I understand why you’re saying this from a financial point of view, but Steiny is a large company with employees to pay so they need income, which they get from us, which I personally am very glad to pay. Fruity loops,it’s ok and if that s the way you’d like to go you are welcome to it (here in South Africa its a damn nightmare as everybody and his dog has a pirated copy and the demos and backtracks or beats seem to end up in my studio and all sound the same). Reaper…, pretty damn good I think but a much smaller business concern.
We don’t want to end up with the Cakewalk situation, I for one don’t find Cubase all that expensive, it certainly ain’t cheap, but for what it can do…I reckon it’s ok.
Best Regards, Dave