WAVES/ABBEY ROAD
Reel ADT
USER GUIDE
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1 – Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3
1.1 Welcome............................................................................................................................... 3
1.2 Product Overview................................................................................................................ 3
1.3 About AD T ............................................................................................................................ 4
1.4 Concepts and Terminology ............................................................................................... 7
1.5 Components ........................................................................................................................ 7
Chapter 2 – Quick Start (featuring the Mono-to-Ste reo Component) ..................................... 9
Chapter 3 – Interface and Controls........................................................................................... 10
3.1 Interface (featuring th e Stereo Component) .................................................................. 10
3.2 Controls.............................................................................................................................. 11
General Controls ................................................................................................................ 11
Varispeed Section .............................................................................................................. 11
LFO Section........................................................................................................................ 11
SRC (Source) Control Section ........................................................................................... 12
ADT Control Section........................................................................................................... 12
ADT 2 Control Section (Only in Reel ADT 2V) .................................................................. 13
Chapter 4 – Th e WaveSystem ................................................................................................... 14
4.1 The WaveSystem Toolbar ................................................................................................ 14
4.2 Preset Handling ................................................................................................................. 14
4.3 Interface Controls ............................................................................................................. 17
4.4 Waves Preferences (Pro Tools only) .............................................................................. 18
Abbey Road Studios and their associated logos are trademark s of EMI (IP) Limited.
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Chapter 1 – Introduction
1.1 W el come
Thank you for choosing Waves. To get the most out of your Waves processor, please take the
time to read this manual.
We also suggest you become familiar with the resources available to you at waves.com. There
you will find an extensive Answe r Base, the latest Tech Specs, detailed Installation Guides,
new Software Updates, and up-to-date information on Activation and Registration.
1.2 Product Overview
Waves: Abbey Road Reel ADT is the first plugin to successfully emulate Abbey Road Studios’
pioneering process of Artificial Double Tracking. The effect that became an integral part of
Abbey Road’s signature sound was initially created at the famed studios in the 1960s to meet
the needs of some v ery special clients: The Beatles.
Reel AD T puts the m agic of that era in your hands w ithin sec onds . Using its intuitive c ontr ols ,
you can advanc e or push back the doubled signal to achieve genuine, lush-sounding delay and
pitc h var iations . You can also drive each of the s ignals s eparately to add beautiful tape
saturations.
With its authentic modeled valve tape machine sound and faithful emulation of wow and flutter,
this extraordinary plugin can enhance any track with the impression of two separate takes,
giving you results as close as possible to real double tracking. Other classic Abbey Road tape
effects such as flanging and phasing can also be achieved with ease.
All the character, depth and panoramic sound of this inimitable classic effect can now be
created digitally, simply and for real: Reel ADT.
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1.3 A bout A DT
ADT was invented at Abbey Road Studios in the mid-1960s to produce a double tr ac king effect
without the need to record two separate tracks.
The Original Setup
The original setup consisted of two tape m ac hines :
Source Tape Machine: This was a valve tape mac hine with a unique f eature. Most pr ofes s ional
tape m ac hines had three heads (ERASE, RECORD/SYNC and PLAY) and one output amplifier
to switch between the RECORD/SYNC head and the PLAY head, depending on whether the
machine was being used for recording/ over dubbing (the RECORD/SYNC head) or for mixing
(the PLAY head). Abbey Road tape mac hines, by contras t , had tw o output amps : one for the
RECORD/SYNC head, another for the PLAY head. Using an Abbey Road model, it was
therefore possible to output two instances of the s am e original signal simultaneously. Due to the
physical gap between the two heads, there would be a slight delay between the two instances.
This delay, along w ith the ability to play both outputs simultaneously, were the vital features that
made ADT possible. Thes e unique features of Abbey Road’s tape mac hines may also explain
why other studios were not able to recreate the Abbey Road ADT effect very convincingly.
