Studer® A800 Multichannel Tape Recorder
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The rich analog sound of the world’s most popular multichannel tape machine.
For more than 30 years, artists and engineers alike have been drawn to the warm analog sound, solid low-end, and overall presence of the Studer® A800 Multichannel Tape Recorder. The sheer number of albums recorded on this legendary 2” analog tape machine — including classics from Metallica, Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty, A Tribe Called Quest, and Jeff Buckley — serve as shining examples of the musicality of analog tape.
Fully authenticated by Studer, and modeled by UA’s world‑renowned team of DSP engineers and magnetic recording expert Jay McKnight, the Studer A800 Multichannel Tape Recorder plug-in is the first product of its kind. By faithfully modeling the entire circuit path of the famous A800 machine from Allen Sides' collection at Ocean Way Studios, this is the most accurate representation of multitrack analog tape recording available.Included Versions
UAD Native
Runs on your Mac or PC without UA hardware.Apollo Realtime & UAD‑2
Runs accelerated on Apollo interfaces and UAD‑2 hardware.UAD Native plug-ins run on both macOS 10.15 Catalina or newer and Windows 10 and 11. Go to our UA Support page for system requirements.
- Track and mix with the complete Studer A800 electronic signal paths, including Input, Sync and Repro paths
- Add warmth, presence, cohesion, and low-end punch that only genuine tape can provide
- Create complex analog textures with the distinct sounds of multiple tape formulas
- Use the Studer A800 LUNA Extension to easily add warmth to your entire mix on a per channel basis
TAKE A LISTEN
LUNA Extension — Integrated Multitrack Tape
With LUNA Recording System, you can use the Studer A800 as a LUNA Extension, and easily get tape character on every audio and instrument track, intuitively tweaking settings across all channels. As you build up your mix, you'll hear the cumulative "cohesive" effect of mixing from magnetic tape. Far beyond a simple tape plug-in, the Studer LUNA Extension is woven into the fabric of LUNA's mixer, giving Apollo interface users an analog inspired workflow with bona fide analog sonics to match.
A Groundbreaking Tape Machine
Introduced in 1978, the Studer A800 was the first microprocessor-controlled tape machine. Years ahead of its time, the A800 remains a sonic benchmark, and can still be found in studios worldwide. However, with their massive steel frame and meter bridge, twin half-horsepower motors and cast alloy deck plates, original A800 units tip the scales at a backbreaking 900 pounds. The Studer A800 Multichannel Tape Recorder poses none of the hardware hassles, yet retains all the beautiful sonics that make tape a beloved recording medium.
Capturing the Magic of Tape
Just like magnetic tape, you can dial in a clean sound, or just the right amount of harmonic saturation using the Studer A800's Input and Output controls. The IPS control steps through tape speed choices (7.5, 15, or 30 IPS), each with distinct frequency shift, head bump and distortion characteristics. The tape Type control lets users choose from four of the most popular magnetic tape formulas — each with their own subtle sonic variation. There is also a secondary set of controls like Noise, EQ, and Bias for an even more jaw-dropping palette of tape textures.
Studer A800 Multichannel Tape Recorder plug-in
Demonstration video
“The Studer A800 plug-in is tape in a box. Tracks that are thin and dull become full of life and tone... so creative, and musical. ”
– Darrell Thorp (Beck, Radiohead, Charlotte Gainsbourg)
“No tape emulation has ever achieved this level of... should I say, completeness? I expect to smell the tape when I hit play!”
– Vance Powell (Jack White, The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs)
“The Studer A800 plug-in is the missing link for in-the-box mixing.”
– Ryan West (Eminem, Kid Cudi, Jay-Z)
“I tried the Studer A800 plug-in on drums, guitar and overheads to get a saturated, punchy sound. It sounded great, and it works for me.”
– Michael Brauer (The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, My Morning Jacket)
“I've been really loving the Studer A800 on bass, kick, overheads, horns and strings. It adds a tonal color that is very musical. ”
– Ross Hogarth (Van Halen, Ziggy Marley, Motley Crue)
“The UAD Studer A800 gives my drum bus a raw hard tone with a little distortion — all the while keeping the sound together.”
– Dean Coleman
“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 Studer A800 gives me all the analog goodness, without any of the cross-talk, maintenance issues, alcohol swabs, or tape alignment.”
– Glenn Rosenstein (Ziggy Marley, U2)
“The UAD Studer A800 adds great personality to drums, bass, guitar and vocals.”
– Jeff Balding (Taylor Swift, The Eagles, Florida Georgia Line)Customer Reviews
J. Heywood
October 17, 2023
The best of the tape emulation plugins by some distance.
