I figured since the message is in the
Cubase User Forum he's MOST LIKELY using a version of Cubase. It would be the wrong place to put a Reaper or ProTools
Yes, Cubase 11...sorry I forgot to mention that. Yeah sometimes I will freeze tracks but then sometimes it's just a bunch of guitar tracks that I have compressors on in a group. I haven't found a way to disable or freeze group/effects tracks. I can make due with just removing the plugins temporarily, was just looking for a shortcut I don't know about
You can't freeze group tracks or FX channels. You can however 'render in place' tracks with FX on them and open up some resources.
In other words a way to open up some computing power: Edit>Render In Place>choose appropriately. You can export it with just the channel settings (inserts) or through groups or full on through master out. You just have to select what you want. By default, the track you rendered from will be muted. Keep in mind as I have found as I do this with vocals that are done in Melodyne, you still may need to disable the insert if it is an offline plug. I may be wrong, but if the track you rendered still has an insert, It seems to still be active (meaning it taking computer resources). Shut them off on the muted track after render. Again, I really have only noticed this with Melodyne, so that may be different for a VSTi's or inserted FX, guitar sim or other.
It is basically just like exporting a track, but placing it right back into your project. You can always enable the original track you rendered/muted later. Kind of like 'freeze' for audio tracks.
And also remember, just because you hit that yellow 'bypass' button on each effect or insert, it is still running and taking resources from your PC. You have to actually shut it down with the far left power button (that also does not always work), or render to make it not suck power.
Cheers!