ADT Tape Machine: This was a second valve tape machine with Varispeed c ontr ol (a VCO, or
voltage-controlled oscillator, coupled with a powerful amp). The signal from the RECORD/SYNC
head of the SOURCE tape machine would feed into this second tape machine. The ADT tape
machine would be in INPUT/RECORD mode, so the signal fed into it would come straight back
off the tape. This would create yet another delay, due to the gap between the RECORD/SYNC
head and the PLAY head of the second tape machine.
The delays caused by the head gaps in the two machines realigned the two signals, so that they
were nearly simultaneous. The Varispeed could be used to fine-tune the length of delay and
even to advance the effected sound before the source sound.
The two resulting signals would then be fed into a m ixing c ons ole. Different results could be
achieved, depending on how the two signals were panned in the stereo field. When both s ignals
were panned to or near the center, the res ult would be a distinc tive, if not entirely naturalsounding ef fec t (this unnatural sound was, however, part of what made the technique so
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appealing). However, when the signals were panned left and right in the s t ereo field, the double
tracking effect could sound very convincing indeed. This version of ADT was often used to
create lush-sounding stereo imaging when using a four-track tape as the source for a stereo
mixdown.
It was common practice to constantly move around the Varis peed of the sec ond tape m ac hine.
This was done by hand, using the VCO remote contr ol. Depending on the direction in which the
knob was turned and the speed at which this was done, subtle (or, if so desired, very unsubtle)
movements could be created between the two sources. This is what made the effect sound so
organic, as even certain words or phrases within a single vocal take could be treated differently.
The fact that each of the two t ape m ac hines had its own variations of wow and flutter, not to
mention a differ ent m otor r unning at a s lightly differ ent s peed, only enhanced this lush organic
effect.
The resulting sound is the most legendary of all Abbey Road tape effect s.
How ADT Was Invented
When working on ‘Tomorrow never Knows’, John Lennon complained about the tedious task of
recording a doubled vocal take—a technique that w as widely us ed in those days to boost and
enrich vocal parts. He needed to match the second take as closely as possible to the lead take,
which took considerable time and effort on his part. In response, Abbey Road technical engineer
Ken Townsend came up with ADT. Townsend understood that to achieve a natural-sounding
effect, simply applying a different EQ or compression would not do; worse, it would create
phasing problems . What he needed was a process that would alter the timbre, time and pitch of
the vocal take. He realized that changing the tape speed back and forth would create all those
effects simultaneously.
The technique he finally came up with worked as follows. When mixing a song, the track to be
artific ially doubled—usually a vocal track, though any other track could be treated similarly—
would be routed from the recording head of the multitrack tape, which was ahead of the
playback head, and fed to the r ec ording head of the second tape machine. An oscillator would
then be used to vary the speed of the second machine, providing more or less delay depending
on how quickly or how slowly the s ec ond machine was being run in relati on to the first. This
signal would then be routed from the playback head of the second machine to a separate fader
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on the mixer. The tape operator had to ‘ride’ the Varispeed ( VCO) control in order to create the
desired effect; any mistake along the way would require another take.
The introduction of ADT was a milestone in the history of sound recording, and the technique
was used heavily on many historic recording sessions at Abbey Road Studios. Over the years,
many recording engineers have tried to replicate the effect, but with only partial success, largely
because a definitive description of the exact process used at A bbey Road has until now been a
closely guarded s ec ret .
Other Related Effects
ADT led Abbey Road’s engineers to experiment with a number of secondary effects. Two of
these—flanging and phasing—are possible with the cur rent plugin.
Flanging:
As noted in the Quick Start section of the present manual, the classic ADT sound is achieved
with about 15 milliseconds of advance or delay between the two signals. When the two signals
are placed closer together, however—betw een 0 and 5 ms (w ith the Varis peed c ontroller used
to continuously vary the speed within that range)—the frequencies of the two signals combine to
create a series of peaks and dips in the audio spectrum. This effect, known as flanging, was
another firm Beatles favorite at Abbey Road.
