I've been a Sonar user for years, going back to Pro Audio 8. Always been a fan of Cakewalk as a company. I made a post back in the summer about some issues that I thought were better handled in Pro Tools, and every single one of them popped up in X3. Plug-ins automatically sorted by type: Check. Color-coding: Check. Comping: Check. This is why Cakewalk has been such a great company. They listen to their users and respond. Throw in ARA and it's no contest. Will stick with Sonar as long as they keep doing a great job.
It is a little unsettling for the company to be sold twice in such quick succession, but I'll stay on board until things change. My first attempt at multi-track recording was with a Tascam cassette 4-track, and my main guitar is a Les Paul, so I hope things will go well. Big props on X3.