i started out with cakewalk long ago. never really clicked with me. i had a heck of a time making heads or tails of it. someone on a forum recommended a product called n-track audio which i used for awhile. made a lot more sense to me than cakewalk but it was a bit clunky, and crashed frequently. after that i tried Reaper and liked it enough that i made the purchase and have been using it ever since. it is a well written app and has good support, lots of online tutorials, etc. overall its great, but sometimes i find it very complex. many deep menus in which i can get easily lost. today, i've downloaded a free app that came with a recording interface i purchased not long ago, Abelton Live ~ lite. it's installing as i type this post.
what is your favorite DAW?