I have been using Cakewalk products since the DOS version shipping on 5 1/4" floppy disks.  I teach Sonar in my University Sound Design Classes.

My favorite feature in all products has been File Save.

-D

The step sequencer is  my favorite feature...

I don't know yet, for I am in the verge of upgrading from SPE7 to 8.5

The PX-64 and VX-64 plug-ins are excellent.

Scott

Hi Scott - I totally agree with you on the plugs.   I am working my way through your Sonar 8 Power and trying to absorb it all ... lol.  I would really like a project/exercise style book with supplied raw tracks and have you teach me how to put it all together effectively.  There are a lot of features I might use if I knew why I would want to use them.  When I start reading about something else Sonar does, I find myself asking "why do I care about it" because I don't understand what it can do for my music.

I just completed a book on Photoshop where you built a magazine cover and I learned way more from that than from reading pages of stuff that just mystified me.  

Thanks for all the help you have given me.

My favorite things I liked about Sonar 8.5 studio to producer are, session drummer 3 along with the Ocean way extra kit, guitar rig 3 plus the Px plug-ins series.

The session drummer 3 sounds sit well in most of my projects with added value with the flexibility of kit changes.

Guitar rig 3 I always liked Native Instruments approach to emulating various sounds, what really got me excited is using this plug in to sweeten up a bland miked guitar track, the control is awesome when getting that the sound to stand out with control over the nuance.

The vocal strip is great as well, nice control on a vocal track for adjusting the vocal to a particular sound. 

The only minor issue on 8.53 is the audio engine needs toggled once the song is stopped, from what I read from your development pages was some issue with audio driver changes could become nasty if toggled with the engine on, An option in global to allow user
preferences would improve work flow.

Wow, there is so many things I love about 8.5 and new features and plug ins since upgrading from Sonar P 6, but I would guess the PX-64 and VX-64 would be great places to start.. Or maybe Boost 11, or Session Drummer 3, and the Midi track arpeggiator is way too cool.
 Hmmm, this is an unfair question, I could ramble on for hours and still not get anywhere.

Love all the plug-ins, been rock solid, no crashes! Keep up the good work, thanks also forum!

I upgraded from Sonar2 to sonar 8.5 because it has a full suite of softsynth and I can't afford to buy the Korg M3. I love the Dimension Pro, It got lots of useful sound. The Session drummer 3 together with PX64 is awesome!. The true piano is very good. Zeta is wild! I am still learning how to use it. The pentagon can be quite useful too.  The VX64 is a must for vocal! I like to use the EQ control on the channel. Thank you for making my dream come true without me having to rob a bank. This is the best thing that I have ever bought. Ever!

not exactly addressing the question but what i love about any/all Sonar releases is the stability and compatability with windows on just about any average, more or less, sort of current computer!!!
 
seriously, i have bought and tried Pro tools MP 7 and 8 on reasonably capable machines and it just doesn't fly for me ........
 
Keep up the great work - i've been hooked sinse i started with Cake .....with sonar 3!
 
and .....i realliy like Session Drummer ....i'm a big fan of recording drummers but with Session Drummer i don't need to call them for every track!

Not trying to be funny but.... I love everything about Sonar Pro.
Can't really fine a single favorite thing but I'll try.
I guess it would be Sonar itself.  :)

Step Sequencer/SessionDrummer the percussion strip

Finally got around to upgrading to 8.5 during 20% sale.

I haven't had a chance to do much with it since I just got it installed but I'll have more to say since I've got a session coming up this Fri. so we'll find out more about what really works well with my work flow.

But for now, what I like so far is #1 price. $80.00 is hard to beat.
#2 I like the new look. Higher contrast & everything just looks a lot more sharper & snappier. So far, I would even go as far as to say it looks 'inspiring' a little, hehehe.