Abbey Road Reel ADT

Tape-based vocal doubling from Abbey Road

Double-Track Your Vocals Automatically—
The Abbey Road Way

Reel ADT is the only plugin that delivers the authentic tape delay-based Artifical Double Tracking effect, created by Abbey Road Studios’ legendary technician Ken Townsend to meet the recording needs of John Lennon and the Beatles.

Many modern doublers simply delay the audio compared to the original track, in order to thicken the source. But with ADT, sometimes the doubled sound was ahead of the reference track, and sometimes it lagged behind, with constant fluctuation keeping the doubling effect richer and more interesting rhythmically.

Reel ADT delivers the depth of this original effect. With two modeled tape machines (source and double)—each delivering separate saturation, wow & flutter, pitch fluctuations, and more—Reel ADT creates the impression of two truly distinct vocal tracks, out of one vocal take.

Delivers Abbey Road’s complete vocal double-tracking process
Designed in close collaboration with Abbey Road Studios
Tape speed control can be manual, LFO, synched to host, or random
Models the iconic tape recorders still being used at Abbey Road
Variable delay range to spread doubled parts wider or narrower
Varispeed fluctuates the delay speed of the doubled parts
2 independent tape decks with separate pan, saturation, phase
Your choice of manual and automated Varispeed control
Low-latency version for live performance with delay-only ADT
MIDI-assignable manual control for maximum authenticity

