@Dappa1 and CoteRotie and whomever,
 
I understand all of what you guys are saying.. All valid points for some, but not all users. You are missing an important element, at least your not posts do not seem to consider this..
 
That being the user and what he\she uses it for.
I am in my own home studio, only me, Win 8.1x64 and that ain't going to change anytime soon. Started with CWPA 6.
 
If I had a pro studio, i'm pretty sure I would at least explore and plan and probably learn another. I am not a rich person by any means, but $150 for , say Studio one, would be easy enough. If I wanted to. 
 
My main thing is midi and soft-synths. Only live tracks are my assorted guitar tracks and my vocals.
 
I hope whatever everyone's decisions are that they they ALL work out to be fabulous......................

stratman70
@Dappa1 and CoteRotie and whomever,
 
I understand all of what you guys are saying.. All valid points for some, but not all users. You are missing an important element, at least your not posts do not seem to consider this..
 
That being the user and what he\she uses it for.
 

Definitely- Everyone's choice is valid, I'm just interested in what decisions people are making.  I'm not trying to influence anyone one way or the other.

Pyro was mentioned in am earlier post. I'd forgotten about that. .....I liked Pyro, my first Cake product I believe...

I only just learned of this sad news.  I've used Cakewalk for over 20 years, not even counting the original DOS version.  I'm crushed.  I have the whole Sonar V-Studio 700 system, so it's fair to say my studio is built around Sonar.  

I know Sonar wasn't perfect.  But it was an old, dear, trusted friend.  If I'd been running the latest greatest version, I wouldn't worry quite so much.  But I'm still using X2.  I'd planned on upgrading to the latest Platinum when I had some downtime, but now it's too late. 

X2 still works fine, and I'll use it for as long as I can.  That could be for some time, since I still run Windows 7 Pro.  I have a lot of projects in-progress.  The thing is...I hadn't planned on running X2 and Windows 7 forever.  I was really looking forward to updating Sonar.  I'd hoped to update before I started recording my next album.  Now I'm hesitant to start any new projects in X2, since it's only a matter of time before it stops working for one reason or another.  Transferring projects to a new platform may be difficult or impossible.  

So it looks like I have some research ahead. 

Do I switch to industry-standard Pro Tools?  That has some allure, simply because Pro Tools experience can be such a valuable asset.  But I'm not sure Pro Tools would meet my needs. I use both audio and MIDI features extensively.  I still compose quite a bit using the MIDI piano roll, and notation is sometimes helpful, too.  How well does Pro Tools handle MIDI?  
 
It seems Studio One and Cubase are both popular choices.  I'm completely unfamiliar with either of them.  How do they stack up to Sonar?  What do they do better?  What do they do worse?  How are the MIDI capabilities?  Hardware support?  Would I still be able to use my VS-700C Console?  
 
This just sucks. :(
 
Any input appreciated.

HeatherHaze
 
It seems Studio One and Cubase are both popular choices.  I'm completely unfamiliar with either of them.  How do they stack up to Sonar?  What do they do better?  What do they do worse?  How are the MIDI capabilities?  Hardware support?  Would I still be able to use my VS-700C Console?  
 
This just sucks. :(
 
Any input appreciated.

My research so far came down to those two products.  Studio One seems the closest to SONAR in workflow and feel, and Cubase is more feature-complete.  Either seems workable for me, I took advantage of the Cubase cross grade and am waiting for my Dongle (Ugh!).  I'm strongly considering buying Studio One too just to figure out which one I like better.  


 
I've used Reaper in the past and it's OK, you can work with it, but I never really warmed up to it.  There were always things I wanted to do that seemed harder than they needed to be.  To be fair the latest version may be much better than it was 2 years ago when I last tried it.
 
Protools seems too limiting in what it works with and what it will allow you to do for a reasonable cost.
 
There are other DAWs from small companies out there which are pretty good and have the potential to be great.  They also have the potential to not be around in a few years, so I stick with my recommendation of Cubase or Studio One.
 
This does suck, for all involved.

jyoung60
After all the talk of Studio 1, I downloaded S1 Prime (the free version) because I simply cannot make a purchase for the next while.  ....Prime doesn't provide for 3rd party VSTs and plugins. 

That's right, you are limited to audio, and the built-in plugs only.  But you can activate the full functioning S1 Pro demo for 30 days.  The S1 Pro crossgrade at JRR is $125 until the end of the year.
 
You can use Reaper free for 60 days, then it will nag you to purchase, for a reasonable $60.
 
If budget is a big factor, then for an absolutely free DAW which is a full version, no limits, and supports VST plugins, there is Tracktion T6. https://www.tracktion.com/products/t6-daw
 
I have all of my unlocked Cakewalk plugins, and most of my 3rd party plugins working in Tracktion Waveform.  I have been using that for months, and once you get familiar with the Tracktion layout, it is very easy to get around in.  It is totally different from Sonar, and many consider it a niche player, but I got it for song creation using mostly MIDI. 
 
Then there is Pro Tools First, also free. http://www.avid.com/pro-tools-first
I haven't tried this, but it includes the AIR Xpand!2 instrument, and 20 effects plugins, plus MIDI editing and audio recording.  It has a limited number of tracks, but looks interesting for free.

almost all 3rd party plugs work in Studio One.
 
???????

They are talking about S1 Prime.
 
S1 Pro etc of course supports everything, at least everything I have thrown at it over the last 3 years

Crossfade here, I got Cubase 9.5 on the current crossgrade offer and the $29 version of Mixbus. I will slowly migrate to Cubase, Its very different but it seems to have great potential as I mostly work with MIDI.

But I can see me using Sonar for some tasks as long as it works.

abacab...you can activate the full functioning S1 Pro demo for 30 days.  The S1 Pro crossgrade at JRR is $125 until the end of the year.

 
Full functioning demo for 30 days?  What am I still doing here talking to you!   *poof*