diff --git a/src/effects/Effect.cpp b/src/effects/Effect.cpp
index 41b2b853d..16feab557 100644
--- a/src/effects/Effect.cpp
+++ b/src/effects/Effect.cpp
@@ -115,8 +115,12 @@ Effect::Effect()
 
    mUIDebug = false;
 
-   AudacityProject *p = GetActiveProject();
-   mProjectRate = p ? ProjectSettings::Get( *p ).GetRate() : 44100;
+   // PRL:  I think this initialization of mProjectRate doesn't matter
+   // because it is always reassigned in DoEffect before it is used
+   gPrefs->Read(wxT("/SamplingRate/DefaultProjectSampleRate"),
+                &mProjectRate,
+                AudioIOBase::GetOptimalSupportedSampleRate());
+
    mIsBatch = false;
 }
 
@@ -706,7 +710,7 @@ NumericFormatSymbol Effect::GetDurationFormat()
 
 NumericFormatSymbol Effect::GetSelectionFormat()
 {
-   return ProjectSettings::Get( *GetActiveProject() ).GetSelectionFormat();
+   return ProjectSettings::Get( *FindProject() ).GetSelectionFormat();
 }
 
 void Effect::SetDuration(double seconds)
@@ -1770,7 +1774,7 @@ bool Effect::ProcessTrack(int count,
 
    if (rc && isGenerator)
    {
-      AudacityProject *p = GetActiveProject();
+      auto pProject = FindProject();
 
       // PRL:  this code was here and could not have been the right
       // intent, mixing time and sampleCount values:
@@ -1790,7 +1794,7 @@ bool Effect::ProcessTrack(int count,
       // Transfer the data from the temporary tracks to the actual ones
       genLeft->Flush();
       // mT1 gives us the NEW selection. We want to replace up to GetSel1().
-      auto &selectedRegion = ViewInfo::Get( *p ).selectedRegion;
+      auto &selectedRegion = ViewInfo::Get( *pProject ).selectedRegion;
       left->ClearAndPaste(mT0,
          selectedRegion.t1(), genLeft.get(), true, true,
          nullptr /* &warper */);
@@ -2183,6 +2187,11 @@ void Effect::ReplaceProcessedTracks(const bool bGoodResult)
    nEffectsDone++;
 }
 
+const AudacityProject *Effect::FindProject() const
+{
+   return inputTracks()->GetOwner();
+}
+
 void Effect::CountWaveTracks()
 {
    mNumTracks = mTracks->Selected< const WaveTrack >().size();
@@ -2341,7 +2350,7 @@ void Effect::Preview(bool dryOnly)
       t1 = std::min(mT0 + previewLen, mT1);
 
       // Start audio playing
-      AudioIOStartStreamOptions options { ::GetActiveProject(), rate };
+      AudioIOStartStreamOptions options { pProject, rate };
       int token =
          gAudioIO->StartStream(tracks, mT0, t1, options);
 
diff --git a/src/effects/Effect.h b/src/effects/Effect.h
index 7bfa1c7f8..b68edb2f1 100644
--- a/src/effects/Effect.h
+++ b/src/effects/Effect.h
@@ -456,6 +456,7 @@ protected:
    wxWeakRef<NotifyingSelectedRegion> mpSelectedRegion{};
    TrackFactory   *mFactory;
    const TrackList *inputTracks() const { return mTracks; }
+   const AudacityProject *FindProject() const;
    std::shared_ptr<TrackList> mOutputTracks; // used only if CopyInputTracks() is called.
    double         mT0;
    double         mT1;
@@ -477,7 +478,6 @@ protected:
  // Used only by the base Effect class
  //
  private:
-   void CommonInit();
    void CountWaveTracks();
 
    // Driver for client effects
diff --git a/src/effects/Equalization.cpp b/src/effects/Equalization.cpp
index 996fc62e4..cbea44915 100644
--- a/src/effects/Equalization.cpp
+++ b/src/effects/Equalization.cpp
@@ -620,7 +620,7 @@ bool EffectEqualization::Init()
    double rate = 0.0;
 
    auto trackRange =
-      TrackList::Get( *GetActiveProject() ).Selected< const WaveTrack >();
+      TrackList::Get( *FindProject() ).Selected< const WaveTrack >();
    if (trackRange) {
       rate = (*(trackRange.first++)) -> GetRate();
       ++selcount;
@@ -739,7 +739,7 @@ void EffectEqualization::PopulateOrExchange(ShuttleGui & S)
    mHiFreq =
       (t
          ? t->GetRate()
-         : ProjectSettings::Get( *GetActiveProject() ).GetRate())
+         : ProjectSettings::Get( *FindProject() ).GetRate())
       / 2.0;
    mLoFreq = loFreqI;
 
diff --git a/src/effects/Generator.cpp b/src/effects/Generator.cpp
index 5be73c8ed..ff0064798 100644
--- a/src/effects/Generator.cpp
+++ b/src/effects/Generator.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ bool Generator::Process()
 
          if (GetDuration() > 0.0)
          {
-            AudacityProject *p = GetActiveProject();
+            auto pProject = FindProject();
             // Create a temporary track
             WaveTrack::Holder tmp(
                mFactory->NewWaveTrack(track->GetSampleFormat(),
@@ -79,7 +79,8 @@ bool Generator::Process()
                tmp->Flush();
                StepTimeWarper warper{
                   mT0+GetDuration(), GetDuration()-(mT1-mT0) };
-               const auto &selectedRegion = ViewInfo::Get( *p ).selectedRegion;
+               const auto &selectedRegion =
+                  ViewInfo::Get( *pProject ).selectedRegion;
                track->ClearAndPaste(
                   selectedRegion.t0(), selectedRegion.t1(),
                   &*tmp, true, false, &warper);
diff --git a/src/effects/ScienFilter.cpp b/src/effects/ScienFilter.cpp
index adc6735ec..4aa76b7e8 100644
--- a/src/effects/ScienFilter.cpp
+++ b/src/effects/ScienFilter.cpp
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ bool EffectScienFilter::Init()
       mNyquist =
          (t
             ? t->GetRate()
-            : ProjectSettings::Get( *GetActiveProject() ).GetRate())
+            : ProjectSettings::Get( *FindProject() ).GetRate())
          / 2.0;
    }
 
