Ampex® ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder
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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
A. Moreno
May 4, 2024
Simplemente genial
Me encanta!! Da vida a cualquier mix bus y para mastering es espectacular . Se a convertido en algo esencial en mi cadena.
Read MoreL. Schiappacasse
May 2, 2024
Analog Warmth, Digital Precision
The UAD Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder plugin faithfully recreates the warmth and character of the classic Ampex analog...
Read MoreL. Collier
May 1, 2024
Fabulous
I’ve been using this on a Mastering project for a client and the quality is astonishing. No mastering engineer should be without it..
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
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Customer Reviews
Ampex® ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder
C. Narvaza
Makes is sound better
Nice software. Makes it sound good.
K. Vlahos
Great plug in
Great plug in
K. Vlahos
Great plug in
Great plug in
A. Moreno
Simplemente genial
Me encanta!! Da vida a cualquier mix bus y para mastering es espectacular . Se a convertido en algo esencial en mi cadena.
L. Schiappacasse
Analog Warmth, Digital Precision
The UAD Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder plugin faithfully recreates the warmth and character of the classic Ampex analog tape machine. It adds depth, dimension, and saturation to digital recordings, closely mimicking the sonic qualities that made the original a studio staple. The plugin features adjustable controls for bias, tape speed, and tape type, allowing precise tonal sculpting. Ideal for mastering, the Ampex ATR-102 enhances tracks with a rich, cohesive sound, making it a favorite among audio professionals seeking that elusive analog polish in a digital environment.
L. Collier
Fabulous
I’ve been using this on a Mastering project for a client and the quality is astonishing. No mastering engineer should be without it..
C. Asker
A must-have on the mix bus and for mastering
This plugin delivers something that EQ's and bus compressors simply can't. You won't be disappointed.
M. Schneider
Extremly good, I use it everywhere on the masterbus
This plugin is a absolutly must have! It sounds very analog and makes every mixdown increadible authentic. I would recommend it as the first and most important plugin in your uad list, but try it, use it, test it!
G. Spiridion
Wonderful
Amazing plug-in. Sounds analog and clear.
L. Brown
A+
A+
L. Kagenaar
That final polish
That final polish….no more words needed…
g. acosta
I recommend it
I love this analog simulator, I made a very good investment
J. Crisp
Sounds like tape to me
Love all the presets and control you have over it, would really like to see a native version, it does eat some DSP
A. Zelghi
Powerfull
Super
L. Carlos
Sounds Very Good
The version I have is LUNA, so as an extension, it doesn't have all the features of the full version. But it sounds very good, giving a very nice polish to the signals... I want to try it together with 610, 1084, SSL4K... Now we have to wait for the native version to come out to use its maximum potential!
F. Stierstorfer
genervt
plugins klingen super, aber mein Rechner und logic stürzen ständig ab seitdem ich ua benutze.
schotteF. Stierstorfer
genervt
plugins klingen super, aber mein Rechner und logic stürzen ständig ab seitdem ich ua benutze.
schotteW. Golebiowski
Finanly
My first ever recording was on my fathers old Tandberg 2track 1/4 tape recorder. Just loved that sound and missed it ever since. Been using HD for over 20 years and now i im finally back to that magic sound. This is an absolutely fantastic unit that allows me to get that great and authentic sound i was missing in my recordings.
C. Marulanda
Must have plug-in
Sounds amazing , love that warm sound
S. Saied
Hearing is also believing!
My words cannot express the sonic differences. It's something you need to try for yourself. Just the presets alone make such a huge difference to my ears. This plugin adds warmth and a fullness with little effort. I'm also using this on a drum bus, which is completely awesome! This definitely a plugin you should get and watch the tutorials on how to use it. There's a lot more under the hood.