I may sound like a moron, but I just downloaded Pro tools Intro to have a taste of this DAW. I started with DP 4.5 and then move on to Logic which it was my DAW of choice for many years until things started not working properly and constant crashing, so then I move on to Cubase which it has been working good although certain things I do not fully understand. Out of curiosity I decided to download Pro Tools, even though I read some negative comments about Pro Tools.
I will say this, I have never heard my old time keyboard Yamaha S90ES sounding the way it sounds in any of the DAW's I previously worked on, like I now hear in Pro Tools. The only thing I dislike is the subscription part but in terms of the quality of the sounds to my vocals and instruments as well, I now understand why this is the number one choice for professionals recording studios.

I recently got the Omnisphere 2 software as a gift and I did a short video on my YouTube / Exposition tv channel showcasing the quality sounds of their Gospel Choirs.  

I have to say, I am really impressed. Besides the vast amounts of instruments, ambience sounds and special effects, The quality alone is worth the price. This is really a musician collectors’ piece of software. 

There are sections of individual instruments that sounds very similar to each other and there are some sounds that are better than others but in overall, I really recommend acquiring this software because it does cover the majority of genres out there.

This is the link of my YouTube channel (Exposition tv) showcasing the GospelChoirs's sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ehJNJlUOQM

When accurate audio reproduction is crucial, you need a pair of accurate Monitor speakers.  Studio monitors are not just speakers, but they are designed to do a stricter job than standards home audio or hi-fi speakers. 

 Some people like to do mixing just with headphones, but Headphone mixes often lack depth and wind up being very in-your-face and loud. In general, mixing on studio monitors is always preferable. 

Which one is the best Studio monitor? In my opinion the one that will give you a flat accurate response of the mix. A well-mixed track should sound great on everything from laptop speakers to a high-end hi-fi. 

Your budget plays an important role, but that does not mean that expensive monitor’s speakers will always give you the most accurate mixes. You have to trust your ears as well.  Your speaker’s monitors brand may boost certain frequencies more than other but, practice and trained ears are the foundation for a well-mixed track.

When I start to create tracks for Christian singers in the 90's, I remember my first keyboard: Yamaha PSR-500. It sounded good when it was amplified but in the recording studio where more quality was needed, it fell short. 

I have owned Ensoniq, Roland, Korg Triton, Korg Krome, Yamaha Motif and for me one of the best keyboards on the market, the Yamaha Montage. 

Incredibly I sold all those keyboards including the Yamaha Montage 8. Why? 

I have found instruments software with the same or better quality than any of those keyboards I have owned. 

In the 90s when I started recording in the studio the sounds of all these keyboards were more professional than those of an instrument’s software, but now things have changed. You only need a good midi controller and a good music library and there, you could have save hundreds of dollars. 

It all depends on how you are going to use the keyboard for: Live music or in the recording studio, of course your budget, plays an important role. As technology evolves and instrument software gets even better, I not longer see the need to expend thousands of dollars owning several physical brand name keyboards, at least for me.