I missed the poll, would of voted Studio one...I think the interface is good too after a bit of tweaking with tones.
I think its a natural progression from Sonar 8.5 in looks as I think Sonar X1 changed too much in hindsight.

Guys, I'd like to ask a question as my discount code for Presonus will run out today and the Mixcraft deal runs out end of month.
Which DAW would you recommend for a singer/songwriter who mainly plays acoustic 'real instrument' pieces?
 
To give some context: I'm a published musician who released singles in the UK which aired on radio and TV. I've also got some music in Libraries, and occassionally I do work as a Voice Over/Engineer.
I've gone through many programs over the years, starting with Cool Edit at home and Pro Tools at work, moved onto Sonar, from Ver 3 Producer, through Ver 8 Studio and finally the latest versions of Studio and Platinum, as well as Projects 5.
I've also got a lot of high grade VSTs such as BFD (which I love) Trilogy (still better than other bass VSTs), 3 Native Instrument Pianos (I love the Gentleman), plus all the various programs that came with Sonar over the years.
I've got Izotope audio cleaning plugins and all the Sonar ones over the years.
 
My question is, is it worth buying into a high end deal for Presonus or Mixcraft or any of the others if I mainly work with the VSTs which are not locked to Sonar?
The sound editing tools that come with Presonus seem good (I've demo'ed them) but I'm not sure if I need the synths (I have Dimensions and apture etc..). Mixcraft might be a good fit, but is it good enough for Mastering? Sampletude looks huge, but do I need the bloatware?
 
Perhaps Reaper is the best bet?
 
Any views appreciated.

CakeAlexSHere
Studio One is fine for MIDI and virtual instruments, better than Sonar imho.

That's a very subjective opinion. It's different than any other daw I have used/tried. No event list, no notation editor. Way more limited tools (no mfx). I also have notion. Not much difference between rewiring notion in sonar and using it in s1. Not the same as having a notation editor.
But yes you can record midi using soft synths, and yes it works. "Bugs" like deselecting input select, challenging multi output vsti's setup are all well below the maturity of sonar. Not saying that to slog on S1 that I actually quite like. But it's no Sonar. Much depends on the OP's needs. From what he described, I agree S1 should be a good fit.

Thanks everyone. You've all been really, really helpful. 
 
As the weeks roll on, and Sonar keeps on working, I'm feeling less inclined to impulse upgrade. I was all set on Presonus, but I'm now leaning to Reaper. I like the fact it has a no frills price. No fishhook deal offered by them. I foresee a huge learning curve, but....I've done it once, I can do it again.
I must say, I found Presonus really nice to use, but perhaps their Artist version is enough for me, in which case I could just get it bundled with a new soundcard. If I invest the money in Pro I'll be getting a tone of stuff I don't really need.
I like the idea of investing in a smaller company such as Mixcraft, but the bundled synths and offer of Freesound loops turns me off a bit. I admire them for their customer support etc.... I'm just not sure if it will see me right for years to come (like sonar 8 did until SPLAT). I wish them luck though. I admire them.
Finally, Samplitude looks like one massive bundle of stuff I might never touch. I've got audio cleaning software, mastering software....do I really need it? It's a great offer, but it's like buying a mountain of books just because they're cheap....will I ever have time to read them?
 
In truth, SPLAT has really grown on me and I would love to keep using it, so I might just invest in some new drum sounds for Addictive Drums and then get Reaper when I've got more time. (I'm moving house at the mo....time is not good)
It feels kind of ****ty that I'm feeling pressured to buy into other DAWs just because the company I love has stopped development of the DAW I love. So I might just save my cash for toys I would really love to get and hope (& pray) that SPLAT stays stable for at least a few years to come.
 
BTW: Starise point about 32bit VSTs was very relevent. I'll use Trilogy and BFD until it is no longer possible, Sonar lets me, so moving to a DAW that may block them is a bad move in my book. Call me behind the times, but I love my old progs. *Note: I've just checked out the Presonus forums and it does appear to be an issue. You need JBridge, but people are reporting hit and miss results.
 
BBTW: Has anyone else noticed that Samplitude appears to have been hacked and is up online with Keygen. This may be the reason for such a ridiculous deal - product dumping. *Note: I'm not condoning Cracked software. All my stuff is legit and paid for - hence the reason why I don't want to ditch it.
 

The reason for that is because Studio One is simply very very good and for some strange reason many Sonar users just cannot see it or will accept it.

Don't forget Notion comes with Studio One for $50 or so.

Jeff Evans
The reason for that is because Studio One is simply very very good and for some strange reason many Sonar users just cannot see it or will accept it.

After reading/watching/looking at it, I also think that Studio One is a good DAW. Its mastering approach, tight integration with own hardware, simplicity for new comers and overall similarity to Sonar was mentioned many times.
 
But it is not a "standard" like ProTools or Cubase, has no established "distinct flavor" like Ableton or Tracktion, almost closed unlike Reaper, not supported by a monster like Logic and comes from Audio interfaces company with controversial devices support.
I mean I do not see many points to call it "the best" and so I do not find strange that many Sonar users are looking in different directions.
 

there's no "standard" but rather just "grandfathered" daws, oi reckon

is there anything close to a "standard" daw project file yet? omf seems to be the only really cross-daw format at the mo? is there any impetus to define or implement a standard, or it is it all just commercial competition hoo-har?

Jeff Evans
The reason for that is because Studio One is simply very very good and for some strange reason many Sonar users just cannot see it or will accept it.

I think many Sonar users agree with you as it seems to be the most popular choice. Most of the DAWs on the market are also very very good but different DAWs suit different people, styles and workflows. Considering how young Studio One is it is very impressive, but it does lack quite a few features at the moment. So it doesn't suit everyone and that's why a lot of Sonar users have gone for other DAWs. At the end of the day, everyone used Sonar differently for different things and there isn't one single DAW that can fill all those gaps. I think Studio One will get much better as it matures and although it doesn't fit my bill right now I will be keeping it updated to see how it develops.

Jeff Evans
The reason for that is because Studio One is simply very very good and for some strange reason many Sonar users just cannot see it or will accept it.

This of course is just one man's opinion...