Demo all of the DAWs and chose the one that best fits your workflow. I used to use Sonar but when they were in limbo I went to Studio One Pro and never looked back. Only you can decide what DAW is best for you.

You might download the free Kontakt Player and any other free or demo softsynths and/or samplers. Again only you can chose what best fits your songs and workflow. I mostly use Kontakt but also use UVI, Synthmaster, and others. There are a number of excellent softsynths that are free.

I like Kontakt, the full version, as there are many third parties issuing patches for it. There are a number for the free Kontakt Player also.

The bottom line is that you have to try all that you can and pick the best that fits for you. That may be Realband, Cakewalk, or any other DAW, many here use Reaper, and for sounds again that is up to you.

Good luck.

My goal this weekend is to move just enough each day so that no one pokes me to see if I'm dead or not.

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware