Feb 06, 2011 01:17 am Hi Andrew, and welcome to the HCR.
Many different types of software have the same core features. Multitracking, midi, built-in effects, mixer, etc. etc.
Some implement these features more intelligently than others. What matters most is what works for you. What works with your workflow and what feels more intuitive, be it laying tracks, navigating menus, etc. etc.
Most types of software will have demos you can download and give a try. Most are largely uncrippled except for being able to save the project, or record a certain length. So, I would highly recommend trying various product demos, including Cakewalk Sonar, Cubase, Cockos Reaper, Ableton Live, n-Track Studio, FL-Studio, Pro-Tools, etc.
Some will have certain features implemented better. You can still do midi or audio work in all of them, but some may be more difficult to get around in, or less intuitive. For example, I love working on midi in FL Studio, but in Reaper, while it's coming along nicely, it's not -quite- as easy to work with midi. However I like Reaper's workflow for recording audio much better than FL-Studio's method.
I didn't like the layout of Cubase so much, and it was hard for me to get projects set up quickly. I can start working pretty quickly in both Reaper and FL Studio, however. But maybe it would mesh pretty well with you.
I do like Reaper pretty much these days, though there are certain pieces of VST software that don't play nicely just yet. (EastWest Play engine for one, as I'm using the orchestral freebie they put out last year and sometimes sounds will drop as if max polyphony is exceeded. Not all the time though.)
FL-Studio's method of arming tracks for recording audio is a little oddball in my opinion, and I prefer Reaper's method of selecting your analog input and monitor more straightforward.
Those are just examples that I've encountered working with those two particular programs. So yeah, I'd highly recommend trying out different demos, see how they feel to you. Look at things like "how quickly can I get set up and recording" "How easy is it to add effects and mix in general" "How are the menus laid out, and can I find everything easily" "How easy is it to load midi files or wav samples into a track" Basically how easy the software is for you to mesh with and get a good workflow established.
Edit: Also what are your laptop specs? That will dictate how many tracks you can record simultaneously and how many VST/effects you can run before starting to get audio dropouts/pops/clicks/etc.