Bettermaker C502V — A Mix Product of the Week

New York, NY (November 14, 2024)—The new Bettermaker C502V plug-in (distributed by Plugin Alliance) is a digital version of the 500-series compressor of the same name but with significant added functionality. Unlike its hardware namesake, the C502V plug-in offers three different compressor modes instead of one.

The first (and default) mode, BM (Bettermaker), emulates the hardware 502V. It provides smooth-sounding compression with a full parameter set that includes Threshold, Attack, Release, Ratio, Mix and Auto-Release. A ladder-style gain-reduction meter lights up green from 1-4 dB, orange from 5-7 dB and red from 8 dB and above. The Engage button lets you turn the processing on and off.

According to the manual, the next mode, SG, emulates “a famous buss compressor from a well-known British console manufacturer,” presumably an SSL. It features the same set of controls as in BM mode, some of which aren’t available on the original hardware.

The third mode, DX, appears based on a DBX 160. Similar to that classic unit, it has fixed attack and release times. Otherwise, its controls are the same as the other two modes. Sonically, DX is the most aggressive of the three, but can also be used for gentler compression duties.

The lower section of the GUI features global controls for all three modes. In addition to the switch for the three compressor modes, which makes it easy to compare them as your audio plays, there’s another for engaging the SC HPF (sidechain high-pass filter) with settings of 60 and 120 Hz. It allows for filtering out low frequencies, which trigger compressors more heavily.

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A small waveform display shows the original audio in one color and the compressed audio in another. Clicking on the Waveform button opens a much more prominent display on the right side of the GUI.

Selecting the Audition button lets you hear the sidechain content soloed. Clicking the External Sidechain button enables the compressor to use external audio from your DAW in its sidechain.

Two other global controls at the bottom are the THD mini-knob for dialing in harmonic saturation and the Output knob. If you’re using a stereo instance of the plug-in, you can link and unlink the two sides to adjust them independently. You can also switch to M/S mode for mid-side processing.

In stereo instances, you can open a second panel showing either the controls for the right or the side channel, depending on whether you’re working in L/R or M/S mode.

The Bettermaker C502V is available for purchase ($49 on sale from its regular $129 price) or as part of specific Plugin Alliance subscription bundles. Learn more at the Plugin Alliance site.