Hi All,
I've seen others on here using Samplitude, and though I do like Sonar X2a, I am one of the unlucky souls who bout it about 4-5 months ago (though it would be nice for them to have had more than one update and I feel a little jilted having been with them since the floppy days), so instead of spending the money on X3, I'm getting Samplitude Pro-X (I know the same thing could happen there) but that way I've got two systems to work with instead of paying for most of the things that I would already have. So anyway to those who have Samplitude in your opinion is it worth getting the suite or the regular Pro version, in other words are the extra plugings and the added sounds worth it seeing as I'll have the sonar pluging also?
 
Thanks!
 

I think the extras in the Suite version are the Analog Modeling plugins, Vandal amp sim, and about 60 gigabytes of content for the sampling instrument.
 
Of these, the Am-munition compressor and the Vandal amp have impressed me the most.  If you have a use for them, they're each an incredible piece of software, easily at the very top of their respective classes.  Vandal and the AM effects were written by Sascha Eversmeier, who has recently created the Satin tape simulator for U-he.  The other AM plugins are also quite good, and the Independence sampler seems powerful although it isn't something I use a lot.  I think Samplitude provides a great example of what an included effects suite should included - in terms of variety and in terms of quality. 
 
Whether it's worth the difference in cost for a new copy of Samplitude suite is another question.  You can buy the extras separately in VST form, I think.
 
Samplitude is an amazingly powerful package, and I think that it comes closer than Sonar or Cubase to a complete set of audio tools, but expect the transition from Sonar to be about as easy as suddenly waking up in a foreign country.  Everything is different, and things which are simple in Sonar can be complicated in Samplitude, and vice versa.

Hey Brian thanks that's mainly what I was wondering, about the AM plugins, plus I like the non- destructive object aspect, plus the sampler. I did use the SE9 version of it so at least the basics won't be that big of a surprise, actually won a mixing contest or two with it. Probably use x2 for the midi aspect, and recording/mixing in Pro-X Suite, yes I've decided to go with the Suite version as I can get a incredible deal on it!

Am I the only one who finds Samplitude Pro X's UI to be thoroughly hideous and medieval? Turns out, you can't just stick an "X" into a product title and call it modern.

Yeah but look at the cool people they have working for them...

you know what they say it just means they have to work harder. LOL

I do like their CV though:

Pretty sure modbod and dannyd both own this DAW. I remember Danny said that the included effects are terrific.
 
I think it is similair to DP in that it is skinnable- so you can choose GUI themes.

yeah Samplitude does seem to spend less energy on aesthetics than the other DAW software.  A lot of its features are also completely unlike anything else out there, such as the Take Manager. 

yevster
Am I the only one who finds Samplitude Pro X's UI to be thoroughly hideous and medieval? Turns out, you can't just stick an "X" into a product title and call it modern.

Has a bit of a Sonar 8.5 feel to it ;)

I've been a long time Samplitude user.
Wrote the English user manual for Samplitude 2496 way back in the day...
Where Samplitude really excels is hard-core slice/dice editing.  
The Object Editor offers a ton of realtime/non-destructing tools to edit/manipulate pieces of audio.
Since each Object has it's own Object Editor, you essentially have "snap-shot" style automation (per "Clip" in Cakewalk speak).
The UI is different (for sure)...
Samplitude might be described as an "eccentric" DAW.
But there's a genius behind the eccentricity.  
IMO, It's a great addition to Sonar...
 
All that said, there are some really nice updates/enhancements in Sonar X3.
You might not feel like the upgrade is revolutionary...
But the changes make hour-to-hour use of Sonar a whole lot nicer.
 
I have all the plugins in want/need... so I went with standard Pro X (not the suite).
IMO, Independence is a decent soft-sampler... but it's no match for Kontakt 5.

The Independence 3.0 sampler is the old Yellow Tools sampler which is getting a little long in the tooth now. It's competent but as Jim said it doesn't touch Kontakt 5.