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Tape

Studer A800

Universal Audio

Where to get itAvailable from Universal Audiouaudio.com

The Studer A800 is an authentic multitrack tape machine emulation modeling the world-renowned 2" analog tape recorder used on classic albums by Metallica, Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty, and Jeff Buckley. Fully authenticated by Studer and modeled by Universal Audio's DSP engineers and magnetic recording expert Jay McKnight from Allen Sides' collection at Ocean Way Studios, it faithfully recreates the entire signal path—Input, Sync, and Repro—delivering the warm analog sweetness, low-end punch, and harmonic saturation that define tape's musicality. Choose from four tape formulas (250, 456, 900, GP9), three tape speeds (7.5, 15, or 30 IPS) with distinct head bump characteristics, and multiple calibration levels to dial in anything from clean presence to complex analog textures.

Written from the manual and checked against it. How we check

Key Features

01Three tape speeds (7.5, 15, 30 IPS) with distinct head bump and distortion characteristics
02Four tape formulas (250, 456, 900, GP9) with individual sonic variation and tape compression behavior
03Complete signal paths: Input, Sync, Repro, and Thru (bypass) modes
04Four calibration levels (+3, +6, +7.5, +9 dB) with manufacturer-recommended settings per tape type
05Secondary calibration controls: HF Bias, HF Record EQ, Sync/Repro HF/LF EQs
06Emphasis EQ selection (NAB, CCIR at 7.5/15 IPS; AES at 30 IPS)
07Separate Hum (±25 dB) and Hiss (±25 dB) controls with global noise bypass
08Input and Output gain range (-12 to +24 dB, -24 to +12 dB respectively)

Things to Try

  • 01Use 15 IPS for rock and acoustic music to capture the low frequency head bump and warmer sound
  • 02Try 30 IPS for classical and jazz recordings to achieve lower noise floor, greater fidelity, and flatter response
  • 03Intentionally overbias (increase HF Driver Bias) for warm, gently saturated drum compression
  • 04Underbias (decrease HF Driver Bias) to add distortion and nonlinear responses similar to gate chatter
Formats
VSTAUAAX
Official Website↗User Manual↗

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Studer A800 by Universal Audio | Plugin Library