I. Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of the
Bettermaker C502V Compressor -
all analog sound with the
flexibility of digital control! Welcome to the family! The hybrid audio compressor now in your
possession is the result of years of research and development in emerging digital control
technologies. The final hand-built result is currently glowing happily in your rack (Lucky you). The
C502V brings the flexibility, ease of use, and instant recall-ability of software plugins to the realm
of high fidelity analog processing like no other analog Compressor on the market.
Company
Addicted to Music began in 2004 in Warsaw, Poland as a recording and mixing studio. Long
before it was a hardware company we were deeply involved in the international music and
recording scene. This is not a company run by scientists who crunch numbers all day, we are a
company run by engineers who live, eat, and breathe music (like you do). We know good sound,
and know first-hand what it takes on both sides of the glass to capture the perfect take. We
developed the C502V to go from the perfect take, and make it even better!
Unit
The Bettermaker C502V was designed to have the greatest flexibility of any analog Compressor,
while still allowing absolute recall and repeatability. We often found the strengths of software plug-
ins wasn’t their sound, but the ability to quickly audition di
ff
erent settings. This allowed us to
make faster, better informed musical choices. The ability to jump back and forth between
(sometimes vastly di
ff
erent) settings allowed us to keep a clear vision of the sonic goal in mind,
while quickly making decisions on the best setting to use. However, we recognized the sonic
superiority of our analog gear compared to their digital counterparts. In countless shoot-outs, the
analog versions always won. Since we’re a company that cares about better sound over
processing speed, our engineers would take the extra time to use a full analog chain because it
simply sounds better. We developed the Bettermaker C502V to give us the speed of plugins, but
the fidelity of analog.
In the traditional analog world the time spent in the act of having to set and reset knobs and
buttons to audition between settings often skewed our choices. More time was spent tweaking
knobs trying to recover an earlier setting than was spent listening. The limited resolution of the
mechanical parts often meant only very coarse adjustments were possible (previously only
solvable by very expensive mechanical switches). A di
ffi
cult situation to say the least, but the
greater fidelity, openness, and depth of the analog gear was always worth it to our ears.
Even after years of advancement in digital algorithms, the older analog versions always sounded
better. With these goals in mind, we strove to create a hybrid Compressor that was the best of
both worlds: A true analog Compressor based on classic designs, but with the repeatability, fine
resolution, and consistency of digital plug-ins. Enter the inspiration for the Bettermaker C502V!
Design History
The C502V is a new approach to a well known VCA compressor design.
We began with the analog sections. Choosing modern components and design practices over
older traditional methods helped maintain the transient response and low noise-floor necessary
for today’s recording practices. Wherever possible we choose over-spec’ed components to
ensure trouble free operation and a long product life. Where feasible we increased the gain
resolution and frequency range to ensure the greatest flexibility no matter what source (from
tracking to 2-bus and mastering applications). Most importantly we listened first, tested, and then
listened again. We hope you enjoy your C502V. Now go make some music Better!