diff --git a/src/effects/ToneGen.cpp b/src/effects/ToneGen.cpp
index 94b2e393a..102e70eb4 100644
--- a/src/effects/ToneGen.cpp
+++ b/src/effects/ToneGen.cpp
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ bool EffectToneGen::DefineParams( ShuttleParams & S ){
    S.SHUTTLE_ENUM_PARAM( mInterpolation, Interp, kInterStrings, nInterpolations  );
 
 
-//   double freqMax = (GetActiveProject() ? GetActiveProject()->GetRate() : 44100.0) / 2.0;
+//   double freqMax = (FindProject() ? FindProject()->GetRate() : 44100.0) / 2.0;
 //   mFrequency[1] = TrapDouble(mFrequency[1], MIN_EndFreq, freqMax);
 
 
@@ -323,8 +323,8 @@ bool EffectToneGen::SetAutomationParameters(CommandParameters & parms)
    mInterpolation = Interp;
 
    double freqMax =
-      (GetActiveProject()
-         ? ProjectSettings::Get( *GetActiveProject() ).GetRate()
+      (FindProject()
+         ? ProjectSettings::Get( *FindProject() ).GetRate()
          : 44100.0)
       / 2.0;
    mFrequency[1] = TrapDouble(mFrequency[1], MIN_EndFreq, freqMax);
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ void EffectToneGen::PopulateOrExchange(ShuttleGui & S)
                      6, &mFrequency[0],
                      NumValidatorStyle::NO_TRAILING_ZEROES,
                      MIN_StartFreq,
-                     ProjectSettings::Get( *GetActiveProject() ).GetRate() / 2.0
+                     ProjectSettings::Get( *FindProject() ).GetRate() / 2.0
                   )
                   .AddTextBox( {}, wxT(""), 12);
             }
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ void EffectToneGen::PopulateOrExchange(ShuttleGui & S)
                      6, &mFrequency[1],
                      NumValidatorStyle::NO_TRAILING_ZEROES,
                      MIN_EndFreq,
-                     ProjectSettings::Get( *GetActiveProject() ).GetRate() / 2.0
+                     ProjectSettings::Get( *FindProject() ).GetRate() / 2.0
                   )
                   .AddTextBox( {}, wxT(""), 12);
             }
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ void EffectToneGen::PopulateOrExchange(ShuttleGui & S)
          t = S.Validator<FloatingPointValidator<double>>(
                6, &mFrequency[0], NumValidatorStyle::NO_TRAILING_ZEROES,
                MIN_Frequency,
-               ProjectSettings::Get( *GetActiveProject() ).GetRate() / 2.0
+               ProjectSettings::Get( *FindProject() ).GetRate() / 2.0
             )
             .AddTextBox(XO("Frequency (Hz):"), wxT(""), 12);
 
diff --git a/src/effects/TruncSilence.cpp b/src/effects/TruncSilence.cpp
index 1d4f8ac2f..a2cba89c4 100644
--- a/src/effects/TruncSilence.cpp
+++ b/src/effects/TruncSilence.cpp
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ bool EffectTruncSilence::ProcessIndependently()
 {
    unsigned nGroups = 0;
 
-   const auto &settings = ProjectSettings::Get( *::GetActiveProject() );
+   const auto &settings = ProjectSettings::Get( *FindProject() );
    const bool syncLock = settings.IsSyncLocked();
 
    // Check if it's permissible
diff --git a/src/effects/nyquist/Nyquist.cpp b/src/effects/nyquist/Nyquist.cpp
index 1e53463a5..7ac052607 100644
--- a/src/effects/nyquist/Nyquist.cpp
+++ b/src/effects/nyquist/Nyquist.cpp
@@ -543,7 +543,7 @@ bool NyquistEffect::Init()
    // selected track(s) - (but don't apply to Nyquist Prompt).
 
    if (!mIsPrompt && mIsSpectral) {
-      AudacityProject *project = GetActiveProject();
+      auto *project = FindProject();
       bool bAllowSpectralEditing = true;
 
       for ( auto t :
@@ -665,7 +665,7 @@ bool NyquistEffect::Process()
 
    if (mVersion >= 4)
    {
-      AudacityProject *project = GetActiveProject();
+      auto project = FindProject();
 
       mProps = wxEmptyString;
 
@@ -957,7 +957,7 @@ finish:
    else{
       ReplaceProcessedTracks(false); // Do not use the results.
       // Selection is to be set to whatever it is in the project.
-      AudacityProject *project = GetActiveProject();
+      auto project = FindProject();
       if (project) {
          auto &selectedRegion = ViewInfo::Get( *project ).selectedRegion;
          mT0 = selectedRegion.t0();
@@ -1693,7 +1693,7 @@ double NyquistEffect::GetCtrlValue(const wxString &s)
     * parsed on each run so that the correct value for "half-srate" may
     * be determined.
     *
-   AudacityProject *project = GetActiveProject();
+   auto project = FindProject();
    if (project && s.IsSameAs(wxT("half-srate"), false)) {
       auto rate =
          TrackList::Get( *project ).Selected< const WaveTrack >()