diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_monitor_input.png b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_monitor_input.png
index 1d09beb77c..35887e896d 100644
Binary files a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_monitor_input.png and b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_monitor_input.png differ
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_monitor_input_active.png b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_monitor_input_active.png
index de4a3c4810..7a29e01091 100644
Binary files a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_monitor_input_active.png and b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_monitor_input_active.png differ
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_monitor_input_prelight.png b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_monitor_input_prelight.png
index c58430931f..7a29e01091 100644
Binary files a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_monitor_input_prelight.png and b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_monitor_input_prelight.png differ
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_mute.png b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_mute.png
index cbe9c10916..13d1cf5c7f 100644
Binary files a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_mute.png and b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_mute.png differ
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_mute_active.png b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_mute_active.png
index a2317467e2..b7b0b5f863 100644
Binary files a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_mute_active.png and b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_mute_active.png differ
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_mute_implicit.png b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_mute_implicit.png
index 26a742823f..7ee69fe8e3 100644
Binary files a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_mute_implicit.png and b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_mute_implicit.png differ
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_mute_prelight.png b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_mute_prelight.png
index f693c650a9..b7b0b5f863 100644
Binary files a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_mute_prelight.png and b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_mute_prelight.png differ
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_record.png b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_record.png
index 16195aedd6..f0a214d2c1 100644
Binary files a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_record.png and b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_record.png differ
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_record_active.png b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_record_active.png
index 93ab775069..a1f5ec7ae4 100644
Binary files a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_record_active.png and b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_record_active.png differ
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_record_prelight.png b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_record_prelight.png
index 4fc3bda619..a1f5ec7ae4 100644
Binary files a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_record_prelight.png and b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_record_prelight.png differ
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_solo.png b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_solo.png
index 5faad238e3..c16a79f05e 100644
Binary files a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_solo.png and b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_solo.png differ
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_solo_active.png b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_solo_active.png
index 326762fbe2..91f3ba9424 100644
Binary files a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_solo_active.png and b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_solo_active.png differ
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_solo_prelight.png b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_solo_prelight.png
index fc49e6f222..91f3ba9424 100644
Binary files a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_solo_prelight.png and b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_solo_prelight.png differ
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_solo_safe.png b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_solo_safe.png
index e5737df5c9..d8ac847ad5 100644
Binary files a/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_solo_safe.png and b/gtk2_ardour/icons/meter_strip_solo_safe.png differ
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ui/meter_strip.xml b/gtk2_ardour/ui/meter_strip.xml
index 15e5f978c4..0accf7f7fd 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ui/meter_strip.xml
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ui/meter_strip.xml
@@ -1,52 +1,52 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 
 <RouteUI gainmeterscript="meter_strip_gain_meter.xml">
-  <EventBox id="panners_home" bgnormal="#383838" bgactive="#545454" height="59" ui.orphan="true"/>
+  <EventBox id="panners_home" bgnormal="#383838" bgactive="#424242" height="59" ui.orphan="true"/>
   <HBox>
-    <EventBox bgnormal="#383838" bgactive="#545454">
+    <EventBox bgnormal="#383838" bgactive="#424242">
       <VBox>
         <HBox id="level_meter_home"/>
         <Vbox>
           <HBox id="gain_meter_home"/>
-          <EventBox bgnormal="#383838" bgactive="#545454">
+          <EventBox bgnormal="#383838" bgactive="#424242">
             <VBox>
               <EventBox bgnormal="#000000"
                         bgactive="#000000"
-                        height="1"/>
+                        height=""/>
               <HBox>
                 <iconbutton id="rec_enable_button"
-                            width="18"
-                            height="12"
+                            width="19"
+                            height="13"
                             normalicon="meter_strip_record"
                             activeicon="meter_strip_record_active"
                             _prelighticon="meter_strip_record_prelight"/>
                 <EventBox bgnormal="#000000"
                           bgactive="#000000"
-                          width="1"/>
+                          width=""/>
                 <iconbutton id="monitor_input_button"
-                            width="18"
-                            height="12"
+                            width="19"
+                            height="13"
                             normalicon="meter_strip_monitor_input"
                             activeicon="meter_strip_monitor_input_active"
                             _prelighticon="meter_strip_monitor_input_prelight"/>
               </HBox>
               <EventBox bgnormal="#000000"
                         bgactive="#000000"
-                        height="1"/>
+                        height=""/>
               <HBox>
                 <iconbutton id="mute_button"
-                            width="18"
-                            height="12"
+                            width="19"
+                            height="13"
                             normalicon="meter_strip_mute"
                             activeicon="meter_strip_mute_active"
                             implicitactiveicon="meter_strip_mute_implicit"
                             _prelighticon="mixer_mute_prelight"/>
                 <EventBox bgnormal="#000000"
                           bgactive="#000000"
-                          width="1"/>
+                          width=""/>
                 <iconbutton id="solo_button"
-                            width="18"
-                            height="12"
+                            width="19"
+                            height="13"
                             normalicon="meter_strip_solo"
                             activeicon="meter_strip_solo_active"
                             implicitactiveicon="meter_strip_solo_safe"
@@ -54,12 +54,12 @@
               </HBox>
               <EventBox bgnormal="#000000"
                         bgactive="#000000"
-                        height="1"/>
+                        height=""/>
               
