How to Load a Pro Tools Session with Plug-ins Disabled

Disable plugins in Pro Tools to troubleshoot

There are times when it is useful to be able to load a Pro Tools session with whatever plug-ins are instantiated in that session disabled or inactive.

The biggest reason to do this is that a session with no active plug-ins loads much faster than one with active plug-ins. Especially when comparing larger sessions or versions of sessions, loading with plug-ins inactive can save a great deal of time. You might also want to load a session with plug-ins inactive in order to hear what it sounds like without any processing.

To load a session with plug-ins inactive:

1. Use the “Open Session” command (or hit command+O [Mac]/control+O [Windows]).
2. Select the session you would like to open.
3. Hold the shift key while clicking the “Open” button. You can also hold the shift key while double-clicking on the session you want to open, or select the desired session.
4. Hold the shift key while hitting the return key to select “Open.”

If a dialog box opens asking about whether to save an open session or not, continue to hold the shift key while closing out that dialog. To make the plug-ins active, select “Revert to Saved” in the “File” menu, or option+right-click on a plug-in in each insert row and select “Make Active.”

If you need additional help, you can find the Pro Tools documentation here Avid.com