What a piece of _ _ _ _ _  Illogical, unorganized, ugly, simple Sonar tasks are complex...
I just can't figure why Sonar is not at the top...
 
Maybe just give Sonar away to everyone for free for like a 6 month trial and you'll own the world!
 
Just sayin... :)
 

I've mixed on pro tools a few times and compared to Sonar, it simply is not intuitive.   You want a new bus, you create it, name it and then send to it.  SO EASY IN SONAR.  Protools (at least back in 11) no so much!  Just one of many examples

PT suffers from what I call the Adobe syndrome. They were practically the first to do what they do at their level, and since most studios signed onto using and getting really good at PT, the software found it's way backed into a corner. General Mac and Windows menus and user intuition improves, but power users will be alienated if the PT structure changes with "the times". It's a no-win situation. Adobe has fought this battle for years. New users don't find it easy, and power users won't tolerate change.

If you have ever sat in a session with someone that really knows how to use PT deeply with keybindings and what not, it can be a very impressive thing.
 
Personally I don't have the time or patience to learn that system when Sonar seems more intuitive for me.  But it can be an efficient system for people that have used it for years and are deeply integrated with it.  
 
And Sonar does offer a demo version that should provide a user with all the familiarity they need to know if it will work for them....without time limitations.  Even that still won't change the world unless you can get users to take the time to download, install, and learn it.  

Pro Tools is the ideal replacement for someone who used to use a 2" 24-track and mixer. I say that not in a snarky way, but as an appreciation of their understanding of a target audience. Obviously I much prefer SONAR for too many reasons to list here, but I've done lots of Pro Tools sessions and appreciate it for what it is.

Anderton
I've done lots of Pro Tools sessions and appreciate it for what it is.

That's it in a nutshell. Change PT to R, S1, MB, BW etc.

I too am a Sonar fan and it is my weapon of choice for most things, but you will find similar comments about any DAW when people first load it up and are used to another. I guess you could say that UNfamiliarity breeds contempt in this particular case. After so many years on Sonar I absolutely hated Ableton Live when I first tried it. Now I find it quite fun!
 
I couldn't agree more though that once you understand the depth of what Sonar can do it is hard to fathom why it isn't more popular. That's not to say that it isn't well loved! I suspect it is because the reward you get from Sonar is exactly proportionate to the effort you put into learning it, an almost foreign concept in what seems to increasingly be a widget driven world striving for instant gratification where a user manual is a bridge too far.

brconflict
PT suffers from what I call the Adobe syndrome. They were practically the first to do what they do at their level, and since most studios signed onto using and getting really good at PT, the software found it's way backed into a corner. General Mac and Windows menus and user intuition improves, but power users will be alienated if the PT structure changes with "the times". It's a no-win situation. Adobe has fought this battle for years. New users don't find it easy, and power users won't tolerate change.

Perfect analysis!

I do most of my stuff on Linux, and one of the programs on there is a graphics program called GIMP. In many ways it is on the same level as Photoshop. They had the same problem in that they had users of GIMP who had used it for years and didn't want it to change, as well as users of Photoshop they wanted to attract. So they did something unique - they made the icons and menus programmable. The result is you can make GIMP look and act very much like Photoshop, making easier for longtime Photoshop users to switch over. Longtime GIMP users can stay with the menus and layout they have learned to love over the years, and the makers of GIMP can change things around to make it easier for noobs to learn.
 
It seems SONAR is starting down this road with the theme editor. We have already seen themes that mimic Logic and older versions of SONAR. The use of lenses can make the software a bit less intimidating by removing all of the toolbar options except for basic tasks. If the menus become adaptable, then you could literally have themes and lenses that could make SONAR appear like just about any other DAW. This makes it easier for folks to switch, and new users to learn.

fyi gimp is also available as a windows build, goodness knows why anyone chooses photoshop these days