I have a vocal I want to turn the effect completely off for 2 bars, and then back on.  Can't find how to do that in X1.  Can it be done, other than cloning the track, and cutting it up?

One way would be to split the clip and apply the effect on those clips that need it.  You can "insert" effects onto clips themselves.  Hope this helps!
Edit: depending on the effect, you may be able to automate its parameters to accomplish the same thing.
 
Cheers,
Eddie

You can use the Edit filter on the track in question to see if it's possible to automate the enabling or level of the effect (ie if the parameter shows up in the edit filter), then draw in the automation.
Simon

I haven't found an enable / disable parameter in the automation list. This would be a worthy feature request. Assuming that it's not a send effect: If it's an effect that has a parameter that can be automated to effectively disable it i.e. threshold, volume, etc. then I would automate that. If not I would go with Eddie's work around. 

Rocky

If the effect has an on/ off button in its GUI, this switching this is recorded along with automation.  I just did it on a track I'm working on with the VX64.
 
What effect were you wanting to do it with?

I think the question of which effect you are working with is the key one. For example, you can automate the enable button on the pro channel saturation knob
Simon

Eddie TX


One way would be to split the clip and apply the effect on those clips that need it.  You can "insert" effects onto clips themselves.  Hope this helps!
Edit: depending on the effect, you may be able to automate its parameters to accomplish the same thing.
 
Cheers,
Eddie

This is the best way to do it. You should also put a fast fade out before the 2 bar section and a fast fade in after it to get rid of any slam effect of instant off-instant on.

Bigdogs


I think the question of which effect you are working with is the key one. For example, you can automate the enable button on the pro channel saturation knob
Simon

I think also that if it is an effect included with Sonar, thhere's a good chance you can, too.  I can't speak for third party plugs, but I can't think of a reason of the top of my head why it shouldn't.
 
My only justification for this is that I've not found one that I can't.
 
Now, I may not have tried it with EVERY one..

It is a stupid auto-tune effect that doesn't have an on-off, that I have to use because I can't stand listening to this guy sing flat/sharp anymore.  It is either auto-tune or booze!!

What I did was to clone the track in total, but not the actual audio.  In the new cloned track, I deleted the auto-tune effect.  In the original track, I used Split (right click on audio where you want to make a cut) and chopped the vocals up into sections.  Those sections that played well with the auto-tune, I left where they were originally.  Those where his singing made auto-tune warbel, I pulled down to the cloned track with no auto-tune installed.  Worked well.  Thanks.

Oh, and PS:  If I put V-vocal on his track, there were places where V-vocal simply lost its mind, and kicked this guy's vocal up an entire octave in at least one spot.  Sounded horrific.  And apparently no way to correct.  In some places it worked fine, and was employed.