Watch It in Action

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What Top Pros Are Saying

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I think I\u2019ve made J37 presets for almost every instrument I mix, and I love what I can get with Reel ADT on guitar solos and vocals.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":1},{"itemID":2553,"itemGUID":"8bfc2735-e298-4fb4-8e47-d0384adbbca0","artistName":"Ludwig G\u00F6ransson","artistTitle":"Composer, Producer","credits":"Black Panther, Creed, Childish Gambino, Haim","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/ludwig-goransson.png","quote":"I used the Abbey Road Reel ADT plugin on a lot of Childish Gambino\u0027s Awaken My Love! to give Donald\u0027s lead vocal a distinctive quality, which is something I always look for in a plugin.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":2},{"itemID":1817,"itemGUID":"a65da6ac-6fc6-4986-876b-01b2d755d2b9","artistName":"Ernest Greene / Washed Out","artistTitle":"Singer, Songwriter, Producer","credits":"","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/ernest-greene-washed-out.png","quote":"Reel ADT plugin is the newest addition to my vocal effect chain \u2013 it can do anything from a subtle chorusing effect to something really crazy and deranged. My vocals are always very effect-heavy, and Reel ADT is a big part of that. ","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":3},{"itemID":2045,"itemGUID":"c84d377c-22f5-4066-8d42-3709c27f2f2b","artistName":"Mike Patton","artistTitle":"Singer, Songwriter, Multi-Instrumentalist, Film Composer, Producer","credits":"Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Tomahawk, Fantomas","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/mike-patton.png","quote":"The varispeed function in this plugin is genius. I will often automate it and adjust in real time, which works great for me.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":4},{"itemID":1724,"itemGUID":"df2694be-457f-4b06-ae98-b913341a3e60","artistName":"Peter McCabe","artistTitle":"Producer \u0026 Engineer","credits":"Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Perry Farrell, Ricky Martin","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/peter-mccabe.png","quote":"Reel ADT and J37 bring just the right character to vocals and the guitars, to help put them in a sweet spot in the mix.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":5},{"itemID":405,"itemGUID":"f02fd3ac-12b8-485f-a95b-f35d3a6bc144","artistName":"Billy Bush","artistTitle":"Producer, Studio and Mixing Engineer","credits":"Garbage, Jake Bugg, Boxer Rebellion","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/billy-bush.png","quote":"For the first time, I really feel someone has nailed that Abbey Road era, that doubled flange or phase sort of sound. But it doesn\u2019t just do that retro sound really well; it has other uses that are equally interesting. ","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":6},{"itemID":2456,"itemGUID":"7b68ecf8-9855-41ad-8854-56e2905e30c5","artistName":"Ben Baptie","artistTitle":"Recording/Mix Engineer, Producer","credits":"Lady Gaga, The Strokes, Moses Sumney, Rex Orange County","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/ben-baptie.png","quote":"I\u2019m a huge fan of Beatles type delays, especially when they were using the famed ADT machines at Abbey Road. This plugin creates that same glorious modulating slap delay, but with even more versatility.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":7},{"itemID":1875,"itemGUID":"fbda0245-e7f7-4829-9960-597bdb02094e","artistName":"Jeff Juliano","artistTitle":"Mixing Engineer","credits":"Dan \u002B Shay, Chris Janson, Michael Ray, Hunter Hayes","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/jeff-juliano.png","quote":"I use Reel ADT on mono tracks that should have been in stereo. It really gives them what they need in terms of depth and lush excitement.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":8},{"itemID":2550,"itemGUID":"8314d514-eb36-4a9a-abae-1d28fa161b58","artistName":"Malay","artistTitle":"Producer, Engineer","credits":"Frank Ocean, Zayn, Sam Smith, Lorde","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/malay.png","quote":"Reel ADT is amazing for when I want to get really weird effects. Its randomness and spatial enhancement make all the difference when I\u2019m trying to create separation in a dense production. ","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":9},{"itemID":2707,"itemGUID":"921067e8-d36f-445d-ae99-08d9da8ebfc3","artistName":"Trentem\u00F8ller","artistTitle":"Artist, Composer, Producer","credits":"","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/trentemoller.png","quote":"I use Reel ADT a lot, not only on vocals but also on most of my mono synths and guitars to get that wide stereo sound. I also love to automate the ADT knob itself to get this random kind of wow/flutter. Nothing beats that chorus-like effect!","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":10},{"itemID":2190,"itemGUID":"54043f2c-eb10-4ff6-aaae-75c3ce5b29b8","artistName":"Gary Barlow","artistTitle":"Vocalist, Songwriter","credits":"Take That, Gary Barlow, Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/gary-barlow.png","quote":"I feel like this is the best-kept secret; I\u2019ve also used a real one. I can do some crazy shit with this. It\u2019s best subtly used on lead vocals or backgrounds to create a bit of width and movement.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":11},{"itemID":2007,"itemGUID":"7eea3156-a5a9-48cf-b14c-50b837ac3f7b","artistName":"Alen Konako\u011Flu","artistTitle":"Producer, Mixing Engineer, Songwriter, Multi-Instrumentalist","credits":"Virgil Donati, Victor Wooten, Scott Handerson, Natalia Oreiro","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/alen-konakoglu.png","quote":"This is perfect for doubling effects or fattening up a vocal or guitar with real tape warmth. I can also get unique flanging and phasing sounds with it.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":12},{"itemID":1865,"itemGUID":"ce258c9a-25be-4c81-9731-67d901d7d876","artistName":"Neal Evans","artistTitle":"Musician, Composer, Producer, Arranger, Multi-Instrumentalist","credits":"Soulive, Lettuce, Sonya Kitchell, Victor Wooten","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/neal-evans.png?ext=.png","quote":"Reel ADT can add something organic and soulful into a dull vocal recording. I often put it on a vocal track and all of a sudden say, \u2018That\u2019s that sound!\u2019","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":13},{"itemID":1840,"itemGUID":"924fb46c-a584-4cec-b52b-022df28d5a84","artistName":"Tom Lord-Alge","artistTitle":"Producer, Mixing Engineer","credits":"Blink-182, Weezer, Live, Dave Matthews Band","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/tom-lord-alge.png","quote":"For years, I\u2019ve been trying to re-create the wonderful vocal doubling effect of the 60s. I would get very close, but with Reel ADT I have it EXACT! Koo koo kachoo.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":14},{"itemID":2557,"itemGUID":"40b98b44-4af1-44ef-a53d-d973f3922388","artistName":"Count","artistTitle":"Producer, Mixer","credits":"Tycho, DJ Shadow, Galactic, The Revivalists","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/count.png","quote":"Reel ADT is the most natural sounding doubler out there. Whenever I need the sound of a real double, this is my first choice.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":15},{"itemID":2902,"itemGUID":"57e47fee-9bf6-409b-bd3e-96063ac6e9d2","artistName":"Matthew Rifino","artistTitle":"Live Broadcast Music Mixer, Mix Engineer","credits":"Coldplay, Kelly Clarkson, Sting, Lenny Kravitz","artistImage":"/images/artists/1280/matthew-rifino.png","quote":"Abbey Road Reel ADT is an incredible doubler/spreader. It\u2019s so good I don\u2019t need to say it twice.","isMainQuote":false,"sortID":22}]

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Authentic Vocal Doubling
With Tape’s Timeless Tonal Quality

Doubling That Dances Around the Source
With Abbey Road’s technique, the doubled part could go ahead of the original source—or behind. The doubled part’s position could also fluctuate over time, for effects ranging from natural to surprising. Reel ADT accurately reproduces this time-shifting mechanism, to thicken vocals in an authentic-sounding way, or add lush movement to stereo synth patches.
The Original Varispeed Effect
The ADT sound also came from the unpredictable speed changes due to manual “Varispeed” control. Members of the Beatles would often control or “play” the Varispeed control to get the ultimate sound effect performance. Reel ADT can use manual or MIDI control, LFO with 5 waveforms (including random), or tempo sync.
True Tape Technology
Reel ADT models the sound of the tape, as well as tape recorder mechanics. Drive the decks hard for tape saturation, and introduce wow and flutter to create even more variations within the tape’s audio path. ADT adds warmth and movement to your tracks in a totally unique way, breathing life into your mixes.

Abbey Road Studios, EMI and its associated logos are trademarks of EMI (IP) Limited