I am in the process of finishing tracking an album that will end up getting bounced out and sent to someone else to mix (probably in pro tools who knows?) so have decided to stick with Sonar until that is done.  I have installed the trial to Studio One and it seems to have lots of decent song writing tools but I struggled with working out a few things (I missed the FX bins being on the track view for example) and missed the smart tool.
But did like the scratchpad idea and how easy it is to move around sections of songs which is useful during songwriting and the band needs to decide on a DAW we will all buy to share projects and that seems an easy option.
 
It has been years since I have switched DAW's so I have been putting it off.
 
I figure I will wait for Bandlab to come out with their plan before I jump ship though!

Codernova
I tried Studio One, REAPER, FL Studio, Ableton Live, and numerous others.  Cubase ended up being the least annoying of the bunch. 

That sums my feelings up perfectly! 

Try as many trial DAWs as you can for the next few weeks - we'll see you back here, guaranteed :O)

travismb

kitekrazy1

Codernova
I ended up going with Cubase Elements.  I tried Studio One, REAPER, FL Studio, Ableton Live, and numerous others.  Cubase ended up being the least annoying of the bunch.  I also wanted to continue to have a score editor.
 
I'll miss Sonar but I needed something immediately.  But only being $100 into Cubase, there's the chance I'll come back to Cakewalk if things look promising in the future.

I have 9.5 and hate the GUI. Not easy to load a VSTi either.

Are you telling me that:
 
Right click the track list area -> add instrument track -> (choose from list) -> add track
 
is more difficult than:
 
Right click the track list area -> insert instrument -> (choose from list) -> create
 
Or am I misunderstanding what you mean?

When I add instrument track the only options are their sampler stuff.

FUnny isn#t it that I say I love Studio One 3 but I still keep coming to the forums. I have to ask, why do I do it? 
And also funny enough...I am looking forward to the new reincarnation of Bandlabs new DAW. Why, Why, Why? I thought I loved Studio One 3? (I do love Studio One 3) So why am I waiting impatiently for this new reincarnation?

kitekrazy1

travismb

kitekrazy1

Codernova
I ended up going with Cubase Elements.  I tried Studio One, REAPER, FL Studio, Ableton Live, and numerous others.  Cubase ended up being the least annoying of the bunch.  I also wanted to continue to have a score editor.
 
I'll miss Sonar but I needed something immediately.  But only being $100 into Cubase, there's the chance I'll come back to Cakewalk if things look promising in the future.

I have 9.5 and hate the GUI. Not easy to load a VSTi either.

Are you telling me that:
 
Right click the track list area -> add instrument track -> (choose from list) -> add track
 
is more difficult than:
 
Right click the track list area -> insert instrument -> (choose from list) -> create
 
Or am I misunderstanding what you mean?

When I add instrument track the only options are their sampler stuff.

I see my Cakewalk VSTis, and various other brands I own (beside Steinberg ones). 
 
Try going to the Studio->VST Plug-in Manager and check that the paths to your VSTis are listed at the bottom and add them if they aren't.

dappa1
FUnny isn#t it that I say I love Studio One 3 but I still keep coming to the forums. I have to ask, why do I do it? 
And also funny enough...I am looking forward to the new reincarnation of Bandlabs new DAW. Why, Why, Why? I thought I loved Studio One 3? (I do love Studio One 3) So why am I waiting impatiently for this new reincarnation?

Swap out Cubase for Studio One 3 and I could write the same paragraph.  I THINK we're all here because we consider Cakewalk/Sonar the best.  But recently like a spouse cheating on us we've had emotional trauma.  Many of us have found friendship in others, but we still want to make it 'work'.

I jumped to Cubase and found many things I really liked about it, really got to know it and like it (I know now why so may film scoring guys use it)....then a long came this new project, I grabbed Sonar and low and behold it just worked so well and easy.  So I'm hoping that this new project is longlived and profitable so I can work in Sonar for this new thing and use Cubase for other projects.
 
Composing music in Sonar is far and away the best. If it would just step up the notation side just a hair.
 
The Cubase forum is so/so...some really crabby people there that only answer half a question just to make the person search. Nowhere near as good as this forum.
 
It felt good to go back to Sonar and realize what is there.
 

Jimbo 88
I jumped to Cubase and found many things I really liked about it, really got to know it and like it (I know now why so may film scoring guys use it)....then a long came this new project, I grabbed Sonar and low and behold it just worked so well and easy.  So I'm hoping that this new project is longlived and profitable so I can work in Sonar for this new thing and use Cubase for other projects.
 
Composing music in Sonar is far and away the best. If it would just step up the notation side just a hair.
 
The Cubase forum is so/so...some really crabby people there that only answer half a question just to make the person search. Nowhere near as good as this forum.
 
It felt good to go back to Sonar and realize what is there.
 

Yeah our fan base is so much more vibrant here.