So, got studio one 4. Like it, getting better at it. Writing big score, important project for me. Using kontakt for sample lib. Looking at a deal on cubase 9.5, down 200 dollar ish. Feel drawn by promises of great stability, and supposedly best ever midi edit…plus words about sound engine…upgrade to 10 wouldnt be that much… Can i possibly ask here for advice (Ive never used cubase)…?
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Ableton 10 suite is the best daw available imo
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Even if midi is the focus?
Pick one and stick to it. There’s so much hype surrounding each DAW that it’s hard to make the choice. If you can master how to use EQ and compression, they will all work out based on stock plugins. All the drum sampler versions for each daw are good too. All the basic synths sound good. All the basic piano and keyboard programs sound good. We are at a point where if you focus on one and get really good with it you can make good music.
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Yep never had a problem with midi.
Rock solid
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Yes, i hear this voice of reason speaking quite loudly 
I got a good grasp of a four band EQ and I can take that to an SSL plug-in, mpc 2.2 stock plugin, cubase, and logic. Once you understand it’s abilities it’s like whistling for a dog to come to you. EQ8 is just expanded on how many bands you want to work with.
That’s how good each DAW is now. I wish 10 years ago I had this knowledge and I could of done more in a DAW world.
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Yeah…good cubase features though: surround mix, multiple marker tracks, expression maps…
I’d say with StudioOne 4, so many features were added for the songwriter (+ plethora of midi capabilities) that it probably plays in a similar league as Cubase when it comes to midi, but I haven’t used Cubase in a few versions and never loved it.
Comparing StudioOne 4 to eg Ableton in terms of Midi editing, SO is on another level…and that says something.
EDIT: re instruments/plugins: you use Kontakt, I suppose with commercial libraries, so that’s gonna blow any bundled sampler/sample combinations out of the waters in terms of quality and realism. Re stock plugins, if that’s what you’re after, spend the 200€ on quality third-party vsts (fabfilter, Valhalla etc) and you’ll upgrade your StudioOne capabilites + the capabilities of any other DAW you might use down the line
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The one i use a lot is the chord tool. I arm the track with a piano or guitar and just randomly click through chord progressions. It’s like having a session player with you at all times
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Yep…no cubase stock plugs are really not part of the equation as much having invested quite alot in libraries and plugs for the project…its midi performance which is the potential draw for me…
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So just went through the Cubase 9 & 10 feature lists re midi composing and midi effects…I don’t see a single feature that’s not also available in StudioOne, and it looks like the upgrade to 10 had very little effort put into extending midi capabilities.
All that said, do the thing that inspires you, if you want a new toy, 200€ is not the world especially if you work with / make a living with it… 
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Like hardware, until you give it a fair crack of the whip, you won’t know if its for you or not.
Ableton is my daw of choice, however I know cubase users that swear by that daw.
Most have trials or demo versions, so perhaps that’s going to help you decide.
Have you considered bitwig?
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I’d keep Studio One unless there’s something missing that you have noticed. I’ve been using Studio One and find it more than capable.
Concerning pretty much all the major DAW software currently out there. If you aren’t making great tracks on any of em, it probably ain’t the fault of the DAW.
If I were starting over and mainly did electronic music for a living I’d go Ableton in a heartbeat, I’m thinking. The main reason I use Logic is because I’ve been using it for a long time and it’s one less thing to think about. I also think it’s really good right out of the box. Thinking at some point I’ll try Ableton because some of the functionality just looks too cool. I’m not sure how it is for mixing vs ProTools or whatever, but I’m just waiting for the time when I’m gonna actually want a new learning curve. Then I’ll look into Ableton. Seems like an awesome toolbox
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I have used Cubase for years, but was really frustrated with it so I changed to Studio One and I’m super happy with Studio One. My tip is to stick with Studio One. The promises that Steinberg gives in their commercial videos are just bullshit. Cubase has a lot of functions that are useless meanwhile Studio One have functions that you need and the functions have a thought behind them.
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Compared to the half dozen DAWs I’ve used in the past I find Studio One refreshingly slim and not bloated. Also the keyboard shortcuts are super intuitive. Granted, Ableton is still probably the best overall but I use a lot of plugins and an Octatrack so I’m finding myself working a lot faster and more focused in Studio One. If I were going to use my project in a live situation then Ableton would be the clear choice.
As far as sound quality, I think that’s a lot of BS. But the console shaper in Studio One is pretty cool.
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Ableton been failing for me
If you are going for a new daw id say give Ableton a try. It started as a daw focused for electronic music production and live performance unlike other DAWs which started with a focus for traditional linear recording and mixing. Nowadays though that difference is so small that you can do the same with any DAW but the initial focus of Ableton is still there in things like its sampler and session view. Sound engine shouldnt make a difference, I dont believe DAW’s sound different, and if they do its all down to the mixing and mastering phase.
If you’re thinking about giving Ableton a try, I’d say give Bitwig a try instead.
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