The first of these two tips is especially useful to Pro Tools LE users who are running on computers with older CPUs or limited memory. The second may show you why it's a good idea to keep up with the current version of Pro Tools.

1. If you're running so many RTAS plug-ins that they're overloading your computer, here's a way to free up your processor without interrupting your workflow. Use the AudioSuite versions of your RTAS plug-ins to print the effects. Simply stop playback and select the track you want to process. Choose the appropriate AudioSuite plug-in from the AudioSuite menu. The plug-in will read the selected file directly from disk, process the audio file, and write a new file. With "Use in Playlist" selected in the AudioSuite plug-in window, the new processed file will replace the old file on the track. Also, any plug-in settings that are stored in the RTAS version will appear in the AudioSuite version.

2. You can use the new color-coding enhancements in Pro Tools 6.7 as an easy way to visualize song forms (i.e. Intro, Verse, Chorus, etc.) within your session. To enable these color coding settings:

Choose Setups > Preferences and click on the "Display" tab.

Set the Default Region Color Coding to "Marker Locations."

All regions that start on or after a Memory location will be colored the same default color (regardless of track) until the following marker.

When placing a memory location, be sure to select "Marker" in the Time Properties section of the Memory Location window.

If you haven't upgraded to version 6.7 yet you're missing out on dozens of significant enhancements. Call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer for assistance with your upgrade.