I don't know... Maybe it depends on the kind of music you are doing. I've been using Ardour2/3 (and Rosegarden, previously) for years to produce various symphonic scores and heavy metal recordings, among other things, without resorting to workarounds. The only thing I am missing on Linux are good orchestral sample sets (I have to use Windows for that, on a separate machine). There are some free ones but they just don't compare to what is available commercially. It's not a failing of Linux, though, it's a failing of producers who don't release for Linux. If Kontakt ever gets released on Linux, I will be dropping Windows in a heartbeat.

FWIW, I like Reaper, too. I use it on Windows to host VST samplers like Kontakt or EWQL Play. As a recording & mixing environment, though, I far prefer Ardour (and Mixbus).