System Requirements

Minimum: - Windows 10 (64-bit) - 64-bit Intel i5 / AMD Ryzen 5 or equivalent (SSE2 required) - 8 GB RAM (16 GB if using AI features) - 2 GB free disk space (+ 12 GB for AI models) - OpenGL 2.0 GPU (optional — software rendering fallback available) - ASIO-compatible audio interface recommended (WASAPI fallback available) - 1280 × 800 display

Recommended: - Windows 11 (64-bit) - Intel i7 / AMD Ryzen 7 or better (AVX2 for faster DSP) - 32 GB RAM or more - SSD with 20 GB+ free - Any GPU with OpenGL 2.0+ (integrated or discrete) - ASIO interface at 256 samples - 1920 × 1080 display or higher

Installation

Download the installer from the Download page and run it. The installer places Rift Studio in your chosen directory with no additional dependencies. ASIO drivers for your audio interface should be installed separately if not already present.

Plugin paths scanned automatically: - VST3: Standard Windows VST3 directories - CLAP: C:\Program Files\Common Files\CLAP

Optional components: - ONNX Runtime — enables AI genre classification, stem separation, and CLAP embeddings - FFmpeg — enables video track decoding (MP4, AVI, MOV, MKV)

Audio & MIDI Setup

On first launch, configure your audio interface:

Go to **Options > Audio Settings**
Select your ASIO driver (or WASAPI as fallback)
Set sample rate (44,100 or 48,000 Hz recommended)
Set buffer size (256 samples for low latency, 512 for stability)
Assign input and output channels

For MIDI, go to Options > MIDI Settings and enable your MIDI input devices.

Creating Your First Project

File > New Project (Ctrl+N) creates a blank project with these defaults: - 130 BPM - 4/4 time signature - C Major key - 64 bars

The main window is divided into: - Toolbar (top): Transport controls, BPM, snap settings, pattern selector - Browser (left): File and sample browser with search, tags, and favorites - Playlist (center): Arrangement timeline with tracks, clips, and automation - Tab Bar (bottom): Quick-toggle for Channel Rack, Mixer, Piano Roll, Sampler, Session View - Status Bar: Audio engine info, CPU usage, sample rate, buffer size

Adding Tracks

Right-click the Playlist area and select Add Instrument Track. The Instrument Browser opens with three categories: - Built-in Synths: Wavetable, Analog, FM, Granular, Drum Machine, Physical Model - VST3 Instruments: Scanned from standard plugin paths - CLAP Instruments: Scanned from the CLAP directory

Select an instrument to create the track. Each track hosts one instrument — this is the track-centric instrument model.

Saving and Exporting

Ctrl+S — saves your project as a .rproj file (human-readable JSON, format version 5)
Ctrl+R — opens quick audio export (WAV)
File > Export Audio (Advanced) — gives you format, sample rate, bit depth, dither, and normalization options
File > Export Stems — exports each track as a separate audio file
File > Package Project — collects all referenced audio files into a single portable folder

Projects auto-backup up to 20 versions, and crash recovery restores your last session on startup.