Ampex® ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder
-
It's not a record until it's mastered on an Ampex® tape machine.
The UAD Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder plug-in and LUNA Extension provides the final “analog polish” to your music, turning your recordings into records. Fully authenticated by the Ampex Corporation and trusted by Platinum‑selling professionals the world over, the ATR‑102 plug‑in faithfully captures the unique dynamics, colorful frequency response, and tape saturation of this industry‑standard Ampex machine.
Add analog polish to your mixes with the most popular professional 2‑track tape machine ever made
Harness classic Ampex tape saturation, selectable tape types, and color to "glue" your mix together
Process your audio through the entire ATR‑102 circuit, including its transformers, amplifiers, Repro, Sync, and Input paths
Use the ATR‑102 LUNA Extension to produce rich, analog tape‑infused master recordings
Learn to Add Slapback Delay to Drums
Grammy-winning engineer Vance Powell (Jack White, Chris Stapleton) and the Ampex ATR‑102 Mastering Tape Recorder plug‑in.
The Most Popular Professional 2‑Track Ever Made
With its cohesive sound, punch, and ability to provide subtle‑to‑deep tape saturation and color, the ATR‑102 has remained a fixture in major recording and mastering studios worldwide since 1976.
The ATR‑102 Mastering Tape Recorder plug‑in and LUNA Extension faithfully replicates the unique dynamics, frequency response, and saturation characteristics of the original hardware. Scrutinized and fully authenticated by the Ampex Corporation, the sound of the UAD ATR‑102 plug-in is virtually indistinguishable from its analog ancestor.
Now Fully Integrated into LUNA Recording System
With LUNA Recording System, you can now use the Ampex ATR‑102 as a LUNA Extension, where it's built into the fabric of the mixer without the need to manage separate plug-in windows. This gives you rich, album‑ready Ampex tape tones on LUNA's master fader and buses — with all the authentic dynamics, frequency response, and saturation characteristics of the original machine.
Learn more >
Authentic Calibration Controls and Tape Types
Like the ATR‑102 hardware, the plug-in allows you to choose between various Signal Paths (Input, Sync, Repro), different Tape Speeds / Emphasis EQs (NAB, CCIR, AES) and Tape Formula (GP9, 456, 900, 250) combinations — even including home/consumer tape. You can also use the adjustable Tape Delay feature for Automatic Double Tracking effects on vocals, guitars, and more.
Grammy-winning Presets
Get inspired with presets from longtime ATR‑102 users Chuck Ainlay (Chris Botti, Mark Knopfler) Richard Dodd (Wilco, Robert Plant), Buddy Miller (Martina McBride, Emmylou Harris), Mike Poole (Keith Urban, Dolly Parton) and more. Use these presets as a starting point and season to taste on your mixes — you'll marvel at the cohesive, rich sound that can only come from an Ampex tape machine.
“I set the UAD ATR-102 exactly the way my old Ampex machine is set up, dialed in the gains, switched back and forth… and the sound is nearly identical.”
– Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Norah Jones, Cold War Kids)
“The UAD Ampex ATR-102 is my new secret weapon in my master buss chain, giving me the secret ingredient for that extra touch of flavor.”
– Ivan Barias (Musiq Soulchild, Jill Scott, Estelle)
“The Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder and Studer® A800 Multichannel Tape Recorder emulations give a nice edge to bass tracks.”
– Armin Van Buuren
“The UAD Ampex ATR-102 tape emulation really captures the hardware’s punchy saturation and chunky warmth.”
– Mike Poole (Robert Plant, Martina McBride, Buddy Miller)
“I've always used limiters and compressors on the mix bus to ‘glue’ the sound together, but I've never been able to achieve the kind of musical cohesiveness like I can with the UAD ATR-102.”
– Ryan West (Eminem, Kid Cudi, Jay-Z)
“All of the songs on the Garbage record, Not Your Kind of People were mixed with the Studer A800 plug‑in on all the drum channels. We also used the Ampex ATR-102 plug-in on the final mix.”
– Billy Bush (Garbage, Dolly Parton, Paul McCartney)
“The UAD ATR‑102 brings mixes to life with a 3D sound that no other plug-in has ever been able to achieve.”
– Adam Hawkins (Twenty One Pilots, Switchfoot, Keith Urban)Watch The Reviews
5-Minute UAD Tips
Featuring the Magnetic Tape Bundle
Customer Reviews
J. Deschenes
July 14, 2023
Should have been the first
When I first got into purchasing plugins for my Apollo, I started with a couple verbs and a delay, API/Neve preamp, SSL bus...
Read MoreS. Jackson
July 10, 2023
Must have plug-in for final touches on your track!!!
This plugin glues everything together so perfectly. I couldn’t imagine not using this on final mix from now on. This and the...
Read MoreJ. Whitfield
July 1, 2023
Honestly incredible...
As a artist that is grateful that I have the ability to very thoroughly produce my own records, I've been obsessed with the idea...
Read MoreA. Buonazia
June 10, 2023
un plug in unico
per il mastering è un prodotto assolutamente di qualità e imprescindibile in ogni produizione
Read MoreS. Ramsay
June 3, 2023
That extra polish on the master
Really helps give it that last bit of warmth and polish on the master track. Use it on every song now!
