Pro Tools 12.4 Track FREEZE Explained

In this video we look at TRACK FREEZE in Pro Tools 12.4 and go over what you can and cannot do to a frozen track. Also, we look at how to freeze/unfreeze tracks, using freeze with Audio Tracks, using freeze with Aux Tracks, and using freeze with Instrument Tracks. We will also go over using Multiple Output Stems from plugins like BFD3 and Kontakt, and how that effects freeze.

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By using FREEZE we can render all audio/MIDI through all plugins on a track (or up to a certain insert) in order to save resources. Once frozen, the plugins that were included in the freeze will be deactivated/frozen - meaning they will no longer consume resources. You can add more plugins on a frozen track, but you cannot make any changes to frozen plugins unless you unfreeze the track first.



Editing a frozen track is extremely limited. You can do some basic things like volume, pan, ect... but you cannot add fades, cut it up, move the track, change the tempo of your session, and plenty more. Be sure to read the entire What's New .pdf so you know what you can and cannot do.

If you know you will want to further edit your audio, it may be better to use COMMIT instead of FREEZE. Also, you can COMMIT a frozen track.

The FREEZE files are stored in the RENDERED FILES sub-folder within your session folder. These are cleaned up when you close your session.

Use the keyboard shortcut ALT and click the FREEZE icon to freeze ALL tracks. Use ALT + SHIFT and click the FREEZE icon to freeze ALL SELECTED tracks.

(*ALT=Option on Mac)

Think of ALT as an ALL key and SHIFT as SELECTED. This holds true throughout much of Pro Tools.

The plugins used in this video are:
Avid Eleven MKII
AIR Dynamic Delay
Avid Eleven Studio Reverb
Avid Reverb One
iZotope Ozone 7 Advanced
Toontracks EzMix2
Native Instruments Kontakt 5
FXpansion BFD3
Boz Digital Labs Bark Of Dog

By the end of the video you should have a good grasp on how FREEZE works in Pro Tools and how to use it with Audio tracks, Aux tracks, Instrument tracks (MIDI), and how to use Auxiliary Output Stems/Sends with FREEZE.

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Intro 0:00
The Info 0:41
The Demo 4:42
The part showing Freeze with Virtual Instruments (MIDI) 11:12
The part showing Keyboard Shortcuts for Freeze 18:59
The more about MIDI with Freeze part 25:04
The part showing where Freeze files are stored 29:35
The part showing what happens to Freeze files when PT is closed 31:00
The Wrap-up 32:37


What Gets Frozen
The following track data is rendered when freezing
a track any track by track type:
• Plug-ins and automation for all plug-ins (except
for any plug-ins remaining active when using
Freeze to Insert)
• Clip Gain
• HEAT (if set to pre-insert)
• Elastic audio

The following track controls are maintained and
are not rendered with track freeze:
• Volume
• Volume Trim
• Mute
• Pan
• Send Level
• Send Level trim
• Send Mute
• Plug-in automation for plug-ins that are not frozen
(when using Freeze to Insert)


Editing Restrictions on
Frozen Tracks
Frozen tracks disallow most editing functions. To
edit a frozen track, unfreeze it, make your edits, and
then re-freeze the track.
The following editing actions are not allowed on
frozen tracks:
• Editing clips or clip contents is disallowed.
• Elastic Audio is disallowed.
• AudioSuite rendering is disallowed on frozen
tracks.
• Tempo changes, Song Start changes, and enabling
or disabling the Conductor Track are not
allowed when there are frozen tracks in the session.
• Insert and Cut Time operations are disallowed in
a session if there are frozen tracks.
• HEAT is unavailable for frozen Auxiliary Input
and Instrument tracks.
• Instrument Tracks are removed from the MIDI
Editor window while frozen and MIDI parameters
including Real Time Quantize settings cannot
be adjusted until the track is unfrozen.
• Clips used on a source playlist for a frozen track
cannot be removed from the session until the
track is unfrozen.

The following editing actions are allowed on frozen
tracks:
• Editing and writing of all basic track automation
parameters including sends.
• Editing and writing of automation on unfrozen
plug-ins as well as addition and removal of
plug-ins on unfrozen inserts (when using the
Freeze Up to This Insert functionality)
• Changing the track output path.