It i s worth noting that flanging almost certainly originated somewhere else, albeit using different
methods and wit h slightly different res ults . Most Abbey Road engineers were not aware of
previous experim entation w ith flanging, however, and were under the impression that the effect
and its name were invented at Abbey Road.
Phasing:
Phasing used the same set-up as flanging, but with the s ignal from the s ec ond tape m ac hine
phase-reversed by 180 degrees, giving a deeper effect. When the two signals reached the point
of zero delay, their waveforms were at equal strength but at opposite polarity, resulting in alm os t
total c anc elation. In contrast to flanging, then, which was an addition of signal frequencies,
phasing was a subtraction of signal frequencies, creating more of a ‘ducking’ effect.
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1.4 Concepts and Terminology
Understanding the following terms will help you achieve the best results using your ADT plugin:
• SRC (or Source) refers to the unmodulated s ignal.
• ADT refers to the effect side of the plugin, i.e. the modulated signal.
• Display Are a refers to the top section of the plugin, where the user can see the overall
modulat ion of the AD T channel. This inc ludes Varispeed modulation, LFO modulation,
and sm oot hing, the latter a modeling of the phys ic al engine acc elerat ion.
• Varispeed refers to the control used to vary the speed of the modulated A DT signal
manually.
• LFO is an automatic way of modulating the A DT signal. It uses a low-frequenc y os c illator
to ride the signal automatically.
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1.5 Com ponent s
WaveShell technology enables us to split Waves processors into smaller plugins, which we call
components. Having a choice of components for a particular processor gives you the flexibility
to choose the configuration best suited to your material. ADT includes the following
components:
• ADT Mono
• ADT Mono-to-Stereo
ADT Stereo
ADT 2V M ono-to-Stereo
ADT 2V Stereo
• ADT Live Mono
• ADT Live Mono-to-Stereo
ADT Live Stereo
ADT Live 2V Mono-to-Stereo
ADT Live 2V Stereo
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ADT 2V adds a second A DT modulation of the signal, allowing you to control each of the two
modulated signals independently in order to generate a richer doubling effect.
Please note that both ADT Stereo and ADT 2V Stere o give users the option of either s elec ting
just one of the input stereo tracks, Left or Right, or summing both stereo tracks to mono
(dividing the result by two to maintain perceived loudness).
ADT Live components have been added to m eet the requir em ents of live performances by
providing especially low latency for live shows. ADT’s regular (non-live) c om ponents rely on
latency to advance the ADT signal relative to the source signal. To minimize latency in a live
setting, the ADT Live components do not offer the option of advancing the ADT signal ahead of
the source. I n ADT Live, the ADT signal can only be delayed relative to the source. To allow
preset sharing between the ADT and ADT Live components, the Live components automatically
translate negative ADT values to positive values.
Apart from the differences noted above, the ADT Live components are exactly the same as the
Reel ADT’s regular components.
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Chapter 2 – Quick Start (featuring the Mono-to-Stereo Component)
• Open the ADT plugin on a vocal track.
• Grab the ADT control in the dis play area above the r uler and play around with it until you
get a good-sounding s t atic double ef fec t. Recommended ranges are -10 to -15 ms (with
the ADT signal playing in advance of the source) and 10 to 15 ms (with the ADT signal
playing after the source).
• Experiment with the LFO, prefer ably on a random shape, and play with the range
(recommended range is 3-8 ms) until you get a good doubling effect that does not sound
synthetic or unnatural.
• Try using the Varispeed control with wide range settings to emphasize word endings or
to adjust the effect to your liking.
• Add som e dr ive to taste.
• To maximize the doubling effect, adjust the overall level of each channel so that the A DT
and SRC c hannels bot h have the s am e apparent loudnes s .
• Experiment with the panning between the two signals. You will get a differ ent s ound if
the signals are on top or close to one another, as opposed to panned mid to hard left
and right.
