Is there an effect or plugin available for Vegas 6 that will accomplish the same results as the Highlight/Shadow Recovery plugin for Adobe Premiere? I hate having to use both programs.
Put your video on a track. Create a second track above it. Copy your original footage to the new track, lining it up exactly with the original track.
Next, on the track compositing mode selector (the 2 little green frame-like icons, on the upper track) select "Overlay" or "Multiply". Then adjust your track level (again, upper) for the desired effect. This might get you what you are looking for pretty quickly. Try both of those compositing modes and see which one helps for that particular footage. Each one will have a similar effect, but there are some differences. Multiply will give you the greater H and L extension, but I find it more harsh looking.
Try it and see. Try Hard Light and Soft Light as well. One of those will probably do it for you.