I guess you could go with Mixcraft 8 too. I'm getting it because it has the Panel, for triggering loops, and one shot way files with Novation Launchpad support for triggering. It fills my need for performance ideas, whereas SPlat's Matrix has me planning song sections. BTW, I use Samplitude, Cubase 9, Studio One Pro 3, Traktor, Maschine Studio and Ableton Live 8 on my laptop. I think Mixcraft Pro 8 has as nice offering of instruments and sounds too. The crossgrade offer is really attractive. Can always get creative with a new environment and instruments. Cheers. :-)

Wish I knew why, but every other DAW I've tried since Sonar announced their demise has been problematic for me. I did obtain Studio One because it was a super deal, but every time I use it it's another learning curve or re-education and and I cannot get my work done. I tried downloading demos of Mixcraft and Samplitude (I think) and I couldn't get them to work hardly at all--either it wouldn't play my instruments, wouldn't scan my VST's, or some other weird nonsense that I have little time and patience for at the moment. I downloaded Reaper a long time ago, but never used it much, I cannot even remember why.  So I just keep going back to Sonar, which for me, just works. I am envious of all of you who have all these DAW's and seem to know how to use them (or at least evaluate them). Studio One will probably be what I turn to, as at least I have some working knowledge of it now, and even though I don't particularly like it, I don't hate it, either. I will move from Sonar only if and when I have to. I am tech savvy, but you wouldn't know it with the issues I've had with these other DAW's. I usually take to new software easily. I even have a full fledged iPad studio going on with no issues.  Oh well. Not giving up completely, but I'm frustrated as heck. 

thepianist65
Wish I knew why, but every other DAW I've tried since Sonar announced their demise has been problematic for me. I did obtain Studio One because it was a super deal, but every time I use it it's another learning curve or re-education and and I cannot get my work done. I tried downloading demos of Mixcraft and Samplitude (I think) and I couldn't get them to work hardly at all--either it wouldn't play my instruments, wouldn't scan my VST's, or some other weird nonsense that I have little time and patience for at the moment. I downloaded Reaper a long time ago, but never used it much, I cannot even remember why.  So I just keep going back to Sonar, which for me, just works. I am envious of all of you who have all these DAW's and seem to know how to use them (or at least evaluate them). Studio One will probably be what I turn to, as at least I have some working knowledge of it now, and even though I don't particularly like it, I don't hate it, either. I will move from Sonar only if and when I have to. I am tech savvy, but you wouldn't know it with the issues I've had with these other DAW's. I usually take to new software easily. I even have a full fledged iPad studio going on with no issues.  Oh well. Not giving up completely, but I'm frustrated as heck. 

That pretty much describes me.  I have Studio One, Reaper and Samplitude.  They're all good, but SONAR just seems easy.  But then I used it for 25 years.  Gotta make myself press on.

Larry Jones
I haven't sorted this out yet myself. I've had the problem on and off over the years: Sound Forge won't play when SONAR has been opened, the browser has no sound when either of the other two are running. I think it's a function of the driver settings for Windows, SONAR, Sound Forge and whatever other audio programs you want to use. They have to match. Some programs detect the driver settings and adjust themselves, and some don't. When they don't, you get no audio. This is just speculation as I haven't tested my theory, but if it's really bugging you I suggest you set Windows and all audio software to the same sample rate and bit depth as the driver for your audio interface.

Hi Larry, have you enabled "Suspend Audio Engine When SONAR Is Not in Focus" in "Preferences > Audio > Playback and Recording"?
 
I change this setting often, because sometimes I need Sonar's audio engine keeping on even if I leave the application, that is when I send MIDI data to a synth in Sonar from another application. But normally it is good to suspend the audio engine (so it its use is free to other applications), because otherwise you have exactly the behaviour that you have described.

jude77

thepianist65
Wish I knew why, but every other DAW I've tried since Sonar announced their demise has been problematic for me. I did obtain Studio One because it was a super deal, but every time I use it it's another learning curve or re-education and and I cannot get my work done. I tried downloading demos of Mixcraft and Samplitude (I think) and I couldn't get them to work hardly at all--either it wouldn't play my instruments, wouldn't scan my VST's, or some other weird nonsense that I have little time and patience for at the moment. I downloaded Reaper a long time ago, but never used it much, I cannot even remember why.  So I just keep going back to Sonar, which for me, just works. I am envious of all of you who have all these DAW's and seem to know how to use them (or at least evaluate them). Studio One will probably be what I turn to, as at least I have some working knowledge of it now, and even though I don't particularly like it, I don't hate it, either. I will move from Sonar only if and when I have to. I am tech savvy, but you wouldn't know it with the issues I've had with these other DAW's. I usually take to new software easily. I even have a full fledged iPad studio going on with no issues.  Oh well. Not giving up completely, but I'm frustrated as heck. 