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Chapter 3 – Interface and Controls
3.1 Interface (featuring the Stereo Component)
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3.2 C ontrols
General Controls
ADT Position
Bounds the Varispeed playing range and determines whether the ADT signal plays before,
around, or after the sour c e. T o move the ADT position, cl ic k on the AD T tape head in the
display ar ea.
Please Note: In ADT Live, the ADT signal can play only after t he sour c e.
Input Source
Determines which of the stereo channels is sent for ADT processing. Click Left to select the left
channel, Right to select the right channel, and L+R to sum both channels to mono, dividing the
result by two to m aintain perceived loudnes s .
Monitor
Lets you monitor the plugin’s output in mono, helping you track the amount of phasing
introduc ed by the proces s .
Varispeed Section
Varispeed
Controls the time movement of the ADT. Varispeed has the same function as the voltagecontrolled oscillator used in the original ADT setup to shift the speed (and hence time) of the
doubled track. The Varispeed range is variable to give the best resolution and control over the
desired movement.
Range: Variable between -/+20 ms and -/+1 ms, in 1 ms increments.
Please note: For ease of use, the Varispeed c ontr ol c an be as s igned to M IDI. Check your DAW
to find how to assign MIDI controls.
Varispeed Mode
Determines Varispeed's wor king m ode:
Latch: When you r otate the Varispeed control and then release it, the control stays on the
released value.
Touch: When you r otate the Varispeed control and then release it, the control jumps back to 0.
LFO Section
LFO On/Off
Turns the LFO on or off. The LFO will automatically modulate the delay time of the Varispeed.
LFO Range
Sets upper and lower limits for the LFO cycle. E.g., select 3 to limit the LFO cycle to -/+3 ms.
Range: Variable between -/+20 ms and -/+1 ms, in 1 ms increments.
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LFO Shape
Determines the shape of the LFO cycle: sine, triangular, reverse sine, reverse triangular, or
random.
LFO Rate (Hz)
Sets the rate at which the LFO completes the range selected in the LFO Range control.
LFO Rate (Bars) (only when LFO Sy nc mode is on)
Sets the rate at which the LFO completes the range selected in the LFO Range control, only in
terms of bars rather than Hz. For example, when the selected range is -/+3, LFO Sync is on; if
the user selects 6 bars, the LFO will take 6 bars to complete a full cycle of -/+3 ms.
Range: ¼, ½, 1, 1½, 2, 2½, 3, 3½, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 16
LFO Sync
When Sync is on, the LFO rate is set automatically by calculating the session’s tempo,
measure, and resolution and the selected Rate (Bars) setting. For example, the user can set the
LFO Rate to 4 bars, and the plugin will calculate the actual rate needed to make this happen.
SRC ( Source) Cont r ol Sect ion
SRC Pan
Controls the position of the source signal in the stereo image.
Range: 100L–100R
SRC Drive
Controls the amount of tape saturation.
Range: 0–30
SRC Mute
Mutes the s our c e signal in the output.
SRC Phase
Inv erts the phase of the source signal (see ADT phase below).
SR C L evel
Controls the level of the source signal.
Range: +12 to -Inf dB (continuous control, 0.1 dB resolution)
Please note: The ADT output is normalized in order to maintain c ons tant gain when the AD T
and SRC c hannels ar e panned hard left and hard r ight.
ADT Control Section
ADT Pan
Controls the position of the ADT signal in the stereo image.
Range: 100L–100R
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ADT Drive
Controls the amount of tape saturation.
Range: 0–30
ADT Mute
Mutes the ADT signal in the output.
ADT Phase
Inv erts the phase of the ADT signal. U se this to create a Phasing effect when the two signals
are very clos e t o one another (between 0 and 5 m s ).
ADT L evel
Controls the level of the ADT signal.
