Can Cubase Be Used Like Ableton Live for Performance?
Understanding the Unique Power of Ableton—and What Other DAWs Can (and Can’t) Do
One of our DAWtopia Sound Society Facebook group members recently asked a great question:
“Can Cubase be used like Ableton Live for live performance?”
It’s a question that taps into the heart of how different DAWs are designed—and what they’re best at.
Let’s break it down.
🔁 Looping, Jamming, Performing: What Makes Ableton Live Different?
Ableton Live was built from the ground up with live performance in mind.
Its signature feature—the Session View—is a grid-based interface where you can launch loops, samples, MIDI clips, and instruments in real time. You can mix and match ideas on the fly, remix your own songs, and build a live set that’s as flexible as a DJ set, but with the depth of a full production studio.
Unlike traditional DAWs that move linearly from left to right (timeline-based), Live encourages non-linear music creation. This makes it incredibly powerful for:
- Live looping and improvisation
- Building arrangements out of jam sessions
- On-the-fly performance with MIDI controllers like the Push or Novation Launchpad
👉 Bottom line: Ableton Live isn’t just capable of performance—it was designed for it.
🎼 Traditional DAWs Like Cubase and Logic: Can They Keep Up?
Cubase, Logic Pro, FL Studio, and Studio One are all timeline-focused DAWs. They excel at:
- Film scoring
- Linear song arrangement
- Complex MIDI editing
- Audio engineering and mixing workflows
Some of them have begun to adopt features that let you experiment with loops and scenes, but they’re not quite there yet in terms of fluidity for live use.
🔹 Cubase
Cubase is fantastic for composition, especially for orchestral and cinematic work. It does have LoopMash and Sampler Track for some real-time manipulation, but no dedicated clip launching view like Ableton’s Session View. You can simulate some aspects of live jamming with MIDI mappings and macros, but it’s more of a workaround than a feature.
🔹 Logic Pro
Logic took a step toward Ableton territory with the introduction of Live Loops. It’s a grid-based interface similar to Ableton’s Session View, letting you build up musical ideas by triggering loops and clips. It’s pretty slick—and if you’re already deep into Logic, it’s a welcome addition. But its integration with controllers and overall performance focus still trails Ableton in polish and speed.
🔹 FL Studio
FL Studio’s Performance Mode lets you launch clips from a controller and improvise with loops. It works well for electronic music, but isn’t quite as intuitive or responsive as Ableton for live gigs. Still, it’s worth exploring for hybrid DJ/producer sets.
🔹 Bitwig Studio
This is probably the closest rival to Ableton in terms of performance and modular design. Bitwig has its own clip launcher, tight controller integration, and a modular system that appeals to experimental and tech-savvy artists.
👑 Why Ableton Live Still Reigns Supreme for Performance
Even with all the advances in other DAWs, Ableton Live remains the king of live performance for one big reason:
🎯 It doesn’t just support live performance—it encourages it.
Its rock-solid timing, flexible MIDI/audio routing, and tight integration with performance hardware make it the go-to DAW for:
- Electronic musicians
- Live loopers
- Touring producers
- DJ/producer hybrids
- Experimental and ambient artists
Ableton Live also makes it easy to bridge the gap between creation and performance. You can write a track in Session View, arrange it in Arrangement View, and then take it back to Session View for a live set.
💡 Can You Perform with Cubase? Sure. Should You? Depends.
If you’re comfortable with Cubase and want to incorporate basic performance elements (triggering loops, using effects live), it can be done. But it takes more setup, more workarounds, and less spontaneity.
If your goal is to jam, perform, remix, and stay fluid on stage, Ableton Live or Bitwig is a better fit.
🔗 Want to Learn More? Join the dawtopia Community
This is the kind of conversation we love at dawtopia.
Got experience performing live with Cubase, Logic, or FL Studio? Ever tried bridging two DAWs for hybrid sets?
🗣️ Jump into the conversation on our DAWtopia Sound Society Facebook group or jump into the dawtopia forum here …or drop a comment below.
We’re always geeking out over the tools that make music more fun, flexible, and powerful.