Warmth, improved treble clarity and natural compression. Especially good at adding musical fairy dust to sampled drums.
Read MoreR. Tavares
October 16, 2023
J’adore !
J’adore ce produit il est mon plugin préféré pour avoir un son analogue digne de ce nom. Je l’utilise surtout sur mon drum bus et c’est vraiment génial !...
Read MoreM. Jones
October 16, 2023
A standout in a saturated market
Saturation plugins are plentiful in the world of audio software; every company offers at least one type. How do you pick the...
Read MoreL. De Caro
October 16, 2023
Excelente
Plugin fantástico , excelente, usando nas mixes e master.
Read More -
Key Features
Studer-endorsed, UA modeled emulation of legendary A800 Multitrack Tape Machine
Provides the warm, natural sound and punchy low-end response of 2” analog tape — on Mac and PC
Models complete A800 electronic signal paths, including Input, Sync and Repro paths
Features four of the most popular Tape Formulas and Calibration Levels
Tape saturation and overdrive via easy-to-use Input / Output controls
Provides dead-on magnetic tape sound without the hassles of calibration, maintenance, tape degradation, etc.
IPS Speed/Emphasis Curve chooses between 7.5 NAB, 7.5 CCIR, 15 NAB, 15 CCIR, 30 AES
Gang Controls allows for fast global adjustment of all instances
Run 24+ tracks with a single UAD-2 QUAD DSP Accelerator Package
Requires a UAD-2 DSP Accelerator Card or Apollo Interface available from authorized dealers worldwide
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Customer Reviews
Studer® A800 Tape Recorder
J. Heywood
The best of the tape emulation plugins by some distance.
Warmth, improved treble clarity and natural compression. Especially good at adding musical fairy dust to sampled drums.
J. Rueda
I don"t like it :(
I want to change with other
R. Tavares
J’adore !
J’adore ce produit il est mon plugin préféré pour avoir un son analogue digne de ce nom. Je l’utilise surtout sur mon drum bus et c’est vraiment génial !
M. Jones
A standout in a saturated market
Saturation plugins are plentiful in the world of audio software; every company offers at least one type. How do you pick the right one? The Studer A800 is great for saturation, and more. The A800 plugin allows you to dial in your saturation to suite your tastes, from tape types, motor speeds and bias calibration, to being able to EQ the different tape head modes. A great plugin and definitely work checking out.
t. takamasa
Good tape saturation plugins
Really nice.
a. yosh
Gooood!
Goooood sound!
L. De Caro
Excelente
Plugin fantástico , excelente, usando nas mixes e master.
J. Primas
Studer® A800 Tape Recorder
I was not able to download the plugin. Waste of my money. The sad part is I can’t talk with everyone to get this resolved. I have to look through 100 of videos with no resolution. This is sad business!
J. Primas
Studer® A800 Tape Recorder
I was not able to download the plugin. Waste of my money. The sad part is I can’t talk with everyone to get this resolved. I have to look through 100 of videos with no resolution. This is sad business!
S. Kustura
The Swiss Knife !
Studer is an excellent and versatile tool for creating sound. If you are sure what kind of sound you want to achieve, it will certainly delight you.
T. Mitrevej
amazing!
Instantly thick and glue everything
p. makkonen
Studer A-800
It's a really amazing tool when you want old time warm to your instruments. It's good to work with. Awesome !!!
B. Barr
Sounds like the real thing
Granted it's been a long while since I've used the real thing, but it sounds as I remember it at least. Great work UAD.
y. kim
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D. Panizza
very characteristic and subtle analog flavor
very characteristic and subtle analog flavor, a nice complement to other TAPE warmers
T. Kottis
Analog vibe
Perfect for mastering
D. Clermont
One of the Best..
This plugin is amazing, such a great sound. You can go under the hood and tweak it how you want.
D. Abrales
Amo este plugin
Desde que tengo mi studer a800 lo uso en todas mis mezclas.
Todo suena mejorD. Haveron
Needs support for UAD-2 hardware..
Hello, I recently purchased the Studer A800 and was disappointed to discover that after installation it is loading only as a UADx plugin for native processing, and not as a plug that I can use with my dedicated UAD-2 hardware. Is this something that could be changed for the future? I hope so.
A. Brown
True Analog sound infinity stars.
My first intro to studer was at my first pro recording studio in NY. The way it handles the +3 and +6, New York made this very popular, along with their parallel compression and, of course, +9, all used over MRL tape calibration. This has always been my go-to tape machine, even to this day.