Range: +12 to -Inf dB (continuous control, 0.1 dB resolution)
Please note: The ADT output is normalized in order to maintain c ons tant gain when the A DT
and SRC c hannels ar e panned hard left and hard r ight.
ADT 2 Cont rol Section (Only in Reel ADT 2V)
ADT 2 Pan
Controls the position of the ADT signal in the stereo image.
Range: 100L–100R
ADT 2 Drive
Controls the amount of tape saturation.
Range: 0–30
ADT 2 Mute
Mutes the ADT signal in the output.
ADT2 Phase
Inv erts the phase of the ADT 2 signal.
ADT 2 Level
Controls the level of the ADT signal.
Range: +12 to -Inf dB (continuous control, 0.1 dB resolution)
Please note: The ADT output is normalized in order to maintain c ons tant gain when the A DT
and SRC c hannels ar e panned hard left and hard r ight.
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Chapter 4 – The WaveSystem
4.1 The W aveSystem Toolbar
All Waves plugins feature the WaveSystem toolbar, which takes care of most administrative
functions you will encounter while working with your Waves software. The features of the
WaveSystem toolbar are the same on practically all Waves plugins, so familiarity with its
features will be helpful with whichever plugin you are using.
Toolbar Functions
Opens the plugin About box
Undo Undoes the last action (up to 32 actions)
Redo Redoes the last action (up to 32 undone actions)
Setup A /B Toggles between two presets, useful for comparison of parameter settings
L/R Arrows Move to the previous or next preset
Copy A→B Copies the current settings to the second preset register
Load Recalls presets from file
Save Saves presets in the Waves file formats
? Opens the PD F m anual for the plugin you are using
4.2 Preset H andling
Preset Types
Factor y Pre se t s ar e per m anent pres ets in the Load menu, which cannot be overwritten or
deleted. W hen applicable, dif ferent c om ponent plugins may have different factory presets.
User Presets are your favorite settings of the plugin, saved as a preset in the Load menu under
‘User Presets’. User Presets can be overwritten and deleted.
Setup Files may contain more than one preset. For example, a single file can contain all the
pres ets for a ses s ion. W hen you open a S etup File, all its s etups becom e part of your Load popup menu for fast access. This can be particularly useful with multiple instances of a plugin in a
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single session. By saving all the settings you create into a single Setup File, they can all be
quickly available for every instance of that plugin.
Loading Presets and Setups
Click on the Load button to see the Load pop-up m enu. The m enu is divided int o four sec tions .
If a section is not currently available, it will not appear in the Load pop-up menu.
Open Preset File… Select to open any setup or preset file, whether from the Library or your
own creations.
‘Filename.xps’: Displays any currently loaded Setup File and its presets.
Factor y Pre se t s: Displays the default Factory Presets.
User Presets: Displays any loaded User Presets.
Saving Presets and Setups
Click on the S ave button to see t he Save pop-up menu. Four options ar e available. If an option
is not currently available, it will be grayed out and inaccessible.
Save to New File… Select this to start a new Setup file. There are two prompts
- first for the setup filename, then for the preset name. You
must provide a name for both the setup file and the preset.
Click OK (ENTER) to complete the save. I t is a good idea
to create a folder in which to save several setup files for a
project.
Save ‘File Nam e’ – “Pr es et N ame” Overwrites the settings of the loaded preset (whether a
User Preset or a preset from a Setup File) with the current
settings. If a Setup File is currently loaded, the name of the
Setup File is displayed followed by the name of the preset
itself. If a User Preset is loaded, its name is displayed.
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Save to ‘File Nam e’ A s… Saves the current settings as a new preset into the S etup
file that is open (if one is not open, the option is grayed
out). You will be prompted to give the preset a name.
Put into Preset Menu A s … Save the current settings into a User Preset that will
always be in your Load menu (until delet ed). You will be
prompted to give this preset a name. User Presets are
stored in the plugin’s preference file.
