I'm looking for a copy of sonar le...

Just my opinion, but among all hosts I've seen, Sonar seems to have the most complicated and counter-intuitive layout (unless you can remove 90% of the panels which are just eating up screen space whether you need them or not).

What would you recomend? Keep in mind, I dont want to spend much money, and right now I just want it to record audio and have the option for future upgrades if I start taking it serious...

wudsiba
Fantom X6
Audio exp.

I'd recommend Cubase. It is also safer as if you'll ever consider switching to a Mac, Cubase is also available there.

Actually you may want to go to Cubase, Steinberg's, own forums and read what people are saying about Cubase. There's alot of people who aren't happy campers. Sonar isn't that difficult. I started with a demo of both Cubase and Sonar and compared them and Sonar was much easier for me to use. Keep in mind this is just me and others, such as Artemio in the above post will disagree. My advice is to download both demos and see which one you like best. Both have light versions as well and both are good programs.

I've been using Cakewalk for ever. I started with Cakewalk for DOS - yes it was in DOS and yes I'm that old and I'm currently using Sonar 4 - still lookin for a good reason to upgrade. All over the years I've tried other programs, including Steinberger's, but ended coming back to Cakewalk. I just didn't feel confortable with it. Also I don't see no problem with the Toolbars panels since you can disable the ones you don't want, group them, dock them, have them grouped or flying in the screen. Even most you can create a layout for each song so you can immediatly get whats most needed for it. In the end, I really think Sonar is easy to use.
If Cakewalk ever moves to Mac OS I will finally throw my PC from the ceeling and get one of those I-whities

Now I never checked if the Sonar LE is available for download but a lot of Roland/Edirol gear now comes bundled with it.

Me too. I have always found Cakewalk easy to use and lightweight. Some things are not so good, some others are intuitive. I tried Cubase, I'm sure it is a very good piece of sofwtware, but I like Cakewalk...
I'll switch to Cubase when I'll switch to a Mac (which is something I will do in a few years, because my next laptop will probably be a mac)...

I'm still trying to decide what I want as well. Since I have a Mac is my best option Logic? I really hate to spend all that money to then find out I didn't like it. I'm so trigger shy with this. I bought Cubase a few years back and couldn't make heads or tails of the program. Hence, I went hardware...

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Fantom X8 (2.10) 512MB
Fantom XR (2.02) 512MB
V-Synth XT (2.02)
SH-201

Hey Iggle:

Yeah, I know what you are going through. But remember first that Cubase and most other software DAW programs have come a long way in the last five years. Last TEN years, even. I remember how clips pretty much hit the streets back in 1995 or 1996 (I was sitting at Cakewalk offices looking at the Pro Audio software before any of you guys did, in '96!) and that was also the year that Cubase VST first reared its head.

If I were you, I would consider Cubase. Logic is great too, but it is even more complex -- and to get the full-blown version you'll need to have about $999 on-hand. Cubase can be had for about $600 or $700, I think -- and again, that is for the full-blown version. I think that you could get the Cubase Studio 4 for about 3 or 4 hundred, pocket the change, and get the upgrade later when you are ready and better-educated on the software.

That is just my view. Take care.

Sammy James has been approved for use by people who need approval.

http://www.sammyjames.com/music.htm