That pretty much describes me.  I have Studio One, Reaper and Samplitude.  They're all good, but SONAR just seems easy.  But then I used it for 25 years.  Gotta make myself press on.

Guys .. I have Samplitude, Studio 1 & tracktion.
 
What I found a great help is just start writing a simple midi tune with 2 or 3 vsts in any one of them, even start with Sonar. Now export just the midi data to your other DAWs / Test DAWs and recreate the track in each with the same VSTi's. Save. Now flick tween them all and try things on the same track in the different DAWs.

Gets you experimenting and finding out with something familiar to start with. Dont use anything complex. Keep the initial midi track simple. 

I tried Mixcraft, and it was very easy to use.  It supported my Behringer X-Touch and has a great iPhone remote.  If I could see all my tracks in notation, I would be content.
 
I am currently using Samplitude.  A little harder to get used to, but it seems to have better support for the X-Touch (when it works) and an adequate remote.  I'm putting in my time to work more with it.
 
Both have been very stable.

marled

Larry Jones
I haven't sorted this out yet myself. I've had the problem on and off over the years: Sound Forge won't play when SONAR has been opened, the browser has no sound when either of the other two are running. I think it's a function of the driver settings for Windows, SONAR, Sound Forge and whatever other audio programs you want to use. They have to match. Some programs detect the driver settings and adjust themselves, and some don't. When they don't, you get no audio. This is just speculation as I haven't tested my theory, but if it's really bugging you I suggest you set Windows and all audio software to the same sample rate and bit depth as the driver for your audio interface.

Hi Larry, have you enabled "Suspend Audio Engine When SONAR Is Not in Focus" in "Preferences > Audio > Playback and Recording"?
 
I change this setting often, because sometimes I need Sonar's audio engine keeping on even if I leave the application, that is when I send MIDI data to a synth in Sonar from another application. But normally it is good to suspend the audio engine (so it its use is free to other applications), because otherwise you have exactly the behaviour that you have described.

Marled - Thanks for the tip! I'm sure I've tried that in the past, and it may have even worked. I think some settings get changed around with every SONAR update (won't have to worry about that anymore), and problems come and go based on workflow and Microsoft updates. But I've been using Samplitude exclusively for several weeks now and Sound Forge Pro that came with the X3 suite, and it's all working well together, so I am currently following the advice I give to everyone whose PC I work on, which is It's more important to get back to work than to figure out what was wrong. Meanwhile I'm waiting for a PC powerful and stable enough to run the USS Enterprise. You know, one that never crashes, understands natural speech commands, talks back to you, and can perform literally any task the Captain can think of.

thepianist65
Wish I knew why, but every other DAW I've tried since Sonar announced their demise has been problematic for me. I did obtain Studio One because it was a super deal, but every time I use it it's another learning curve or re-education and and I cannot get my work done. I tried downloading demos of Mixcraft and Samplitude (I think) and I couldn't get them to work hardly at all--either it wouldn't play my instruments, wouldn't scan my VST's, or some other weird nonsense that I have little time and patience for at the moment. I downloaded Reaper a long time ago, but never used it much, I cannot even remember why.  So I just keep going back to Sonar, which for me, just works. I am envious of all of you who have all these DAW's and seem to know how to use them (or at least evaluate them). Studio One will probably be what I turn to, as at least I have some working knowledge of it now, and even though I don't particularly like it, I don't hate it, either. I will move from Sonar only if and when I have to. I am tech savvy, but you wouldn't know it with the issues I've had with these other DAW's. I usually take to new software easily. I even have a full fledged iPad studio going on with no issues.  Oh well. Not giving up completely, but I'm frustrated as heck. 

I feel your pain, Dave. Until the past few months SONAR was my only DAW. I had used a few others at different studios, but SONAR was the one I owned and did all my work on. Now I am using Samplitude, and I have to admit that I was stymied for about three weeks when I first started with it. It took me that long to begin to see how to accomplish tasks that had become second nature with SONAR, and I couldn't get anything done.
 
There is no silver bullet here to get past that initial alienation. My advice is to look around, read reviews, dabble in a few new DAWs (if they have free demos), with no expectation of understanding everything at first, and when you find one that seems to meet your need, create some practice projects to work on and learn the program. Spend a few weeks trying to figure it out, watching tutorial videos, asking for help in their online user forums, even reading the manual if you have to. Your problem is that, as you say, you are pretty good with technology, and that has led you to believe a new DAW should be easy. But it's not. Thanks, Gibson!
 
[EDITED TO ADD: SONAR still works, and probably will for a good long time, so you're covered while you figure out a new DAW.]