Wow… what a strange thread.
About ProTools… I can't say anything about it that comes from direct personal experience, as I've used MOTU's Digital Performer since it was just Performer – a MIDI-only sequencer – back in the mid-’80s. I've been very, very happy and productive with it.
But I've known people who have torn their hair out over ProTools, and I've never felt that “it's the industry standard – most pros use it” was much of a serious justification for anything. I mean, look at Microsoft Office! Who wants to be average? You could say “most guitarists use Zoom or Line 6 pedals,” and that's hardly an argument in their favor.
If you need to work at home, and then work with your project at an outside studio/studios that are ProTools-based, then that's a strong & fully justified reason for using the software. But one thing I've noticed – and correct me if I'm wrong – is that ProTools-compatible (RTAS?) versions of plugins are often far more expensive than their AU or VST equivalents, thus greatly increasing the cost of a custom system.
At this point, I've got close to four hundred AU plugins, and I shudder to think what it would take to get that kind of functionality in a ProTools system.
