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Ampex® ATR-102 Black Friday pricing is 60% off at $79, ending Nov 30, 2026, for the Universal Audio mastering tape recorder plugin.
The Ampex ATR-102 UAD plugin puts a 2-track mastering tape machine on your master bus or any channel. Universal Audio says it is fully authenticated by the Ampex Corporation, and calls it the most popular professional 2-track tape machine ever made.
The idea is the final bit of analog glue: tape saturation, warmth and harmonics added at the end of the chain.
Two versions come in the package:
If you use Apollo or UAD-2 hardware, the accelerated version moves the processing off your computer's CPU.
The plugin uses the whole ATR-102 circuit, including the transformers, amplifiers, and the Repro, Sync and Input paths. You pick from three classic tape heads: ¼", ½" and 1".
Tape speeds and emphasis EQs are selectable. So are four tape formulas: GP9, 456, 900 and 250.
Calibration is adjustable too. Universal Audio says you can use it to open up headroom or push toward grittier tape compression and saturation.
The maker says the result matches the dynamics, frequency response and saturation of the original mastering hardware closely enough to be virtually indistinguishable from it.
On the real machine, gain staging depends on careful calibration of the repro and record levels. Auto-Gain lets you change either control while the plugin keeps the gain staging intact.
The retina-enhanced GUI has interactive tape reels and controls that follow the original hardware. Universal Audio calls it the kind of plugin you will want to leave on all the time.
If you work in LUNA, the ATR-102 LUNA Extension runs the tape sound inside LUNA's mixer. There are no separate plugin windows to manage.
The maker says it delivers album-ready Ampex tape textures with the dynamics, frequency response and saturation of the original machine.
The plugin ships with presets from long-time ATR-102 users, including:
Universal Audio suggests using them as a starting point and adjusting to taste on your mixes.
Yes. The Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder plugin from Universal Audio is 60% off at $79, and the Black Friday deal ends Nov 30, 2026. It covers the UAD Native and Apollo Realtime & UAD-2 versions.
No. The UAD Native version runs on a Mac or PC without UA hardware. If you own an Apollo interface or UAD-2 hardware, the Apollo Realtime & UAD-2 version runs accelerated on that hardware.
You get three tape heads (¼", ½" and 1"), selectable tape speeds and emphasis EQs, and four formulas: GP9, 456, 900 and 250. Calibration can be adjusted to open up headroom or add grittier tape compression and saturation.
Yes. The ATR-102 LUNA Extension puts the Ampex tape sound directly in LUNA's mixer, so you don't manage separate plugin windows. Universal Audio says it keeps the original machine's dynamics, frequency response and saturation.
Prices and end dates are checked at publishing time and can change, so confirm them at the store before you buy.