               <EventBox id="name_label_home">
               <HBox>
                   <Button id="name_button"
-                          width="37"
+                          width="38"
                           height="24"
                           fgnormal="#ffffff"
                           fgactive="#ffffff"
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
                               height="24"
                               visible="false">
                     <FocusEntry id="name_entry"
-                                width="37"
+                                width="38"
                                 height="24"
                                 fgnormal="#ffffff"
                                 winfont ="Arial 8"
diff --git a/libs/ardour/session.cc b/libs/ardour/session.cc
index b2a8c8211e..fd7631e1ad 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/session.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/session.cc
@@ -121,8 +121,17 @@ namespace {
     {
         return route1->remote_control_id() < route2->remote_control_id();
     }
+    
+    long get_time_measurement()
+    {
+        timeval time;
+        gettimeofday(&time, NULL);
+        long millis = (time.tv_sec * 1000) + (time.tv_usec / 1000);
+        return millis;
+    }
 }
 
+
 bool Session::_disable_all_loaded_plugins = false;
 
 PBD::Signal1<int,uint32_t> Session::AudioEngineSetupRequired;
@@ -2853,6 +2862,8 @@ Session::new_route_from_template (uint32_t how_many, const std::string& template
 void
 Session::add_routes (RouteList& new_routes, bool input_auto_connect, bool output_auto_connect, bool save)
 {
+    std::cout << "*-*-*-*-* Adding routes: " << std::endl;
+    long start_time = get_time_measurement();
 	try {
 		PBD::Unwinder<bool> aip (_adding_routes_in_progress, true);
 		add_routes_inner (new_routes, input_auto_connect, output_auto_connect);
@@ -2877,6 +2888,8 @@ Session::add_routes (RouteList& new_routes, bool input_auto_connect, bool output
     update_route_record_state ();
     
 	RouteAdded (new_routes); /* EMIT SIGNAL */
+    long end_time = get_time_measurement();
+    std::cout << "*-*-*-*-* time: " << end_time - start_time << std::endl;
 }
 
 void
@@ -3079,6 +3092,11 @@ Session::add_internal_send (boost::shared_ptr<Route> dest, boost::shared_ptr<Pro
 void
 Session::remove_routes (boost::shared_ptr<RouteList> routes_to_remove)
 {
+    std::cout << "*!*!*!*!*----Removing " << routes_to_remove->size() << " tracks" << std::endl;
+    
+    long start_time = get_time_measurement();
+    long disconnect_start_time;
+    long disconnect_stop_time;
     { //RCU Writer scope
         RCUWriter<RouteList> writer (routes);
         boost::shared_ptr<RouteList> rs = writer.get_copy ();
@@ -3115,8 +3133,10 @@ Session::remove_routes (boost::shared_ptr<RouteList> routes_to_remove)
             
             // We need to disconnect the route's inputs and outputs
             
+            disconnect_start_time = get_time_measurement();
             (*iter)->input()->disconnect (0);
             (*iter)->output()->disconnect (0);
+            disconnect_stop_time = get_time_measurement();
             
             /* if the route had internal sends sending to it, remove them */
             if ((*iter)->internal_return()) {
@@ -3156,6 +3176,7 @@ Session::remove_routes (boost::shared_ptr<RouteList> routes_to_remove)
 	 * going away, then flush old references out of the graph.
      * Wave Tracks: reconnect routes
 	 */
+    long reconnect_start_time = get_time_measurement();
     if (ARDOUR::Profile->get_trx () ) {
         reconnect_existing_routes(true, false);
     } else {
@@ -3165,6 +3186,7 @@ Session::remove_routes (boost::shared_ptr<RouteList> routes_to_remove)
 	if (_process_graph) {
 		_process_graph->clear_other_chain ();
 	}
+    long reconnect_stop_time = get_time_measurement();
     
 	/* get rid of it from the dead wood collection in the route list manager */
     
@@ -3176,12 +3198,14 @@ Session::remove_routes (boost::shared_ptr<RouteList> routes_to_remove)
      * and unregister ports from the backend
      */
     PBD::Unwinder<bool> uw_flag (_route_deletion_in_progress, true);
+    long ref_drop_start_time = get_time_measurement();
     for (RouteList::iterator iter = routes_to_remove->begin(); iter != routes_to_remove->end(); ++iter) {
         
         (*iter)->drop_references ();
     }
     
 	Route::RemoteControlIDChange(); /* EMIT SIGNAL */
+    long ref_drop_stop_time = get_time_measurement();
     
 	/* save the new state of the world */
     
@@ -3189,6 +3213,15 @@ Session::remove_routes (boost::shared_ptr<RouteList> routes_to_remove)
 		save_history (_current_snapshot_name);
 	}
 	reassign_track_numbers();
+    
+    long end_time = get_time_measurement();
+    
+    
+    std::cout << "*!*!*!*!*----Times " << std::endl;
+    std::cout << "Total " << start_time - end_time << std::endl;
+    std::cout << "Disconnect " << disconnect_start_time - disconnect_stop_time << std::endl;
+    std::cout << "Reconnect " << reconnect_start_time - reconnect_stop_time << std::endl;
+    std::cout << "Ref drop " << ref_drop_start_time - ref_drop_stop_time << std::endl;
 }
 
 void