My computer will be plenty powerful enough: My music goals are to compose mix edit and master all myself, seeing as i have already achieved that with my current DAW and it will all be done with romplers and softsynths so nothing will be recorded from outside like guitars trumpets etc.

Thanks for the feedback everyone, clearly there will be a learning curve, now all i have to ask is if anyone has both Studio One 2.5 and Sonar X2 and which they think has the least learning curve; i don't care too much about included plugins as i am happy to buy whatever i need on the net, so i was wondering if anyone is adamant that Studio One 2.5 is easier to learn and use than Sonar X2. Cheers.

i use X1 and find what ive seen of X2 to have more comfortable functionality (im on a laptop and sometimes am without a mouse.) and to be much more pleasing on the eyes. As funny as it sounds, a sharp looking organized interface is very important to me. Different things are important to different people, and all DAWS are different, those two truths will never change. 

keep in mind that there will be a decent learning curve no matter what daw you choose. I find sonar to be extremely simple but youre not going to learn it inside and out overnight. Im not familiar with studio one but i know that cubase to me was the opposite description of what youre looking for. Its also generally more expensive than other daws, and often times you cant get your money back for software if you dont like it. I use sonar because imo it packs the biggest bang for its buck, and already has alot of things figured out for beginners, such as mp3 encoding and a bit bridger in case your computer is 64 bit and you want to use a 32  bit only plugin. Sonar also has an awesome step sequencer, (something alot of daw's these days dont have) and some really get starter effects. I dont know about studio one but i know that if youre more interested in investing in third party plugins, and you just need a good well rounded daw X2 will cover all your bases easy

yeah, thanks man, i think you just said it all. i don't think i can go too far wrong with Sonar as far as value for money and lots of included quality tools, plus the step sequencer is something i have a big need for and do not find in many DAW's. I think i will just bite the bullet and jump in the deep end and hopefully i don't run into too many stumbling-blocks along the way when trying to learn it's methodologies. The main reason i started the thread is because i don't plan on swapping between too many DAW's, i just want to make sure i have chosen 'one' the best, then commit to it for the long term and then i'm in it for the long haul. But if anyone is able to say contrariwise and give a good argument for Studio One 2.5 i'm still all ears at this point. Cheers.

I use both Sonar X2 and Studio One 2.5 and for someone just starting out, Sonar's learning curve and work flow IMHO is much more difficult than Studio One.  IMHO Studio One sets the standard for work flow. True it's not loaded with features that some of the other DAW software have, but what it does have, it does very well and in an intuitive manner. And that's what makes it popular with songwriters, composers and so forth. People who want to get their ideas recorded with a minimum of fuss. Also going from tracking to mastered project can easily be done within Studio One.

Still, some people are going to prefer Sonar's workflow, Cubase, Samplitude or Logic. And there is no clear winner. 

So the short answer is yes, they all have learning curves especially if you want to get deeper into the program.
I would suggest hitting Youtube for some videos and see what tickles your fancy :)


P.S. Just read your last post and Sonar Producer IMHO has some of the best and most useful included FX and so forth of all the DAW's I have used. Something to consider.

I believe that a choice of DAW is a matter of personal preference. So it would be kind of hard to predict what you would prefer or like. One thing I liked about the professional version of Sonar is the software synths that come with it. The full version of Rapture, Dimension pro ect. Session Drummer 3 sounds great too. The loop collection and extra content is great for electronic music.

One thing I can say is there seems to be a learning curve when it comes to figuring out everything Sonar X2 can do. But now that I have been working with it for a while the work flow seems to be quicker for me. To me it seems quicker then other DAWs. That is just my personal opinion and that is why Sonar works for me.

I think it is wise to look at everything out there before you jump in. I have found that people in the forum provide a great support system. It is really kind of hard to say what is going to work best for you. People are different and I think only you can determine that.

Yes its very hard for someone who has never ventured near Sonar before. Its the same for anything new in life you have to start somewhere and each day you learn some more. How much you learn will be the based on the amount of time you devote to yours studies. You will never stop learning Sonar none of us have. Loads of books, video's and documents available and never forget your friendly forum where you will have your questions answered quickly.
Good-luck with Sonar you will love it.

I will probably get flamed.[font="sans-serif; line-height: normal; font-size: medium; "]  for this but so be it.  Studio One is much easier over all to learn.  I own borh.  Sonar has a few more features but Studio One is catching up quickly.



Check my joined date before you beat me up too much guys.  Im not a newbie.  I love Sonar. I just love Studio One as well.

When X1 was released I did not care for the new interface and found the transition from 8.5 hard.  As a result I tried both Reaper and Studio One demos and found them even more difficult to come to terms with, particularly when working with MIDI and software synths.
 
To me X2 is far more intuitive than X1 and I finally have left 8.5 behind.
 
I have not looked a Studio One recently so things may have changed, but if you are working with MIDI and software synths based on what I have seen Sonar is the best IMHO.
 
The caveat - I am a long time Cakewalk user, back as far as when it came on a floppy disk.

bigboi


I will probably get flamed.[font="sans-serif; line-height: normal; font-size: medium; "]  for this but so be it.  Studio One is much easier over all to learn.  I own borh.  Sonar has a few more features but Studio One is catching up quickly.



Check my joined date before you beat me up too much guys.  Im not a newbie.  I love Sonar. I just love Studio One as well.

There is no need to beat you up. You are entitled to your own opinion. You have proved my point. What ever DAW you like is a matter of personal preference. The challenge is finding the one that is the most comfortable to you. I have tried 4 others. They did what they were meant to do. I just prefer Sonar.


My advice for any considering Sonar is to download the demo and see if it works for you.

I find Sonar X2 much easier to use than Reaper, but that's probably because I know Sonar and I don't know Reaper. To see if my memory was reliable (mine not DAW's!) I went back to Sonar 1 XL. I found it as hard to use as Reaper. How do I get to the Carnegie Hall? Practice, Practice, Practice!