fwiw, i record real bands, in real time. very old school. i have little use for midi other than to capture a performance and maybe change the sound later so i can't speak to that aspect.
as a nuendo owner, for MY NEEDS, reaper is untouchable. now YOUR mileage may vary.
excellent routing, no problems, glitches, etc.
flawlessly runs off of a thumb drive for remote work.
much like a tape machine, i simply don't have to think about it while recording. also, the timely support/updating is the BEST i've ever experienced.
many think reaper looks ugly in the GUI. i could give a shit. a 30k fairchild limiter is an ugly beast, but damn if i don't want one for the excellent job it does.
oh, and i probably spend more a day at the bar on beer than the reaper license costs.