatever I tracked in that hypothetical studio? Yeah, Sonar is what I'd like to use (except for some specific tasks I know other programs probably do better).
 
It's almost like saying "I just bought an SG and I LOVE IT so I'm gonna throw my Strat in the garbage".
 
Does not compute.

I agree Cactus Music...too much change...too many updates...to much to get it working, or making it not work as one does update...(dependent on So many variables)...But if and when one does Get it working (whatever is being used for Music or video, or all things Rainbow'd in the specs of said or proclaimed by, and one has it all working, as said it would or should)...Unplug the internet...and make sure you back up the drive, clone it, and then some...notes taken on setup as one goes through the process of making it on that system, a log booking of tweaks to get it running with...verisons and such of drivers /software ....
 
Just unplug that cloned drive once tested , put it away in a static free bag on a self well labeled....and continue with the system drive set to that spec...no more internet/wi fi on that system....(It becomes a music /video editing system only)...So a second system is then used to do the downloads and scanning, and or making portable content for the Work Station system...making sure one backs up before any changes,or setting a restore point first....
 
Make sure everything brought into the WS system hence forth...Is scanned with a outside system for virus.
 
Should be able to keep that WS system working for a long time if no changes take place....for a long time, with out change at all, if it is working perfectly.
 
Anything found over time to not be working as it should be, or was, can only be attributed to, and or addressed by devices becoming old, and failing parts there in due to age, or over stressed in voltages...or change done by the user.
 
Thing is, it is never perfect perfect here to get to that stage...it seems.
 
So I have fun testing new stuff....to try to find the magic mix of device per blissful experience encounters on OS.
 
I think I found a helping hand with Thunderbolt 2...on PC...and windows 7-10
 
Thunderbolt 2 supposedly address memory directly..(cpu does not need to involve itself?).I was told, (could be a security issue perhaps?)...Perhaps not if one disables the networking and internet nic....
 
why it is not such a problematic with me any more, the glitching, drop outs, and latency...even lost drivers in said software perhaps?..... setting up firewire or usb audio so much today, when using those two ports, with some of the devices that plagued my experiences in troubleshooting that Firewire  card/cards of plenty 400/800 TI/LSI VIA solutions with audio interfaces of a few...and with usb being some what slow..and hindering things also with noise...espcially mouse movements...and or HDMI on video....also hindering progress...in that last stages before Thunderbolt was employed here.
 
Never finding the bliss myself until trying Thunderbolt PC ASUS z87 quad board with onboard TB... many say they have found just with firewire (and some saying no tweaking necessary in win 7 and or 8.1?)...I found some bliss, in XP and *98 se via tweaking the snot out of the OS and sytem Bios , and making configured boot setups for music, and another for internet..selectable on boot...A, b, or c...each one a different configuration for the task needed when turning it on..MS allowed for higher hands on tweaking,to configure the cards as exclusive to a specific irq,, so no sharing would occur at all, and memory ranges could also be setup to not conflict....
 
But do they truly have that perfectly working now....Automaticly?.....hmmm?
 
Yah, it is getting too confusing, too much updates all around the table....sure makes a programmers offerings for cost...a problematic also....I am sure the bakers of any software...must be hairless, with all the third party this, and OS changing to ?....and stay stable...is impossible to do!
 
 
 
Cry if one needs to let out wheens...whelps ...Truly we all know it is frustrating to get things working sometimes, due to choices made, or hidden defects, even pilot error...(not all the same...remember, plus or minus % on some capacitors/resistors, diodes, and transistors...and rf / magnetic fields play havock also on ...simular if not identical gear...but one may not perform as the other...with same employed gear.....
 
I do see it getting better, and then I see the methods being employed to keep it off balance...So it always needs fixing....for a cost no doubt about it....and more troubles...keeping us out of trouble with troubles......wink.
 
still rain songs sung, then some thunder bolt to enlighten me came forth, a rainbow dream started a new method, and new hair growth has begun, for over the hills and far from there yet, away just out of the crime of the century.....I do see a solution coming more so, that is rock solid!
 
cheers.