# Requirements

MultitrackStudio has been designed to run very efficiently, so computer requirements are fairly modest. Some performance issues are discussed in the following paragraphs. With newer computers, the sound device is usually the only thing to worry about.

### Operating System

MultitrackStudio works with macOS 26, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10.15/14/13/12 and OS X 10.11. Both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs are supported natively.

### Sound Device

At minimum, a 16 bit/44.1kHz/stereo sound device capable of full-duplex operation (i.e., simultaneous playback and recording) is needed for audio recording/playback. Virtually any modern device will be capable of this.

### CPU

Real-time audio processing requires a fast processor. MultitrackStudio is very efficient, so any computer currently in use should be suitable. You need a faster computer if you want to use higher sample rates like 96 or 192 kHz (Pro edition).
MultitrackStudio takes advantage of multiple-core CPUs (up to eight CPUs can be used).

### Memory Usage

MultitrackStudio's memory requirements are very modest, unless you're using very large sampler patches. Note that the memory usage of plugins can be (much) greater than that of MultitrackStudio.

### Disk Speed

If your songs contain about ten audio tracks, a fast hard disk (7200 RPM as opposed to the once-standard 5400 RPM) is recommended.

### Audio Gear

You may need some special cables to connect microphones, etc., to your sound device, especially if you have a cheaper sound device that typically uses 3.5mm jack plugs, whereas microphones use XLR connectors or 6.3mm jack plugs.

Using an external high-quality mic preamp can significantly improve the sound quality of your recordings. They usually provide phantom power as well, so you can use condenser mics.

An analog compressor can reduce the risk of overloading the sound device's input. It also allows you to get more out of a 16-bit sound device's resolution.

Not all stereo sound devices allow you to set different recording levels for the left and right channels. This can be quite a problem if you want to record two tracks at the same time (for instance, a vocal track and an electric guitar track). You can solve this problem by using two mic preamps (that have a level control). Using a small analog mixer may be a cheaper alternative.