I'm kind of surprised no one has mentioned it yet, so I'd like to chime in with Cakewalk. It's free, but the built-in plugins aren't quite as extensive as Reaper's. That being said, you can use Reaper's VSTs along with it. I generally use it for multitracking guitar and bass. I've always found the channel strip and mixer interface to be pretty intuitive.
I also use FL Studio, but usually more for writing tracks with VST synths (rather than live instruments). Its piano roll/pattern editor reminds me a little of ProTracker from my Amiga days, and it's definitely a good tool to have in your arsenal if you skew towards the EDM or industrial side.
I'm kind of surprised no one has mentioned it yet, so I'd like to chime in with Cakewalk. It's free, but the built-in plugins aren't quite as extensive as Reaper's. That being said, you can use Reaper's VSTs along with it. I generally use it for multitracking guitar and bass. I've always found the channel strip and mixer interface to be pretty intuitive.
I also use FL Studio, but usually more for writing tracks with VST synths (rather than live instruments). Its piano roll/pattern editor reminds me a little of ProTracker from my Amiga days, and it's definitely a good tool to have in your arsenal if you skew towards the EDM or industrial side.