So on this note, have any of you recording enthusiasts ever used Audacity? My advice to Sean was going to be to stick with Audacity until he had the basics of recording down, because its simplistic interface and lack of options makes it much easier to navigate. I realized that I've never actually used any 'real' DAW, so it could be that they're all easier to use while also providing more options.
I always assumed the rabbit hole just got deeper and wider as you ventured into more pro-type applications, but I don't really know.
Back to the OP, I've been interested in using Ardour among DAWs for a while too, but if I ever have more advanced needs I will definitely try out Reaper.