I have been using FL Studio for years. It was easy to pirate when I was younger and broke, and it’s still flexible enough for anything I want to do now without hassle. (The license these days is “meh” for clips and plugins. However, I am designing and beginning to record most of my own instruments now with a core set of plugins.)
I would like to experiment with an open source DAW, but not sure which routes to take there.
I use Ardour. It looks pretty complicated to use at first glance, but everything you would need is there in one of the four modes in the top right corner.
I’ve tried Reaper for the plugins and the generally good reputation, but I couldn’t understand the empty interface whatsoever.