jjdubs

abacab
Tracktion T6 is the full version, and completely free!
 
https://www.tracktion.com/products/t6-daw
 

The world's best, fully featured, completely unlimited free DAW for all music creators
 
This is no ‘Lite’ version, we do not impose track limits, plugin limitations or other such constraints commonly found in other low cost offerings. Why? – we think you will enjoy using the app so much, you will discover the value in investing in our latest versions and the expanded features we are voraciously adding. Innovation and creativity is what drives us – join the ride today and download T6 for Mac, Windows, or Linux operating systems.

 
Training videos... https://www.tracktion.com/training/videos

I have never heard of Traction but it looks pretty cool. 
 
I can hang with my Sonar X3 for now and Sonar Professional if I can get it working again. 
I'm not a professional musician so this is not a "life or death" situation.
 
John
 

I have the latest version of Tracktion (Waveform 8) since release last Spring.  It is my secondary DAW, that I bought for the MIDI creativity tools added to that version, before the Cakewalk announcement.
 
But T6 is also a very capable DAW, and has a lot of power under the hood for recording and editing.  Each version is basically the same as far as core features, with the higher version numbers just adding new features.  So the training videos and manuals for earlier versions apply equally to the core features.
 
Their UI design philosophy until Waveform has been been exclusively a very intuitive one screen workspace.  Inputs on left, track clips in the middle, and outputs and FX bins on the right.
 
In Waveform, they finally caved into requests for a full mixer panel, that you can undock and move to a 2nd screen, as well as a MIDI PRV editor that you can also move, and go full screen with.  Previous versions just had inline MIDI editing in the tracks.
 
Since the program is cross-platform, the UI does not conform to the standard Windows UI objects, so that may put off some folks who prefer a Windows only design.
 
It offers automation, time stretching, latency management, step sequencer, MIDI learn, audio comping. Supports Melodyne Essential.  Unlimited audio and MIDI Tracks.  Most of your VST plugins from Cakewalk will load and work in Tracktion, with the exception of those that are locked to Sonar.  I have successfully inserted multi-output plugins, such as Addictive Drums 2, Kontakt, and SampleTank.
 
Beside the UI stuff, the biggest difference between this and Sonar is that there is only one kind of track, and it can hold any kind of clip object, such as Audio Clips, MIDI Clips, Step Clips, etc.
 
Quite a lot for free!!!  There is more, but I'll stop now! 

@jjdubs 
Studio One also comes in a free version ... called Prime ... it's been a while since I had it but I seem to remember one of the main limitations is that you can't use external VST's ... and have a limited set of internal FX and instruments. 
 
You can see for yourself here : 
https://www.presonus.com/...o-One/compare-versions

Prime was what first got me interested in Studio One, but the VST limitation really crippled it for me. I use a bunch of plugins and virtual instruments so that was a show stopper.  I think it would be great for beginners to learn audio recording with real instruments, though.  It has unlimited tracks and comes with 9 native audio effects.
 
The only way to get VST in S1, is to buy Artist + the VST add-on, or buy Pro.
 
For the remaining currently free options with full VST support I am only aware of Sonar Home Studio and Tracktion T5 & T6.
 
Another free DAW option, with full VST support, but limited track count, is Ableton Live Lite 9.  If you are currently shopping a new audio interface or MIDI controller, that program is bundled with many of them. 
 
I would add that Sonar Home Studio would still be a good way to update to a recent modern version of Sonar.  It was updated last fall, so it is very comparable to the latest Platinum and Professional versions, just without Pro Channel and some advanced features.  But many of the plugins from older Sonar versions should work just fine, as well as any 3rd party ones! 

Not long ago, people were giving me crap for staying on X1 instead of upgrading.
 
I truly wish I were wrong and stupid for not upgrading and that everyone were happy.

konradh
Not long ago, people were giving me crap for staying on X1 instead of upgrading.
 
I truly wish I were wrong and stupid for not upgrading and that everyone were happy.

Having said that, if Cakewalk does end up giving everyone an activation key or some such way of allowing them to use it in perpetuity, Platinum is light years ahead of X1. Even with all of its problems. 

sharke

konradh
Not long ago, people were giving me crap for staying on X1 instead of upgrading.
 
I truly wish I were wrong and stupid for not upgrading and that everyone were happy.

Having said that, if Cakewalk does end up giving everyone an activation key or some such way of allowing them to use it in perpetuity, Platinum is light years ahead of X1. Even with all of its problems. 

This exchange, to me, illustrates the total conundrum of all "our" exchanges.  I hope not to sound self deprecating, and you will hear what you read, but there has not been a version of Sonar (may she rest in Peace,) that was not light years ahead of us all.
 
Sonar was like a huge banquet, there was something for most, and a few came away not satiated, but I would offer that not one left the table unfed, unless of course they were light years ahead, and were virtual muses', in which case I would wish to kiss their ring.
 
Now the sumptuous festival has ended, and only the few are left to clean up the mess, and cull the crumbs.  But really, it's been a great ride; has it not?  Think about all the leftovers you took home in your box!
 
Maybe my discourse comes across as banal, contrite, and nonsensical; but when hasn't life been like that?
 
JQS
 
you all good peoples, at least I want to believe.

konradh
Not long ago, people were giving me crap for staying on X1 instead of upgrading.
 
I truly wish I were wrong and stupid for not upgrading and that everyone were happy.

X1 was problematic, with the limited ProChannel, but X2 offered the full ProChannel options, and X3 was the full deal, lots of cool plugins! 
 
I was happy to sit on that, until the lifetime Platinum deal was offered...which included many features and upgrades since 2015.  I was amazed at the features added since 2014, when upgrading to Platinum in 2016... Well worth the price! 

I'm still using X3
I've added some 3rd party plugins since then; Slate bundle, Waves, a couple of Soundtoys plugins.
The waves stuff seems to use a lot of CPU. I find myself freezing tracks with automation and CPU hungry plugins to keep my computer from crashing. And bumping up the mixing latency. And deleting the tracks that I never unmute
 
Anyway, Thank you, Cakewalk, for Sonar.
 
I had a world renowned professional audio engineer who uses Reaper tell me recently that I couldn't tell what the input level was on my DAW, with which he seemed unfamiliar (pros seem to be advocating for a maximum of -18dB)
 
 I showed him a screen shot.
 
He was speechless. (or the social media equivalent)

In case anyone is interested, just got and email from Dontcrack, they have a deal going with Harrison, Mixbus  is $19 and Mixbus32c $99, cheap alternative for those you may want or need a backup plan....just sayin'
 
http://www.dontcrack.com/news/2018/01/harrison-mixbus-promo/
 

So this is a good lesson about cloud based / Stream based software subscriptions.
 
When it is a game, no biggie if the company goes out of business and you lose the cloud / steam authorization.  Lots of other games to play.  
 
When you are using something for creative purposes, keep it all local on your own hard drive and own the software, do not subscribe.  
 
JR