Okay. So you want something professional that's easy to pick up and capable of dnb. That's not enough enformation dude...
FL Studio is capable, cheap (if you get the cheap version that is), has a speedy layout and isn't all that obtuse to learn (assuming you have some degree of experience behind you) but the sampler is crap, automation can be hard to understand, and it doesn't come packed with any nice synths other than the 3xoc (which is pretty basic) unless you drop even more cash to get sytrus or wasp. Sytrus is powerful, but I dislike the nonstandard interface. However, WASP is very capable and has some nice filter modes. Try the demo and see.
Reason is essentially a modular-influenced DAW that allows you to connect devices together in an extremely intuitive manner by using cables. You hit Tab to switch the view to "behind the rack" and you can route anything to anything (assuming it's logical of course, you can't be routing audio output to audio output or audio to cv
) The NN-XT is an extremely powerful sampler that is equal to the likes of Kontkat or Steinberg's Hailon. The drum machine is easy to pick up, and the rex player is a delight to mess around with. Naysayers to reason claim that it's limited (well yeah, but only limited by your knowledge!), has poor mixing capabilities (again, not true, there's some dnb heads out there who have gotten really tight mixes with reason), and, biggest of all, that IT HAS NO VSTI SUPPORT ZOMG! However, Propellerhead says they'll be including a vst wrapper in reason 4. Some people really hate the interface, myself, I think it's brilliant. Try the demo and see.
Cubase does everything. Comes packaged with some nice loot as well. Downside? Expensive, complex (well yeah, it does everything), and Cubase 4 will arrive soon making the Cubase 3 versions obselete. Try the demo and see.
SONAR 4. Haven't really used it, but I've heard it's geared more towards recording. Downsides? SONAR 5 is coming out in a few months, making SONAR 4 obselete. Try the demo and see if you like it anyway...
Nuendo. Primairaly a sequencer. Not suitable imo.
errr what else...
Cakewalk Project 5. Dunno. Try the demo.
Pro Tools. The almighty beast by which all others are judged. Downsides? Mac only. Expensive as hell. I'd stay well away, but try the demo and see.
Ableton Live. Brilliant piece of kit that is not only a full fledged DAW, but also very capable of mixing songs together (as in DJ). Practically required nowadays in the modern computer music world. Downsides? Doesn't come with any powerful synths. Some people might not like the plain looking interface. Try the demo.
Renoise. The tracker's dream - full vst support coupled with the same good 'ol days vertical sequencing. Rather cheap. Downsides - it's a tracker (=obtuse unless you started with a tracker).
Madtracker. The other big one, along with Renoise.
Now, free stuff!
Modplug tracker. Unstableish. Downsides - it's a tracker, and it's unstable.
Psyche. Intuitive vst routing scheme, very powerful. Downsides - it's a tracker.
Skale. FT2 modeled tracker with vst support. Downsides - it's a tracker.
IT, FT2, etc. etc. are old skool and have no vst support and run on dos zomg. I'd stay away and try one of the new generation trackers instead.
I'd keep going on, but think I've proved my point.
Also, you might find this interesting:
[html]http://mos.futurenet.com/pdf/computermusic.co.uk/cheapthrills.pdf[/html]
[html]http://mos.futurenet.com/pdf/computermusic.co.uk/toolsofthetrade.pdf[/html]
I am but mad north north-west; when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw - Hamlet, Hamlet