Recording - July 2018 - 34

Plug-In Outlet

Universal
Audio
A/DA STD-1

Stereo Tapped
Delay for UAD-2
By Alex Hawley
For this guitar-centric issue of Recording, we're reviewing
an often-overlooked plug-in from Universal Audio that's
fantastic on guitars. The A/DA STD-1 Stereo Tapped Delay
was developed by Brainworx for UAD-2 DSP engines and
Apollo/Arrow interfaces, and is based on a vintage bucket
brigade delay unit which was originally released in 1980.
Famed guitarists like Allan Holdsworth and Kirk Hammett
used the STD-1 hardware in their rigs. It wasn't until about ten
years after production ended that the STD-1 truly started to
become recognized and sought after. This plug-in fills the gap
left by the hardware's extreme rarity.
The STD-1 is nothing like other analog delays; it creates
truly unique effects using a series of 6 bucket brigade taps.
The 6 taps have delay times ranging from 1.3 to 55.5
milliseconds, that can be panned to either channel for a stereo
widening or doubling effect. The idea behind the STD-1 is
similar to the old technique of duplicating a recording, and
nudging the duplicated track a couple frames down the
timeline for a stereo effect.
The STD-1 adds another dimension to this technique-
implementing 6 taps allows sounds to bloom on top of one

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RECORDING July 2018

another in the full stereo field, which creates a unique 3D
layering effect. This effect can be pushed a stage further by
using the built-in Sweep Mod, which quickly takes the STD-1
from subtle chorus and flanging all the way into the sound
design realm.

Controls

The Input section features an LED meter, Level control,
bypass, and a Stereo/Mono input switch (stereo sources are
summed to mono). The Output section comes next, with individual
dry/effect Mix knobs for Mix (L or Mono) and Mix R plus a
master Level knob.
The Regeneration section loops one of the six taps (1, 3, or
6) back into the input when it's enabled. There are knobs for
feedback Level (zero to infinity) and for Hi Cut (10 kHz down
to 900 Hz) to shape the frequency content on the signal being
fed back. Next comes the Tap Assign section, which lets you
choose which taps are active (in mono) or sent Left or Right
(in stereo).
The final Delay section has a lot of interesting parameters
to play with. The Fixed setting adjusts the delay time for each
tap. The Sweep Mod superimposes an oscillator of a slightly
higher frequency than the source, which results in a thick
chorus. This can be bypassed by turning the Mix parameter
all the way left (Fix). There is also a Delay Sweep, which sets
the oscillation speed from 25 seconds to 0.1 seconds for
everything from subtle chorus all the way to Leslie effects.

In use

As a guitarist, I found this plug-in very intriguing. I love the
sound of a fat chorus or Leslie, so I was very excited to try
out the STD-1 to see what kind of practical sounds it could
produce for guitars and beyond.
I started out with a rhythm guitar track within a full band
arrangement. The delay taps have a really unique widening
character, unlike other doublers that I have used before. Even
when used minimally, the mix fills out nicely, adding a
really impressive depth. For this application, I usually leave
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - July 2018
