Cubase 15, as reviewed by a Logic Pro user: “The most versatile DAW I’ve ever used”Pro: £481 / €579 / $579
Artist: £273 / €329 / $329
Elements: £83 / €99 / $99
steinberg.net
As someone with an interest in film and game composing, it’s odd that I’ve managed to dodge Cubase for this long. Over its 36-year history, it’s become the DAW of choice for big name screen composers like Hans Zimmer and Jack Wall. Not only that, but over time, this venerable digital audio workstation has accrued an expansive feature set that extends its utility into pretty much every corner of music production.

READ MORE: Why you should – or should not – upgrade to Cubase 15

In truth, the reason I haven’t tried it is simple – I’m kinda lazy. When I need a do-everything DAW, Logic Pro has long been my easy option. Sure, it tends to pre-empt, simplify, and streamline even when I don’t want it to, and, yes, it keeps me locked on overpriced hardware. But it does, for the most part, just work.
So it would take something quite special to pry me out of my comfort zone and force me to learn a new workflow, or, god forbid, a new set of hotkeys. Let’s see if Cubase 15 Pro has what it takes.
MIDI editing in Cubase 15. Image: Press
First impressions
The first thing I do is get a feel for how Cubase handles MIDI production, and I’m quickly impressed. There are all the editing capabilities I might wish for, and, in a nice surprise, there’s also probabilistic functions for gating notes and randomising velocity ranges. Best of all, these sit right up front alongside more standard-issue parameters in the MIDI editor window; a clear sign that Cubase is a creative space and not just a studio workhorse.
In terms of library content, the selection of stock sample instruments, synths, and loops is generally excellent, with the Padshop 2 and Retrologue synthesisers comparing well to what Logic Pro has on offer.
For a truly trippy experience, I open up Yamaha’s new Omnivox instrument, which lets you pair MIDI notes with text input to produce an eerily accurate human singer. The fact that this vocal simulacra is achieved through synthesis, a trick Yamaha has been perfecting for quite some time, makes it all the more impressive. However, once you get past the initial novelty, the utility, at least in the current beta version, is fairly limited. It’s certainly not going to fool anyone as a lead vocalist, and I’d assume that most users will probably keep it for the occasional backing vocal.
The Drum Track sequencer – introduced in Cubase 14 and now expanded with a melodic mode – is a joy to use. There are lots of generative goodies for adding patterns, note ties, jumps, and repeats, and also some one-click editing options for adding legato or changing a sequence’s resolution or length. Another highlight for me is the dedicated Chord Pad editor window, which functions as a chord trigger/arpeggiator and offers extensive options for scales, voicing, and note overlaps.
Stock instruments in Cubase 15. Image: Press
Recording
Where Cubase really starts to pull ahead is in its MIDI scoring capabilities. New in version 15 is an overhauled score editor and tighter integration with Steinberg’s dedicated notation software, Dorico. It certainly feels a lot slicker than Logic Pro’s score editor, does a better job of translating a real-time MIDI performance into notation that a performer could actually read, and offers the ability to export your score from Cubase directly into Dorico for further development.
Another strength is Cubase 15’s Expression Maps. Controlling articulations in large orchestral libraries can quickly get frustratingly complex — it’s still complex in Cubase, but Steinberg’s done an admirable job of streamlining this. You can import preset mappings from third-party libraries – I load EastWest’s Hollywood Strings 2 with zero issues – and then fine-tune things to your heart’s content. New in version 15 is the ability to set a delay compensation for each articulation independently, enabling you to nudge rhythmic ostinatos back into line if they’re lagging the click. It’s a seemingly small feature, but definitely a welcome one for anyone who works professionally with MIDI orchestration.
Audio recording, editing, and mixing are all top-notch, with workflows that can cover small bedroom production, professional studio tracking with outboard gear, all the way up to large-scale acoustic sessions. In fact, Cubase’s audio bona fides are so solid that there isn’t much point in discussing them in further detail — you’re in safe hands.
The newly included Stem Separation works fine for unpicking vocals from a track, but falls short of third-party options like Moises AI. This feature doesn’t hold my attention for long.
Far more fun are the 11 Bitwig-inspired Modulators, and include options like Wavefold LFO and Sample & Hold. There’s also a Mod Scripter for those with the requisite JavaScript skills. I absolutely loved the creative potential of Modulators in my Bitwig review, and while Cubase’s implementation is far less extensive, it’s still a fantastic addition — and something totally absent from Logic Pro.
The capabilities of this DAW are vast, and there’s so much great stuff here that I genuinely struggle to decide which parts I should highlight — I haven’t even touched on how it handles video, its audio warping or pitch correction tools, or its highly customisable user interface, which had me spending way too much time designing my own custom colour scheme and tweaking the global UI scaling to maximise my laptop screen real estate.
However, the sheer breadth and depth of Cubase can be overwhelming at first blush. My first few hours feel like I am back at music school, and I need to consult manuals and tutorials more often than I have for any recent software I’ve tried.
Expression mapping in Cubase 15. Image: Press
A real Pro product
In my humble opinion, this is really not a beginner DAW. Cubase is for those who have already dipped their toes in shallower waters and are ready to dive into a professional grade workstation. Cubase bills itself as an ‘advanced audio workstation’ and the question you need to ask yourself is whether you are an ‘advanced’ user, or are willing to put in the time to become one. If not, then there are more accessible and cheaper options.
Speaking of cheap, Cubase really isn’t. At £481 for the Pro version, it’s more expensive than most DAWs, though more affordable than Pro Tools or Ableton Live Suite. The Artist tier comes in at £200 less, and this will probably fit the needs of most users as it offers almost all the features of the Pro tier – but you do miss out on the nifty Modulators. As always, Logic Pro wins handily on price, but only if you don’t factor in the steep Apple hardware premium.
With those caveats, Cubase fully earns its all-rounder stripes. For your investment, you’ll get audio capabilities not far short of Pro Tools, stock instruments and plugins that compare well with Logic Pro, some of the creative craziness of Bitwig, and a MIDI production environment that just might be the best in the business.
Omnivocal in Cubase 15. Image: Press
Am I leaving Logic Pro for Cubase?
This is the most versatile DAW I’ve ever used, and it’s also one of the most powerful. No matter where I look in Cubase, I’m continually surprised at just how deep I can go. Its design and workflow considers the needs of power users at every turn – something that I simply can’t say of Logic Pro, which always feels like it prioritises newcomers to the detriment of dab hands.
Many hours in and I do feel like I’m still learning the ropes, but Cubase makes me want to keep going. And once I do master this epic DAW, I have a feeling I won’t be going back to Logic Pro.

Key features

Fully-featured MIDI production environment with generative capabilities
Drum Track sequencer with new Melodic Mode
11 Modulators and scripting functionality
Comprehensive audio recording, editing, and mixing
VariAudio pitch correction
Scalable interface with many options to customise layout
Up to 96 included audio effects
50+ GB library of samples and loops
Export integration with Dorico notation software

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