Deleting Presets
You may delete User Presets and presets within a Setup File. Factory Presets and Setup
Library files cannot be deleted or overwritten.
1. Hold the Command (M ac)/Control (PC) key down.
2. Click-and-hold the Load button to see the pop-up m enu.
3. While still holding the Command/Control key, select the preset or setup to delete.
4. A c onfirm ation box will appear, allowing you to cancel or ‘OK’ the deletion.
A/B Comparison and C opying
The Setup A/Setup B button may be clicked to compare two settings. If you load a preset in the
Setup B position, this will not affect the preset loaded into the Setup A position, and vice-versa.
If you want to modify the settings in Setup A slightly, you can copy them to Setup B by clicking
on the Copy to B button, then alter Setup A and compare with the original Setup B.
The name of the current setup will be shown in the title bar (on platforms which support it), and
will switch as you change from Setup A to Setup B.
Note: an asterisk will be added to the preset name when a change is made to the preset.
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4.3 Interface Controls
Controls can be in one of three states:
Not Selected where the control is not the target of any us er ent ry
Selected where the control is the target of mouse control entry only
Selected and A ctive where the control is the target for both mouse and keyboard entry
Toggle Buttons
Toggle buttons display the state of a control, and allow switching between two or more states.
Single-click to change the control’s state. Some toggle buttons have a text display which
updates with the current setting, and others (bypass, solo, or monitoring toggles) illuminate
when the control is active.
Some plugins have link buttons between a pair of toggle but tons , allowing c lic k-and-drag
adjustment while retaining the offset between the controls.
Va lue W indow Buttons
Value window s dis play the value of a contr ol and allow click-and-drag adjustment, or direct
control via the key board.
Using the mouse, click-and-drag on the value window to adjust. Some value windows
suppor t left/right, s om e up/dow n (as you hover over a button, arrow s w ill appear to let
you know which direction of movement that button supports). You may also use your
mouse-wheel to adjust parameter values.
Using the arrow keys, click once with mouse to select the button, and then use
up/down – left/right ( depending on the direc tion s uppor ted by that button) to m ove in t he
smallest incremental steps across the button’s range (holding down the arrow keys will
move faster through the range).
Using key entry, double click on the button to open the value window, and directly enter
the value f rom your keyboard. If you enter an out of range num ber, the button stays
selected but remains at the current setting (system beeps if system sounds are on).
Some plugins have link buttons between a pair of value w indows , allow ing c lic k-and-drag
adjustment while retaining the offset between the controls.
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Sliders
Click or scroll the mouse-wheel on the slider itself or anywhere within the sliders track. The
numerical value of the slider settings is displayed in a hover window above the slider path.
Hover Box
Hovering boxes will appear and display the control value when hovering with the mouse over
the control.
Multiple Control Selection
One of the most powerful features of the WaveSystem is the ability to select and adjust multiple
controls simultaneously. Using the mouse, drag-select the desired group of buttons or graphic
cont rols by clic king and holding at a point outs ide the cont rols , and forming a rec tangle that
includes the controls you wish to adjust. Alternatively, press and hold Shift while clicking the
mouse on any control you wish to link. This method is useful when you want to select two or
more controls that are not adjacent to one another.
TAB Functions
TAB moves the ‘selected’ status to the next control, with shift-TAB moving in the reverse
direction. Additionally, the Mac has an option-TAB function for ‘down’ movement and shiftoption-TAB for ‘up’ m ovem ent wher e applicable. If you have several Value W indow Buttons
selected, TA B functions will take you through the selected controls only.
Hitting Esc or Return will return the 'focus' to the DAW application.
4.4 Waves Preference s (Pro Tools only)
When launching Pro Tools, hold Shift to view the Waves plugin Preferences window. The
following opt ions are available:
• Don't use AudioSuite plugins
• Don’t use RTA S plugins
• Rescan all plugins
• HU I control surface support (low resolution)
• Enable s ingle-click text entry
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