Read More -
Features
Ampex-authenticated plug-in gives you the rich, cohesive tape sound of the the most popular professional 2-track machine ever made
Emulates the entire ATR-102 electronic path, including transformers, amplifiers, Repro, Sync, and Input paths
Multiple tape formulas, head configurations, and calibration levels for a variety of tones
Adjustable Wow, Flutter, Hiss, Hum, Crosstalk, and (L/R) Tape Delay controls, and more
-
Customer Reviews
Ampex® ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder
J. Deschenes
Should have been the first
When I first got into purchasing plugins for my Apollo, I started with a couple verbs and a delay, API/Neve preamp, SSL bus compressor etc. I thought that I would eventually get around to a tape sim, but they were pricey for what I thought they did. When Oxide came out, I grabbed it in a sale and figured it would be good enough for tracking, and it was especially considering the low price. Fast forward to virus lockdowns when I had time to archive old multitrack recordings into digital from a loaned tape machine. I fell in love with the color, and warm compression that I had forgotten about. I promptly loaded up the ATR-102 demo, and swapped out the Oxide on all tracks of some recent material, and BAMMM! There it was. It was on sale. It should have been the first. It makes everything sound warmer, more harmonic. Lustrous. The oxide still has its place. I can crank it for more of an effect that is quite enjoyable.
S. Jackson
Must have plug-in for final touches on your track!!!
This plugin glues everything together so perfectly. I couldn’t imagine not using this on final mix from now on. This and the Studer A800 together is mind blowing.
O. Viamontes
Never knew tape saturation would be so crystal clear
Before I used to have the eight 800 in my master bus, just to give it some energy, but this takes it out of the park, never thought that these presets would be so amazing on the master bus chain. Thank you.UAD for a wonderful emulation.
J. Whitfield
Honestly incredible...
As a artist that is grateful that I have the ability to very thoroughly produce my own records, I've been obsessed with the idea of recording to tape for some years now. On my mixbus, to help the vibe when producing, I've always kept stereo-imaging plugins and a bus compressor. I demo'd the ATR and put it on my mix bus and im literally never turning back. The depth, tone, width, space, feel, energy that it gives a record is unreal. it doesnt sound like the real thing as evident by the shootout with Fab Dupont but until i can get to the real one, this is beyond amazing for my workflow and sound. I cant wait to bring this new project to the world with these new tools.
A. Buonazia
un plug in unico
per il mastering è un prodotto assolutamente di qualità e imprescindibile in ogni produizione
Y. Darma
No small talk
The best for mastering
S. Ramsay
That extra polish on the master
Really helps give it that last bit of warmth and polish on the master track. Use it on every song now!
S. Ramsay
That extra polish on the master
Really helps give it that last bit of warmth and polish on the master track. Use it on every song now!
R. Williams
Magic
Adds a true analog tone and excitement to a record!
G. Schwab
Excellent plugin
This plugin has succeeded. It is excellently suited to give the mix a beautiful analogue colouring and to connect the different frequencies into a harmonious whole. The sonic possibilities are manifold. However, with other UAD plugins, we are also, unfortunately the switches and knobs of the user interface are too small. Please UAD, develop larger and more grippy user interfaces!
G. Schwab
Excellent plugin
This plugin has succeeded. It is excellently suited to give the mix a beautiful analogue colouring and to connect the different frequencies into a harmonious whole. The sonic possibilities are manifold. However, with other UAD plugins, we are also, unfortunately the switches and knobs of the user interface are too small. Please UAD, develop larger and more grippy user interfaces!
D. Going
Very pleased!
Really helps all the elements gel in a mix and unlike a lot of other tape plugins I've used it doesn't sound overly vintage-y if you don't need it to
L. Cipriani
Good but with problems
The plugin sounds very good but most of the time, when reopening saved projects, the right channel has a significant drop in volume even with linked channels. I always have to slightly touch both "record" level and "reproduce" level to get back to normal functioning. Very annoying. Too many times I had to (re)bounce final mixes due to this problem. Without mentioning even worse problems when you have the plugin on the master channel and you keep mixing not realising you are working with an unbalanced stereo image. You can imagine.
A. Rosell
Magic
Adds tons of flavor to any tracks or buses! Enormously versatile
in sound and performance and it does the trick to get that extra analog sound I'm looking for!M. Hui
Love Tape Sound, But Hated the Hassle
Must say this is one of the reasons why I chose UAD as my interface system and use Luna as my DAW. Analog Tape and the machines like the Ampex ATR and studer sound great but I sure don’t miss the real thing. They are heavy, expensive, you needed to align, print tones if it’s going to another studio, tape was $200 a reel and no indie band could afford tape so I reused house tape at 15ips. I never even heard what 30ips sounded like. I hated owning tape recorders but you cannot deny the sound of it. I hated every emulation plug-in until now. I get all the tape sound benefits without all the hassle and the beauty of all this is you can use it natively now too.
M. Leo
Great also as a mixbus EQ
On top of everything else that's already been said about this plug in, sometimes I will use the shelves just to shape the high and low end of a mix. Especially the high end. Great way to brighten things up. A little goes a long way and depending on your bias and other settings it's easy to over do and land in shrill territory but at the same time you can lift quite a bit. Also good to sometimes go down to 3.75in for some sort of lo-fi effects and sound design.
A. Rosario
The Best Tape Compressor
My songs sound professional thanks to this ATR.
A. Rosario
The Best Tape Compressor
My songs sound professional thanks to this ATR.
D. Myrick
Get that chonk
Just love the way it pulls sounds together, can't describe it better than a chonk, not chonky, but a chonk.
J. Szeszel
My favourite.
Of all the tape emulations, ATR is one of my favorites. It has character and gives me what I expect from a tape.
