Burl Audio BC5000 BIGFOOT Optical Compressor

The Burl Audio BC5000 BIGFOOT is a modern solid-state optical compressor with limiting, designed to be used everywhere—from individual tracks to mix bus and mastering duties. BIGFOOT blends the musical, natural response of optical compression with Burl Audio’s next-generation Class-A, fully discrete analog circuitry, delivering a compressor that is equally comfortable shaping tone, controlling dynamics, and protecting converters from unwanted peaks.

A Modern Optical Compressor, Reimagined

Optical compressors have long been prized for their smooth, musical behavior, but many classic designs date back to the 1960s and 70s. BIGFOOT breaks from that lineage by pairing a carefully tuned optical element with Burl Audio’s fully balanced, all-Class-A discrete transistor signal path. The result is a compressor that feels familiar, yet unmistakably modern—capable of handling today’s dynamic material without pumping or artifacts.

Signature Burl Audio Signal Path

• All-discrete, Class-A, direct-coupled analog circuitry.
• Fully balanced signal path from input to output.
• Input circuit derived from the BAD4M mastering analog card.
• Output circuit derived from the BDA4M mastering analog card.
• Switchable BX1 input transformer and BX5 output transformer.

Compression and Limiting in One Box

BIGFOOT pairs optical compression with a fast, switchable FET limiter, making it easy to manage both musical dynamics and aggressive transient control in a single unit. This makes BIGFOOT especially useful for mixing and mastering engineers who want smooth gain reduction alongside reliable peak control before conversion.

• Optical compressor for musical, natural gain control.
• Switchable fast limiter circuit for transient protection.
• Excellent for mix bus, stems, and mastering applications.

Low End Control, Vocal Clarity, and Tone Shaping

• Sidechain low-cut filter to preserve low-frequency energy.
• De-esser circuit for fast, effective vocal sibilance control.
• Switchable 10 kHz high-frequency boost to add clarity and presence.

Designed to Work on Everything

The BC5000 BIGFOOT was designed with one goal in mind: create a compressor that works on everything. From vocals, bass, and guitars to drum buses, full mixes, and mastering chains, BIGFOOT delivers tone, control, and flexibility without forcing the engineer into a narrow use case. Its extremely low noise floor, stepped controls, and hard bypass make it equally at home in tracking, mixing, and mastering environments.

Key Features

• Solid-state optical compressor with limiter.
• Burl Audio NextGen analog design.
• All-discrete, Class-A, fully balanced signal path.
• Switchable BX1 input and BX5 output transformers.
• Switchable fast FET limiter circuit.
• Switchable sidechain low-cut filter.
• Switchable de-esser and high-frequency boost.
• Stereo link capability.
• Audiophile stepped attenuators for input and output.
• Stepped threshold, attack, release, and ratio controls.
• Hard bypass.