+1
I know I’m preaching to the choir, but Cubase and Nuendo really are the best DAWs around.
Like Freddie I’m using Cubase along with external hardware, doing both analogue processing and parallel processing with ZERO phase issues. Lead vocals are processed in the analogue domain and I often use a custom tweaked Dolby processor for parallel compression adding “air” and smooth intensity to the vocals, again with ZERO phase issues.
I use UAD and Powercore plug-ins, always using the most DSP/CPU intensive plug-ins which means I somethings have to freeze tracks to free processing power. And in the next minute, unfreeze the tracks again to alter something or copy plug-in settings. Always without any problems what so ever.
I use two RME sound cards - HDSPe RayDAT and HDSPe MADI - which due to the RME drivers interconnects and make a massive ASIO driver with tons of I/O, again with ZERO problems. They feed an Antelope Orion32 and a Mytek 8x192 converter that are connected to two analogue summing mixers and a patch bay. The analogue mix is sent back into Cubase, then processed and limited in real-time, just to hear what might happen to the mix when mastered. Again with ZERO problems. Clients can listed to the “pre-mastered” mix in real-time via VST Connect Performer and make comments as I finalize the mixes. Saves me time not having to send lots of MP3s all the time. Perfect!
I use VST Connect to record artists via the Internet and it works fine, but most of the time I use it when connecting with a co-writing buddy. We compose music via the Internet in near real-time, and it works really well. The sound quality is so good that we kind of forget that we’re working via the Internet. Prior to VST Connect we were using Skype to interact and it sounded like crap and could only be used for the very basics of song writing. Now we’re working on the arrangements in real-time hearing exactly the same sound quality and it’s such a blast! 
The Chord Track helps me to build harmonies but it also can be used as a creative tool when writing melodies. I just record a couple of ideas, duplicate the track, then let the Chord Track alter my melodies, often it’s too obvious, but now and then it makes a really nice twist to the melody worth using. Mind bending cool if you ask me! 
The Remote Control Editor enables me to custom make setups for my Euphonix MCMIX control surface. Perfect for setting up EQ plug-ins the way I want them to show up on the eight knobs. And in big mixing projects I can save mixer setups showing just the drums or guitars or keyboards or such. Very handy.
The list goes on…but what I love the most about Cubase is that it just works! Yes, there’s lots of fancy functionality but in the end it just works!
Keep up the good work
Fred