The TEC-designed Bettermaker® Bus Compressor is for those seeking high-quality stereo VCA compression with the convenience of fast, accurate recovery and automation.
The bus compressor offers 100% analog signal path, dry/wet mixing, sidechain with HPF, hardware insertion and preview function, adjustable THD saturation and much more.
All this with high analog quality and patented recall with the speed of a native plugin.
Advanced analog stereo VCA compressor with PEAK/RMS detection
– all parameters are digitally controlled via front panel and/or DAW (with dedicated plugin)
– dry/wet MIX control for parallel compression
– sidechain high-pass filter with hardware insertion and preview function
– Adjustable THD for harmonically rich sound
– integrated measurement of PEAK/RMS levels
– 100% analog audio signal path
– full recall and A/B comparison of your favorite DAW
– LED matrix display and six encoders with button action for easy control
– USB connectivity with MAC/PC
Digital Section
The Compressor's sound is obviously based on the quality of its analog audio path. But all user control and interactions are performed in the digital domain. This allows us to incorporate options and possibilities not found in any standard analog compressor:
- recover last drive state after reboot
- Instant reset of all parameters
- Fast, accurate and repeatable adjustments
- Precisely linked stereo operation with single-control ease
- DAW automation and recall of all available parameters
The digital section of the Bus Compressor is based on a high-speed 32-bit microcontroller, with dedicated firmware programmed into its memory (with the possibility of updating the firmware via USB connection). It is responsible for controlling the VCA, user interface, preset management, audio metering, USB connectivity and other Bus Compressor functions.
Using separate ground planes for analog and digital sections results in perfect noise isolation between these two worlds. High-quality switching power supply, designed by Bettermaker, was used to provide low-noise, hum-free power to all analog and digital components.
Front panel
The Bus Compressor's front panel is built around an attractive LED matrix display, which allows you to monitor almost every function available on the device, as well as input/output levels and the amount of gain reduction applied by the compressor.
Technical specification:
– Frequency response from 10 Hz to 22 kHz (+/- 0.2 dB)
– Dynamic range: 106 dB (+23 dBu, 22 kHz BW)
– S/N Ratio: 87 dB (A-weighted, +4 dBu, 22 kHz BW, unity gain)
– Crosstalk: - 83dB @ 1kHz, +18dBu, channel to channel
– CMRR: maximum 85 dB @ 3 kHz, minimum 52 dB @ 20Hz, 20 kHz BW
– THD: 2nd: < 0.06%, 3rd: < 0.01%; 4th: < 0.006%; (+4 dBu, 20-20 kHz, unity gain, THD and CLIP disabled)
– balanced stereo input (XLR), maximum input level 23dBu (THD <0.2%)
– balanced stereo output (XLR), maximum output level of 23dBu (THD < 0.2% at >2kohm)
– Input impedance (differential): 48kΩ (for balanced signal)
– Output impedance: 50Ω + 50Ω (electronically balanced)
– 2U cabinet, 230 mm deep (Compressor Mastering)
– 1U case, 230 mm deep (Bus compressor)
– universal power supply 100 – 240 V designed by Bettermaker (with Auto-on function)
– Maximum power consumption: 25 W
– Shipping weight: 5.5 kg (Mastering Compressor), 5 kg (Bus Compressor)
- Threshold: -35dB / +5dB (40dB range)
- Attack: 0.1 – 60 ms
- Release: 10 – 2,000 ms
- Aspect ratio: 1.5, 2, 4, 6, 10:1
- Knee: 20dB
- Output: -5dB to +15dB
- Sidechain HPF: off – 370Hz
- Sidechain Power: Forward
- Sidechain Type: PEAK/RMS
