The Waves: Abbey Road Reel ADT reckons to be the first plug-in to successfully emulate Abbey Road Studios’ pioneering Artificial Double Tracking technique.

The most legendary of all Abbey Road tape effects, ADT was developed at Abbey Road in the 1960s during recording sessions with The Beatles. Attempts to replicate the effect have met with limited success because a definitive description of the process used at Abbey Road has previously been kept secret.

By 1966, The Beatles were using multi-layered vocal effects heavily, prompting Abbey Road engineer Ken Townsend to experiment with Artificial Double Tracking (ADT). By connecting the primary tape machine to a second, speed-controlled machine, two versions of the same signal could be played back simultaneously, and by gently varying the speed of the second machine, the replayed signal could be made to sound like a separate take. The technique was subsequently used on many recording sessions at Abbey Road. John Lennon reputedly dubbed it ‘Ken’s Flanger’ which some say led to flanging becoming established as a technical term in studios around the world.

Reel ADT allows the doubled signal to be advanced or delayed to achieve genuine delay and pitch variations. Each of the signals can also be driven separately to add tape saturation. The plug-in uses modelled tape sound and emulation of wow and flutter to revive the original sound.

‘From my time as an assistant engineer, I remember the setting-up of ADT as being a lengthy process, but totally worth it,’ says Mirek Stiles, Head of Audio Products at Abbey Road Studios. ‘Not only hearing, but also controlling ADT for the first time was amazing. Using the remote vari-speed on the tape machine, it was possible to add lush movements, stereo width and dramatic depth to almost any track. For the first time ever, Waves has captured not only the true sound of ADT, but also the feel of this classic effect.’

Key features:

The Waves Abbey Road Reel ADT will be available early 2014, Native only.

More: www.waves.com