Another option if he is just working with loops and has his own loops to use is Studio One Free from PreSonus.  It's what I used before Sonar, but I moved to Sonar as I wanted more features and Sonar was more affordable than the version of Studio One I would have gone for.

I've been around cakewalk for years, and finally 2 months ago, I got started on actually found something. I use drum loops, and play the bass. John writes the tunes, sings, and plays rhythm and lead guitar. I am just starting to get some chops with the help of the 2 newest Groove 3 videos. The biggest thing for me is staying organized. I need to really pay attention and take copious notes. By that I mean set markers, be over explanatory, etc. I sometimes can remember the bottom line, but the info I need was in the line before that I DIDN'T WRITE DOWN!
 
Some of my favorite reading has always been the inside info on a recording session. If folks like Carol Kaye hadn't taken notes, there would be more controversy on who played on what than there is now.

kevmsmith81
Another option if he is just working with loops and has his own loops to use is Studio One Free from PreSonus.  It's what I used before Sonar, but I moved to Sonar as I wanted more features and Sonar was more affordable than the version of Studio One I would have gone for.

Free is ALWAYS good! Definitely worth a look. But the cool thing about Mixcraft is that it is just plain easy to use.

Ian1957,
Make sure to let us know how you make out. And don't forget to take advantage of free software trials where possible.

For the moment I have cancelled my monthly subscription to Sonar Artist.
I have downloaded a trial run for Mixcraft 7. Thanks for the heads up TPayton
Initial thoughts are, this may be the right one for me. 
Thank you all for your replies. If you have anymore suggestions I would welcome them.
Cheers
Ian 

What none of the guys mentioned is that this forum is worth a considerable amount in time and resources.

For a newbie in software and music at the same time you're going to need a hand. Even the seasoned pros come across problems and I don't mean software ones, I mean techniques or processes for accomplishing a task.

It's not heresy to talk about other software but considering its Cakewalks forum and they pay for it and this is the Sonar forum it might be worth thinking about whether it's a really an ethical thing to do.

Well......... No ethics violation intended. Just one music guy trying to help another. I have used Cakewalk products for nearly 20 years.
 
 I also wrote in another thread about my trial of Mixcraft, and how I ultimately settled on Sonar as my DAW of choice. And I detailed the advantages and disadvantages of each, and why I chose Sonar over Mixcraft. Anderton even replied in that one and said Mixcraft was good for what it does, but of course Sonar is more comprehensive and powerful. Which is true.
 
If I ran across someone on the Mixcraft forum who was seeking a deeper feature set for their DAW I would certainly point them toward Sonar. 
 
So bottom line, I thought Mixcraft sounded like a perfect fit for Ian based on his stated goals, and as he is someone who does not play instruments and is new to DAWs.
 
All in all, I think my post was far less detrimental to Cakewalk than some of the downright nasty and even personal  attacks some malcontents direct toward the Bakers. Just trying to tell it as it is.
 
With malice toward none....  

we often talk about other products on the forum and no one is forced to be a Cakewalk evangelist nor am I trying to be one. I only expressing my opinion.
A lot of folks come here, newbies that have all sorts of problems getting things going. What would happen if we suggested to all of them to get Mixcraft because it's easy to get into.

Cakewalk have products like Music Creator 7, that cater to folks like our original poster Ian. And like I said before, the back up of this forum is an invaluable resource that isn't available elsewhere. I own and use many DAWs (from before I retired) and I can tell you there's not the support on their forums that you get here.

To me it's just worth thinking about. All the best.

Is there a demo version of Music creator 7? So I can be sure it is what I need. At the moment I cannot find one.
Cheers
Ian

Currently, there are no trial versions of Cakewalk DAWs. I am pretty sure there has never been a trial version of Music Creator. In the past Cakewalk has provided trial versions of SONAR Producer.