I am not an expert but have been using Cakewalk Pro Audio 8 then 9 for a couple of years. So for what it's worth...

My opinion is that it is good to get to know the capabilities of all you equipment.

However no one could ever convince me that sequencing onboard could ever compare with Cakewalk or one of the other high end computer based products. I think your first impression is right on the money when you stated...

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I would just add - Don't let the simplistic nature of Cakewalk misslead you. There is a lot of depth to discover in Cakewalk - as you will find out.

Have fun.
KD