Like most other folks around here, I have purchased other DAW's and occasionally look at other DAW's. The only one I've been really comfortable with is Sonar. It is a mystery why it isn't the one that everybody talks about. Nothing else really has the scope of Sonar. Then I had a thought (it does happen).
What if Sonar was the new contender? Imagine if we had never seen Sonar and it was dropped on the music world as it sits today. Same price, same features. I think the recording community would be gob-smacked. No one would believe that a DAW with all its features could be released at a competitive price point.
I'm positive that Sonar's biggest drawback is that it's been around forever and we just take it for granted.

I don't think its ever been high on the public's eyeline.  
I don't remember how I discovered Sonar, but it must have been from web-surfing as I don't actually KNOW anyone else that uses it.  I've recorded in studios that use ProTools and Digital Performer, but Sonar is the only DAW i've ever used myself.
It's a solid product, flexible, and at a very competitive price.  Must just be a marketing problem...

Within my network, the biggest drawback was that it was never on a Mac. Never got into the game which already fielded a number of competent players. For a glass half full perspective, hoping #SONAR4Mac will drive some best-in-class feature development to compete effectively with the established players. 

I've used Sonar (platinum) for almost 10yrs and really love it, I was using ProTools HD (pretty rock solid), Sonar is more user friendly (for me). I deal with friends and recording professionals that believe ProTools is the industry standard and could not see to ever use Sonar? They would use anything but? Not sure why most studios don't use Sonar, they tell me "it's not what professional artist are recorded with" just what I've experienced.

ampfixer
Like most other folks around here, I have purchased other DAW's and occasionally look at other DAW's. The only one I've been really comfortable with is Sonar. It is a mystery why it isn't the one that everybody talks about. Nothing else really has the scope of Sonar. Then I had a thought (it does happen).
What if Sonar was the new contender? Imagine if we had never seen Sonar and it was dropped on the music world as it sits today. Same price, same features. I think the recording community would be gob-smacked. No one would believe that a DAW with all its features could be released at a competitive price point.
I'm positive that Sonar's biggest drawback is that it's been around forever and we just take it for granted.

I write in Sonar.  It has so many great features that pro tools doesn't.  BUT, it crashes WAY to often.  That's the reputation it has, and IMHO it's deserved.  I don't go through a day when it doesn't crash.  My setup is totally fine too, i7 20 gigs ram etc.  I hear excuses from cakewalk about compatibility with plug ins...etc.  That's not the consumer's problem.

If Cakewalk/Sonar had been a Mac oriented software from the get go, it would still be the reference for DAW's today.
Studios all over the world started using Apple computers at some point and it quickly became THE system to buy for audio recording and processing....the rest is history....
 

I like Sonar but Mac is still the dominant platform and sorry, but if you can get Logic for under 200 bucks there is no way Sonar's price point can be called "competitive". Even if Sonar does some things that Logic does not, the same can be said the other way around, and Logic is a third of the price. The amount of content it comes with and especially the integration of all the synths/presets/loops/etc is mind boggling.

Sonar is not on Mac and neither am I. I like the workflow and am not shilling out for another 500/600e DAW. Plus, credit where credit is due, I usr the heck out of Melodyne and ARA is killer.

In the past Pro Tools HD was, I believe, more robust recording system than the others and it became the industry standard. This combined to SONAR's lack of Mac support is one logical explanation why SONAR isn't more popular than it is.
 
Most of my friends are musicians almost all of them use Mac. All my nearby recording studios use Mac with Pro Tools. I'm still asked "Why don't you use Mac?". My normal answer is: "I get more power for half the price and SONAR is more advanced than Pro Tools.". Usually they believe when they see me mixing their songs. :)
 

eph221

ampfixer
Like most other folks around here, I have purchased other DAW's and occasionally look at other DAW's. The only one I've been really comfortable with is Sonar. It is a mystery why it isn't the one that everybody talks about. Nothing else really has the scope of Sonar. Then I had a thought (it does happen).
What if Sonar was the new contender? Imagine if we had never seen Sonar and it was dropped on the music world as it sits today. Same price, same features. I think the recording community would be gob-smacked. No one would believe that a DAW with all its features could be released at a competitive price point.
I'm positive that Sonar's biggest drawback is that it's been around forever and we just take it for granted.

I write in Sonar.  It has so many great features that pro tools doesn't.  BUT, it crashes WAY to often.  That's the reputation it has, and IMHO it's deserved.  I don't go through a day when it doesn't crash.  My setup is totally fine too, i7 20 gigs ram etc.  I hear excuses from cakewalk about compatibility with plug ins...etc.  That's not the consumer's problem.

Are you using any 32 bit plugs in 64bit sonar?  
 

eph221
I write in Sonar.  It has so many great features that pro tools doesn't.  BUT, it crashes WAY to often.  That's the reputation it has, and IMHO it's deserved.  I don't go through a day when it doesn't crash.  My setup is totally fine too, i7 20 gigs ram etc.  I hear excuses from cakewalk about compatibility with plug ins...etc.  That's not the consumer's problem.

You did not mention anything about what causes the crashes. Do you let SONAR send the automatic Problem Reports to the Cakewalk HQ? Have you asked for help from Cakewalk Support?  I have always got help to my crash problems and possible causes have been eliminated in the new SONAR builds.
 
Just get in contact with Cakewalk.