Hi!
A little information about the setup I'm running, then I'll get to my question. :)
I'm recording hip hop in a home studio. My technique has worked pretty well for me for a couple years now. I have a Korg Triton LE and a nice Shure mic running through a Yamaha MG10 mixer into a PC. For my sample processing I use Sound Forge 7.0, for my multitracking I use Cakewalk Home Studio 2002.
OK, so obviously the Cakewalk is a little dated. It does work really well for me. The pros are, unlimited tracks (though limited to 16 F/X plugins), ease of use with pretty decent onboard F/X, plus the "Sound Forge" option in the Options dropdown menu which instantly creates a tool copy of the highlighted track in Sound Forge for editing or adding more F/X. The cons? Well, I can't seem to get the vast majority of VST plugins to work, for one thing. I really would like some new kickass reverbs and compressors, though I do pretty well with what I have. Come to think about it, that's really my only gripe, pretty much.
My question is: what do I have to gain my upgrading my multitrack software? Sure, CWHS is damn near five years old, but so what? I just feel like I must be missing out on something. Anybody out there think CWHS is a piece of crap? If so, why? How does it compare with other Cakewalk products? What about Reason? What about Acid? AUGH!
I'd really appreciate any insight from users into other multitracks on the market, especially if they have firsthand knowledge of CWHS 2002 and can make an informed comparison. I've nearly finished two albums with CWHS, and if I'm gonna upgrade, I think the time is drawing nigh. Thanks a lot!