How much storage does a multitrack session need?

At 48 kHz, 24-bit: each track uses about 0.5 GB per hour. A 24-track, 4-hour session needs approximately 48 GB. At 96 kHz, double that to about 96 GB. Always budget 50-100% extra for safety, overdubs and virtual instrument bounces.

What disk speed do I need for multitrack recording?

At 48 kHz, 24-bit: 24 tracks need about 2.6 MB/s sustained read/write. Most modern SSDs easily handle this. For 64+ tracks at 96 kHz (about 18 MB/s), an SSD is strongly recommended. Avoid recording to the same drive as your operating system.

How many tracks can I record simultaneously?

This depends on your audio interface (input count and USB/Thunderbolt bandwidth), disk speed, and CPU. Most USB 2.0 interfaces max out at 16-24 channels. Thunderbolt interfaces can handle 64+ channels. The disk is rarely the bottleneck with modern SSDs.

Should I record at 96 kHz for more tracks?

Recording at 96 kHz doubles storage and bandwidth requirements. For large track counts (32+), this can be significant. Many professionals record at 48 kHz, 24-bit as it provides excellent quality while keeping resource usage manageable. Use 96 kHz when the project demands it.

AudioCalcs

Track Count Calculator — Storage & Bandwidth Requirements

Calculate storage and bandwidth requirements for multitrack recording sessions.

Track Count

Sample Rate

Bit Depth

Session Duration

How We Calculate This

Storage Per Track

Bytes/s = Sample Rate × (Bit Depth / 8)

Total Bandwidth

Total Bytes/s = Bytes per track × Track Count

Session Storage

Storage (GB) = Total Bytes/s × Duration (hours) × 3600 / (1024³)

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: February 2026

All calculations are estimates based on standard formulas. Always verify results for critical applications.