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

Total track

Sample Rate

Audio sample rate in Hz

Bit Depth

Audio bit depth (bits per sample)

Session Duration

Length of time

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.