I've been using Cakewalk for 8-9 years and there is a lot to learn (have also tried Cubase). It may, initially, seem easier to grab a "simpler" program. The first time you say, hmmmm, how can I edit only the notes smaller than an either note (and find out it can't), or how can I add effects to audio to see how they will sound when they are mixed down, the "simple" program won't seem so great. One of the problems is that to understand Cakewalk (or Cubase or N-tracks...) is that it includes an understanding of midi, computer recording, mixing, audio recording etc. This is no small task. Hang in there... it gets easier.