Time-sensitive! Why is Apply Audio Effect grayed out??

[jkoseattle]

Yikes, I have a ton of pitch correction ahead of me today. Dozens of audio clips. All day long. 

First one.... My practice has always been to apply Melodyne (5) to a clip, then when done hit Ctrl-Shift-A to Apply Audio Effect, so that I don't end up with a whole bunch of Melodyne effects all over the place. (Once the pitch correction is done, I don't need/want the Melodyne effect sitting in there taking up CPU.) But this morning, Apply Audio Effect is disabled. Why?????

(btw, I tried using Region FX but am getting unreliable results, so I'm going back to this way, my old method.)

Help!!!

[reginaldStjohn]

I don't know why, I always use the region FX and then bounce to clipsl

[John Vere]

I use regional effects too and it’s no problem at all. I use the Render option the minute I’m done. 
The rules are 

1. work with short clips. 

2. Work with a copy of the original 

3. Render right away when done with the clip to release Melodyne 

4. Save the project often as you work

If you find you need to redo a clip just delete that clip and use Ctrl drag to pull it from the original as a copy. Keep the original copy above the working copy but muted.  This makes it easy to drag copy. 

Edited November 12, 2021 by John Vere