# FL Studio 2026 — MacBook Air M2 8GB (this machine)

## Hard limits
- **8 GB RAM** + swap already active → keep projects lean
- Prefer **headphones / interface**, never **Bluetooth** (Echo Dot) for monitoring
- Default system output was External Headphones @ 44.1k — good. Avoid Bluetooth while producing.

## Audio settings (FL → Audio settings)
| Setting | Value |
|---------|--------|
| Device | Core Audio → **MacBook Air Speakers/Headphones** or your interface — **not** BlackHole unless routing |
| Sample rate | **44100** or **48000** (match project; don't hop) |
| Buffer | **512** mixing / **1024** heavy projects · drop to 256 only for live MIDI |
| Triple buffer | ON if available |
| Mix clipper / CPU | Keep **multicore** ON, leave 1–2 cores free if glitching |

## Project habits (8GB)
- Empty + 4 sends or song-specific — no giant hybrid templates
- Freeze / audio-clip heavy VSTs
- One browser preview at a time; close unused channels
- Don't load full VOCALS_MULTI *and* raw Kits + masters in one rack

## macOS while in session
- Quit: Chrome/Chromium, Discord, Zoom, Photos, multiple Safari windows
- Keep Flapi/Gopher only if injecting
- iCloud: avoid big Desktop/Documents sync storms mid-session
- Free RAM: Activity Monitor → Memory → if Swap >> 1GB, close browsers

## One-shot script
`~/bin/fl-session-mode` — frees caches, sets power, prints checklist