UA's Ampex ATR‑102 Plugin Now Available Native

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder​

I use this as the final plugin on the "2".

Ampex® ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder | UAD Audio Plugins | Universal Audio

The Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder plug-in for UAD and Apollo gives your tracks and mixes that final “analog polish.” Learn more.

www.uaudio.com

The Ampex ATR-102 UAD plug-in and LUNA Extension provides the final “analog glue” for your music, turning your recordings into records.

The only emulation that’s fully authenticated by the Ampex Corporation, and trusted by producers and engineers the world over, the Ampex ATR-102 puts the colorful saturation, warmth, and harmonics of this industry-standard tape machine at your command.​

 

[MirrorProfiles]

stoked that it’s finally native, one of the ones I was most looking forward to.

But in the continuing saga of UA making completely baffling decisions, they decided to remove the delay feature and simplify the wow and flutter controls. Not only do you lose functionality over the DSP version, but it makes swapping DSP instances in a session to Native more cumbersome as you can’t copy and paste settings or presets.

I suspect they decided the delay feature was too inelegant to use, and that they’ll release a dedicated tape delay plugin in due course as a seperate plugin.

Anyway, it’s a killer sounding plugin and one of the best UA makes IMO. I feel like it’s best to start with it on a mix as it can change things quite drastically.

U-he Satin is an excellent alternative that has some Ampex based presets. It also has excellent tape delay/flange, and various compander modes which sound KILLER. You can even combine the compander with other tape plugins and get new sounds out of them.

 

[Blix]

Oh yeah:

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

But in the continuing saga of UA making completely baffling decisions, they decided to remove the delay feature and simplify the wow and flutter controls.

I suspect they decided the delay feature was too inelegant to use, and that they’ll release a dedicated tape delay plugin in due course as a seperate plugin.

Are you sure about that? There is a hidden panel ("Open" button) for various functions:

Tips & Tricks – Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder | Universal Audio

The Ampex ATR-102 offers a more aggressive sound versus the more sophisticated-sounding Studer, and in the words of just about every engineer who owns an ATR-102, it makes the final mix “sound like a record.” In this Plug-In Power article, we'll provide some basic tips and tricks for using the...

www.uaudio.com

I haven't tried out my Native version (owned the Apollo version for years now) yet as I just downloaded it an hour ago, but I'll bet the Native has the hidden panel too.

 

[Blix]

but I'll bet the Native has the hidden panel too.

Only a simplified one:

Anyway, digging what I hear!

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Are you sure about that? There is a hidden panel ("Open" button) for various functions:

Tips & Tricks – Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder | Universal Audio

The Ampex ATR-102 offers a more aggressive sound versus the more sophisticated-sounding Studer, and in the words of just about every engineer who owns an ATR-102, it makes the final mix “sound like a record.” In this Plug-In Power article, we'll provide some basic tips and tricks for using the...

www.uaudio.com

I haven't tried out my Native version (owned the Apollo version for years now) yet as I just downloaded it an hour ago, but I'll bet the Native has the hidden panel too.

yeah they reduced this down in the native one. Still cool but I hope they don’t start simplifying all their plugins - they already offer Oxide and Verve as “simple” tape plugins.

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

yeah they reduced this down in the native one. Still cool but I hope they don’t start simplifying all their plugins - they already offer Oxide and Verve as “simple” tape plugins.

That's the first Native one I've seen this happen to. Have a number of other Natives that I acquired naturally because I already owned the Apollo versions, and none of them were simplified.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

That's the first Native one I've seen this happen to. Have a number of other Natives that I acquired naturally because I already owned the Apollo versions, and none of them were simplified.

The Studer native version doesn’t have the gang controls feature for some reason. AFAIK that’s the only other difference.