Cubase SXXL ?

[pornstar]

I wouldn't think this is even an attempt at competing directly with Logic. Logic is mac only and the majority of Steinberg sales are likely from their pc base. Obviously this is going to turn into another format war, but most people who use SX aren't really interested in Logic anyways. Live 4 hopefully will render all of them useless anyways.

[Sascha Franck]

I for one am happy to use Logic, even when I have to stay with 5.5.1 PC for a while.

For me, it's not a question of included FX (even if my Logic is a fully authorized one, and even if I'm quite happy about that), but it's a question of ergonomics mainly.
IMO SX is still horribly cluttered up with tons of things. Cubase has once been a relatively slick sequencer, now it's an ergonomic nightmare, I would need the double amount of monitor estate to get the same things out of it that I get out of Logic.
The simple fact that handling parts in your arrangement is so much more convenient in Logic would perhaps be enough of a reason to prefer it, at least for me. I'm more into arranging things, that might be one of the reasons - if it only was for audio work, maybe I'd prefer SX or Nuendo, the same goes for VST(i) integration. But for arranging and composing Logic IMO is unbeatable (even when I compare 5.5.1 with SX2).

There's a lot of great things (I'd almost say miracles) Steinberg did for us musicians, especially for those being on a budget. VST (especially VSTi) and ASIO are a godsend and without those inventions the music market would look pretty much different.
A LOT of respect goes out to Steinberg just for those!

Oh, almost forgot: Someone said MIDI FX in Logic were great... NO WAY, they are a laugh! The environment looks like a badly designed playground for wannabe programmers (don't tell me I just don't know things, I'd consider myself being a Logic expert). Regarding this Steinberg is miles ahead - their MIDI FX just work. Just try to setup one of the (totally outdated) arpeggiators in Logic, using virtual instruments. Apart from the fact that things will only work as soon as you start playback, bursts of noises (= all arpeggiated notes played at once on "start") and other strange things may happen.
That's just lousy.
Almost as pathetic as the fact that even in Logic Pro you still can't use more than one virtual instrument in realtime (the mentioned workaround again only works in play mode).
Almost as pathetic as Logics PlugIn MIDI implemetation is nothing else but a complete joke (as there is nothing, not a single Emagic instrument or plugin features MIDI learn/assign).

Still, Emagic has got their ergonomics right with Logic - and for me that's what makes my day. For me Logic feels like an instrument while VST allways felt like a tool to me (admittedly a rather well working tool, just not integrated into my workflow).
FWIW, I have been using Cubase from V1.0/Atari until VST 3.6/PC before I made the switch, so it's not just me being unfamiliar with it. After 2-3 weeks of using Logic I never looked back, unless I had to convert some old songs.

So, what do I want to say with all that? It's not the amount of FX or features that count, it's the way my working style is supported.
If there wasn't the fact that Logic is Mac only and if I had to chose between Logic Pro alone and SX, say, along with N.I.s Komplete, I'd go for Logic any day.

Yes, unfortunately I need to buy a Mac one day. And please, nobody should now tell me that I will love any Mac OS after a while. I used it a bit and couldn't see any advance over Windows XP.
I would solely buy the Mac for Logic and nothing else. I actually don't give a rats ass about which OS I am using, I'm allready extremely happy with what I have - just apart from the fact that my Logic isn't up-to-date.

[christianmusicmaker]

For me, it's not a question of included FX (even if my Logic is a fully authorized one, and even if I'm quite happy about that), but it's a question of ergonomics mainly.
IMO SX is still horribly cluttered up with tons of things. Cubase has once been a relatively slick sequencer, now it's an ergonomic nightmare, I would need the double amount of monitor estate to get the same things out of it that I get out of Logic. .

What about Tracktion and Live 4? These packages use a single window (Live has two main views really)as an environment and seem to have a fast growing user base...your thoughts?

[Sascha Franck]

What about Tracktion and Live 4? These packages use a single window (Live has two main views really)as an environment and seem to have a fast growing user base...your thoughts?

Still have to try out Live a bit more. So far it's got no plugin latency compensation, which is rather bad.
Tracktion is not there yet but interesting to watch.
The MIDI editors are not that great and there's no audio cycle recording, from what I know.

[christianmusicmaker]

Tracktion is not there yet but interesting to watch.
The MIDI editors are not that great and there's no audio cycle recording, from what I know.

Hopefully Live 5 will have PDC. As for Tracktion Jules has hinted at far better midi implemetation in T2.