Second DAW: Studio 1 Pro 4 or Samplitude Pro X3/ X4 Suite?

I haven't found a DAW with a workflow/UI that I like better than SONAR/CbB, but I'm in a mood to get a second DAW while they are on sale... FWIW, I mostly record audio (classic rock type stuff) and sometimes will use electronic drums to drive Addictive Drums. Not a lot of tracks. Not a lot of effects. Not a lot of fancy editing.
 
I own Studio 1 Artist 3.5 so I can upgrade to S1P 4.x for $149. I've basically liked what I've seen S1P 3.x but I do not like being forced to use a console/mixer to mix. I rather like the SONAR option of just using the vol/pan/etc controls in Track View. There are certainly lots of happy S1 users out there and a busy forum for help and guidance. 
 
There is also the option to buy the Samplitude Pro X3 Suite (with free upgrade to X4 Suite next month) for $199. My first feeling on Samplitude was OK. Don't like the separate mixer window, but I can mix just using their version of the Track View. The UI seems a bit dated, but I was able to get a simple recording done without referring to help pages. The potential bonus here is that the X3 Suite comes with Sound Forge Pro 11 (which I already own/use). My hope would be that the X4 Suite includes Sound Forge Pro 12. Then I'd be getting a new DAW plus a Sound Forge upgrade. But nothing I've found online confirms what version of Sound Forge would be in X4 Suite.
 
Both offers expire later this week. I know there are people here that have added one or the other of these apps to their toolbox.
 
Thoughts?

my changeover from sonar to studio one 3.5 was very very smooth.
 
plus, the project page is worth the price of admission alone.
 

I'll throw in my 2 cents worth.  Last year after the Cakewalk crash I bough Studio One, Harrison Mixbus, and Traction Waveform.  After trying all of them out I can say that they all would be adequate for most people.  They all have different strengths and weaknesses and none of them are perfect for every person.  I personally think that you should learn one main DAW and then have a second, or third if you have the time, as a backup or for a feature that the other may not have or handle as well.
 
I personally don't have the time to keep up with 4 different DAWs but I can handle one as a main DAW and use the other as needed.

i bought s1p mostly for it's mastering page.

I, too, like Mixbus very much but I work with midi so much and the midi editing in Mixbus is terrible. I use Mixbus a lot for tracking live audio projects.

I brought Presonus Studio one 3.5, Samplitude Pro X3 and Tracktion Waveform 8 when Sonar exited the scene.
I didn't register Studio One until 4 came out and I got Studio One version 4 upgrade for free. I'm glad I did get the extra ones. I like Tracktion for what they are doing and it is a great scratchpad DAW. Samplitude reminds me of Sonar 8.5 layout in a way and I really like that Samplitude so far has not forgot about folks with bad eyesight. (that would be me) I'm really glad I got it last year at the sale price. Studio One I believe I will use it like Craig does for Mastering. I'm still trying to figure the DAW out. I almost got Mixcraft Pro 8 too. It is a very capable DAW but sanity won out :)
I also tried MOTU Digital Performer and I really did like it but with my eyesight I couldn't see myself long term with it. It was really hard for me to read the small typeface :(
 
Anyway I'm glad I got the extra DAW's. Playing around with them I learned that they all have pluses and minuses to them. I'm actually looking forward to see what Samplitude Pro X4 brings to the table. But I'm so glad Cakewalk is still alive. Now Noel and company get a hold of Don from Overture and cut a deal to upgrade the staff view pretty please.
 

InstrEd
I really like that Samplitude so far has not forgot about folks with bad eyesight.

I didn't realize this, but that may be a factor for all of us in years to come. Much of your question boils down to personal preference, but it seems to be hinged on SF12 for you. You may want to email them directly and see if they give you a response (never hurts to ask). Otherwise, both come with a lot of features, and for basic tracking/mixing it will come down to splitting hairs and your personal workflow. If you have already gotten your feet wet with both of them, checking out videos online may help you discover things you wouldn't find using them in trial/demo mode.

I didn't mention it, but I use Ozone8 for mastering, so the Project Page feature in S1P may not be as valuable to me.
 
I hope to spend some time playing around with both S1P and SX3 over the next few days and will get a clearer view of the right choice for me.

I have S1 3 Pro but have never taken to it. 
 
It has some nice features, but the UI and transport bar position make me tire of it quite quickly and I didn't find it to be as crashproof as some say.
 
I tried the samplitude demo last year and quite liked it tbh, but it felt like stepping back in time so I didn't buy it.
FWIW it has been on come kind of  "limited time" special price for at least a year so far. If x4 brings it up to date UI/menu wise I could see me being tempted by it.

I switched to Studio One when Cake went under. It is AWESOME! Love the Arranger and Chord tracks. Was easy for me to switch to and I would recommend it to anyone. Good luck with your quest. 

After playing with all three DAWs (CbB, Studio One Pro 4, Samplitude X3), I think Studio One Pro is out. Everyone raves about the workflow, but it feels too different to CbB to want to invest the time in learning it. 
 
I created the same type of project in all three DAWs, and CbB just works for me. No doubt using it since CWPA came out has something to do with that.
 
Not sure if I'm going to pull the trigger on Samplitude or not. I will be focusing more on it to see if I can determine what makes the object editor special and if that adds value *for me*. I came from old school 2" analog tape, so I'm more of a "learn your part and play it right, with feeling!" kinda guy than one that wants to spend endless hours making a Bride of Frankenstein vocal or guitar track.
 
I guess my real concern (which is why I'm looking at a second/backup DAW) is what happens when I build a new studio PC and have to re-install SPLAT to get all the plug-ins/goodies to use with CbB. I hope it will still be downloadable and work. But that topic has been hashed to death elsewhere. Not sure if it was ever resolved (haven't been paying attention to lifetime upgrade SPLAT recently).

Samplitudes' Independence is probably the best all in one acoustic samplers / sample players. It is a must for a lot of my compositions. It's a very deep DAW, it would depend on your style of recording.

 One of the biggest differences is the lack of 3rd party tutorials for Samplitude.