Newbie to Pro-Tools Free

[MJL54]

Hi, I'm new to Pro-Tools free, tho I've had some experience with the likes of Sound Edit 16 (gone now), etc., and the Avid editing platform. I have a few irritatingly novice questions. Having had little experience with audio recording software in the music field, I am currently writing/arranging solo and orchestrated piece in Finale, but I haven't found the right sequencer for my uses. That is, not that I can afford. I've demo'd Cakewalk, which I find is a really excellent application particularly for its editing features. Mostly, I want something I can do a lot of editing with because I work from midi files created in Finale. Right now I'm just inputting all my work with a simple mouse. I know of Pro-Tools from editing, tho I never used it. I do know that is has a reputation for being complicated. (True or Fale?) I am looking for an application that offers good editing features for midi, that I can then work with in the audio. I know Pro-Tools is excellent with audio - I just don't know enough about its capabilities manipulating simple midi, such as envelope editing, etc., which Cakewalk has in abundance. I have lately been using Power Tracks, which is a fine program for musicians who want to perform "live," and it has a great audio quality, but its editing features leave a lot to be desired , so for the moment - in frustration - I've stopped using it. I just can't manipulate the application in the way I'd like to get the results I want. Any advice from anyone on this website reagarding my concerns would be most welcome.
Thanks. MJL54

[nightshadecrisis]

if your mainly doing midi stuff, i would steer away from protools in general, not that its bad, but other programs(cakewalk and cubase is what im thinking) are more midi-oriented.

-ev