Master Your Mix with the Ampex ATR-102 Tape Plug-In

In this video, Drew from Universal Audio takes you through the legendary Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Plugin, now available natively on UAD Spark! Discover how this iconic tape deck can add polish, glue, and warmth to your mixes—just like the real thing. Drew shares his personal tips for using the plugin on your master fader, drum groups, background vocals, and more. With a sleek interface, auto-gain, and powerful presets, the Ampex ATR-102 offers endless creative possibilities. Watch now to see how it can transform your sound!

Song credits:
"Safe" by Emma Rowley
@EmmaRowleyMusic

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro
00:25 - History of the Ampex ATR 102
01:24 - Ampex ATR 102 on the Master Bus
04:06 - Ampex ATR 102 on the Drum Bus
05:02 - Ampex ATR 102 on Background Vocals
06:31 - Ampex ATR 102 on Lead Vocals
08:13 - Outro

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#MusicProduction #AudioPlugins #MixingMastering

[Sereck]

🌟I'm always learning from you on the ATR. And i love how you stick to traditional analogue flow and go by ear rather than a lot of spectrum analysers.

[alobosk]

I paused this video to run to my workstation to check it out.. I almost fell off my chair. It really makes a difference. Instead of pushing the bus compressor, y pulled it a bit and let the ATR do its magic.. WOW.. I immediately removed all plugins from my session chain and started over my last mix. What a difference!!! It really glues everything together! And to think that I bought 12 years ago a Tascam 32 to try to do the same thing, and ended up with a Tascam 32 I can't maintain... Including the cost of the tapes! I used the real workflow of bypassing the ATR until the mix is ready for mixdown. Just like IRL, "turned on" the ATR and monitored the input signal. Adjusted speed, tape, and switched to repro (as if I had bounced the mix to it) and that's when the magic happened. Now, the only plugin I'd like to see in spark (once the perfect marriage of the A800 and the ATR happened) is the Lexicon 480. Somehow I don't like the sound of the 224 as much. Still use it, but I know I'll be happier with the 480. Thank you #uaudio!

[davidr]

Not false advertising. This thing is awesome.

[MKD]

Downloaded it. A great emulation by UAD. Hopefully they bring some of their other channel strips, specifically the SSL and or the Neve 88RS plugins to the native platform.

[Darkest_of_Winter]

Absolutely loving Luna and the UAD plugins. This is a great demonstration of the tape emulator too!

[Reikimaster_Healer]

I watched this video and tried it out on one of my songs. I was sold!!! I purchased the plug in and applied it immediately. Thanks Drew!!

[守那]

Please work on the FATSO again & release it as native, that thing is underrated!

[joshcoxmusic]

this is helping me so much. i love this plugin and the oxide tape recorder.

[meronyach.]

Loving the native plugin, for sure. It's by far the best sounding tape plugin I've ever used, but I'd probably love it even more if it still had controls for amounts of wow/flutter and hiss, and I like the idea of not needing an extra plugin to do tape delay. Still a solid 9/10 though, to be honest.

[closedboxmedia]

Thank you Drew for all the solutions you give us on Facebook

[greggiacona]

Excellent video thank you, been using the 102 for a while with my Apollo, love it!

[infestedalien]

I love all the tape plugins (and all the other plugins) from universal audio, this one is my main go-to. First time I heard it I was sure this was the tape emulation I wanted. When I need to be able to make a overdriven part on purpose I just love to use the Universal Audio Verve plugin since that gives me the handy warble parameter. Trust me when I say Ampex ATR-102 Tape Plugin is what you want in your mix!

[tommymai]

This is one of their best plugins, during its initial release, it was almost like voodoo magic.

[jtproduction]

Srry I didn't even use headphones I listened to this on an android without headphones and still I heard the difference it was like a very subtle saturation sound. That sounds every home recording Artist tries to achieve to sound professional but can't really achieve this plugin in this demo acquired that sound without a problem.

[CarlosJannarelli]

Just amazing! I'm using in all my current mixes and masters!

[dmarkjeantine]

If it’s possible, can y’all make the SSL channel strip native next?

[LesterWayneDobos]

Very sporty audio shirt there 😃. Alexander M. Poniatoff went to work for Shanghai Power then started Ampex, and it wasn't til many years later the 102 was ushered in. Is that scratching the surface of the history on that? Thanks for glossing over it, in a very informative way. When to use Sync, Repro, Input and thru, other than listening for what sounds good. An explanation a bit on it, would make philosophical sense. Thanks.

[marceloribeirosimoes]

Thank you!!!
My tip is, there are ways to don't need to have a limiter in you stereo Master.
Do not need it there seems to be the best way in some musical styles...

[Maksitto]

Please make fender 55 and ssl trip native!

[Steveisnothereanymore]

I'm experimenting with this plugin and ozone 11 for mastering. Do you recommend putting the Ampex last in the Chain, oder before the Ozone Plugin?