http://www.musicradar.com/tuition/tech/the-19-best-daw-software-apps-in-the-world-today-238905
 
19.  MuLabs
18.  Sony Acid
17.  Apple Garage Band
16.  Nuendo
15.  Samplitude Pro X
14.  Renoise
13.  Tracktion
12.  Btwig Studio
11.  Motu Digital Performer
10.  Acoustica Mixcraft Pro
  9. Pro Tools - the quote unquote "Industry Standard"
  8. Cakewalk Sonar X3
  7. Propellerhead Reason
  6. Imageline FL Studio
  5. Presonus Studio One
  4. Steinberg Cubase
  3. Cockos Reaper
  2. Logic Pro
 
And #1 (according to the poll)

  1. Ableton Live

You are now free to bash, kill, maim, and do whatever your heart tells you to do...

:P
 
Mac fanboyism detected :D.

Silly rabbit, Polls are for Trolls.

ampfixer
Silly rabbit, Polls are for Trolls.

😂

The poll question should have been "what DAW do you use?". Ask what's the best of anything and you'll basically get a roll-call response. Everybody wants to think that the DAW (or headphones or monitors or plugins or microphones) they use is the best.
 
The reality is that nobody's in a position to judge the relative merits of more than maybe two DAWs, because you have to live with one for a year or two before you can claim that qualification. And by then, you've probably figured out that whatever DAW you landed on will do the job - as they all will - and stop searching.
 
I'm currently digging into one of those other DAWs for an upcoming review. As I discover its features, I naturally compare it to the DAW I know best. I'll think "oh, it does that better than SONAR", or "SONAR's light years ahead on that feature". But I can't compare it to Logic or Cubase and certainly not Live. And after I've spent three months exploring it I still won't have the expertise needed to rank it like the MusicRadar poll purports to do.

I imagine the poll is more "what DAW do you use," giving a popularity contest w/in the MusicRadar community.  So where is P5 on that list - still my favorite DAW?
 
I've honestly been trying Live but can't figure it out enough.  Maybe its the lite version I have, maybe I don't grok it, maybe I just need to sit down for a while w/ it.  But anytime I have time to work on my music it seems I'm actually working on a song.  Maybe I should just make more time.  So bitflipper has the gospel - how do you compare your DAW with any other DAW, giving the learning curve.  I mean, all the basics are the same, but speed and comfort from familiarity are usually the deciding factors.  And it takes time to learn the more esoteric tools, much less compare it w/ your bog-standard DAW you use every day.
@

I put absolutely no stock in any of these polls.
They're interesting... but IMO you can't draw any substantial conclusion/s from them.
Two of the most "professionally featured" DAWs are ranked beneath Renoise?!?!    

Best DAW is usually the one people are using but at least it shows that people are happy with certain DAWs, which are improving on the one thing that really matters - crashing.

I do miss those 'this DAW sounds better than that DAW' threads.

I use 7 different ones...have for quite a while...

They all have their strengths and weaknesses...

For sheer features...Cubase wins...

For user interface and a plethora of good plugins - Sonar X3

For sound - Mixbus comes out on top...I'd sure like to know what they
are doing under the hood of this thing...

Cleanest Audio Engine and best all overall editing - Sampltiude Pro X

Mixcraft Pro 6 is quite capable at less then 1/3 the price and Mixcraft Pro 7
is right around the corner with full 64 bit support (I'm currently Beta testing build 230)
and it has been rock solid

Studio One 2.6 is very very reliable and capable also...with an integrated Mastering Suite.

Reaper is SUPER lean...and rock solid for me on Win 8.1...

I also have MuLab and Podium installed...

Ok, so I have 9 DAW's in use...but mostly the first 7...

I, personally can't stand Live...but that's just a preference, I can't get past the interface...it
bugs the crap out of me...but know it's used extensively in the EDM movement.
Same for FL Studio...can't deal with it...

I used Pro Tools for several years...it works...it gets the job done...just not my thing,
but I know how to use it if I have to...

Logic Pro is used quite extensively in the "Pro" world as well...

I test drove DP8....it had some strong points...but just didn't "awe" me...

I agree with Jim - all this poll really shows is that a lot of "youngsters" read Music Radar Publications...
and participate in the polls....LOL

The first step is admitting you have a problem. Now for the second step, cclarry.