How Combining Different DAWs Can Help With Creativity
Sep 21, 2025
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Tero Potila
Working with just one Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) is usually the best approach. You know its features inside out, and it fits your workflow. But sometimes this can feel limiting. Each DAW has its own quirks and strengths: one may excel at audio editing, while another is designed around fast MIDI sequencing.
There are ways how combining different DAWs can help with creativity. You could start an idea in one DAW using its specific features, then transfer the MIDI tracks or audio files into your main DAW.
You might sketch ideas in Soundtrap, edit in Pro Tools, design sounds in Ableton Live, then mix in Logic Pro — and you don’t have to pick just one.
It’s also possible to connect multiple DAWs using MIDI, audio routing, or sync tools, allowing them to run together in real-time. This setup is more advanced, and while powerful, it’s best suited for producers who plan to use multiple DAWs side by side regularly.
Splitting tasks across DAWs can speed up your workflow and open creative doors that may not be immediately apparent when working in a single system.
Key Methods for Combining Different DAWs
Transferring Audio and MIDI Files
For most producers, this is the most straightforward and reliable method. Even if your workflow already works well with your main DAW, sometimes it’s inspiring to use tools from another program that feel new or simply more intuitive.
You might prefer drum machines built into one DAW, the MIDI cleanup tools in another, or a unique synth only available in another DAW.
Once you’ve created the part you need, you can export the files and bring them into your main DAW.
Exporting and Importing Between DAWs
Exporting and importing files is straightforward. You can render audio tracks as WAV files or bounce stems with effects included.
For MIDI, export standard MIDI files so they can be reloaded in another DAW and played with different virtual instruments.
This allows you to utilize each DAW’s strengths. For example, you could create a beat in FL Studio, then transfer the stems into Logic Pro for recording and mixing. Or, you might export MIDI from Bitwig Studio and finish the arrangement in Ableton Live.
Here’s my top tip: Always name files clearly and use consistent sample rates and bit depths. It can save you a lot of headaches later!
Syncing DAWs with MIDI and Modern Alternatives
MIDI sync enables two or more DAWs to synchronize their tempo and playback position.
You can set Pro Tools as the master clock and have Ableton Live or FL Studio follow along, ensuring that your MIDI, audio, and automation stay in sync.
ReWire was once a popular option for streaming audio directly from one DAW into another, often pairing Ableton Live’s Session View with Logic or Pro Tools.
However, ReWire has been officially discontinued and is no longer supported in current versions of most DAWs.
Today, producers rely on alternatives such as Ableton Link, MIDI clock sync, or virtual routing tools.
Using Audio Interfaces and Signal Routing
Running multiple DAWs simultaneously often requires creative routing. With a multi-output audio interface, you can send audio signals from one DAW to another.
There are also options for virtual routing software that provide the same functionality within your computer, eliminating the need for additional hardware.
This approach enables, for example, playing MIDI instruments in Logic Pro while recording vocals in Pro Tools, capturing both simultaneously in real time.
Some producers even route audio from several DAWs into a single mix bus for summing. This can be particularly useful, for example, when combining Ableton Live’s performance-focused tools with Pro Tools’ industry-standard audio recording and mixing capabilities.
In professional contexts, many film composers still use Logic Pro or Cubase to score and orchestrate, with the project outputs routed to Pro Tools for the final mix and the export of the mix, submixes, and stems.
Nowadays, modern computers can handle large sessions in a single DAW, and this workflow is becoming less common.
Creative and Practical Benefits of Using Multiple DAWs
Choosing the Right DAW for Each Task
In my experience, the best DAW is the one that most closely matches your preferred workflow.
All of the most popular DAWs share basic features; each excels in certain areas. But what if you want to have the best of both worlds? By combining DAWs, you can.
There are times when writing in one DAW and mixing or mastering in another might yield better results than sticking to a single platform.
I’ve had projects where switching DAWs sparked fresh ideas I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. Using a different approach and set of tools in a new environment can change perspective and keep the creative process fresh.
Collaborating Across Different Platforms
Collaboration becomes easier when you’re comfortable with multiple DAWs. Every producer has their favorite, whether it’s Bitwig, Soundtrap, Cubase, Ableton Live, Logic, Studio One, FL Studio, or Pro Tools.
Instead of forcing everyone onto the same software, it’s often more efficient to swap stems, MIDI files, or exported individual tracks.
This flexibility avoids compatibility headaches and ensures the project moves forward smoothly, even if everyone uses a different setup. A simple export strategy can bridge the gap between very different workflows.
A few years ago, I was in a co-writing session with an artist and another producer. Midway through the session, the producer had to step out for a while for another commitment, and he asked me to take over the work on his Pro Tools rig.
Luckily, even though my daily work DAW is Logic Pro, I’m also very familiar with Pro Tools, and I was able to continue from where he left off.
In fact, to make sure I never forget the basics of Pro Tools, I use customized key commands in Logic Pro for all the main features, mapped to Pro Tools-specific key commands.
This may be a little extreme for most producers, but I often work in professional recording studios that use Pro Tools and so for me personally, this approach helps keep me comfortable with both DAWs.
Optimizing Workflow for Better Results
Splitting tasks between DAWs can also improve efficiency. Each stage of production benefits from the tools best suited to it — whether that’s composition, sound design, or mixing. This not only speeds up the workflow but can also improve the quality of the final product.
Conclusion
Combining different DAWs isn’t necessary for every project, but it can be a good choice once you’re comfortable with your main DAW.
In my experience, transferring musical ideas, for example, between Logic Pro and Pro Tools can provide different ways to approach audio production without adding too much complexity.
Pro Tools is still considered the industry standard for mixing, and this approach enables you to take full advantage of its unique mixing features.
Modern DAWs are all powerful tools, and sometimes using a second DAW can improve collaboration, capture different sounds, and help music producers discover the workflow that best fits their style.
With an open mind, this approach can save much time and lead to some great music in the modern world of music production.
About the author
Tero Potila is a professional music composer and producer. His career combining knowledge and experience from music, TV, film, ad, and game industries gives him a unique perspective that he shares through posts on teropotila.com.
