Any love for the Pro Channel compressors?

It would be interesting to see how the compressors are modeled on the hardware items for any company for that matters.
You got code, much of which is available in basic form but Cakewalk as well as all software/plugin developers use algorithms for saturation/distortion; many write code from scratch and include convolution or profiling.
 
That is as much as I know about it and it is probably incorrect.
But It would be good to know how the emulations work as well as they do.
 
I use the PRO CH comps for slower attack settings, like most soft comps they introduce distortion at their fastest settings.
 
I don't have the LA2A. as I have it from another developer already when it was released in X2 or X1.
 
But I will say there is a fluidity in outboard compression from even cheaper compressors over that of software but like many; convenience, recallability is making ITB compression necessary and they are getting better and better.
  

Ah yes, dubdisciple, the Concrete Limiter is awesome, also (IMHO). Up until I got the Concrete Limiter, the Sonnox limiter was my "go-to". Not anymore, the sound of the Concrete Limiter, coupled with the convenience of it, is my new fave.
I still can't seem to make the other PC comps work for me, though. Doesn't anybody else notice that it takes a LOT of signal to even make them respond? Or, am I doing something wrong?  

I like them all.
 
The Ca-2a is fantastic.  I like the PC76K a lot, too.  The Concrete Limiter is very good - the bass switch particularly.
 
The 4k bus compressor is a gem, both as "glue" on a bus, but also on snare drums, amongst other things.
 
The 4k Channel Comp was my least favourite, but I like it a lot more now that I understand how to use it.  I found it a lot harder to set up than the others initially, but now love it on certain material - when I ignore the metering and use my ears.
 
So yes, there is some "love" for the PC compressors here..
 

jb101
 
when I ignore the metering and use my ears.
 

Done the same thing. I didn't see the metering lightning up, but listened and heared what was happening.

But am I remembering wrong that there were some who had reported the metering wasn't working in the PC comps?

When I I wasn't getting a response from the meters unless I used extreme settings I thought about this problem reported and just used my ears.

PC4K bus comp is very good in my opinion. For very light compression the tape sim works sometimes.

As others have said, the CA-2A (what a strange designation?) is a very good software comp.  The PC4K buss comp is great, also, for, well, bus duties.  The 1176 works pretty good, too, as a software comp.  It does not stand up next to the analog, but maybe that is because I use that going in so the artist can "play" to the 1176.  I just know I've never gotten that 1176 shaping - the edges an analog 1176 gives, once in the box - and that includes other soft 1176s.  It is a subtle thing and not on everything, but when it is there it is obvious.
 
@
 
 

CA-2A is great and it's the best $20 I ever spent on Cake plugs (I got it on special then upgraded to the full version using the last $20 coupon we got). I use it quite often however the other comps have been great too and serve a different purpose for me.
 
If I need more control over something or really want to smash something (like a bass part or I simply want to hear the compressor) then the other ones allow me to do that without using the Sonitus, multiband or whatever. I take care of the bulk of the messy stuff with those and then soften it with the CA-2A if need be.
 
It should be noted though that my material tends to be very aggressive but has nuanced moments that may not sit in the mix well and my gear is questionable so that two stage compression has helped me.
 
There have however been many times I liked the sounds of those included PC compressors on their own. Just depends on the material.
 
Thing is... you may just not really NEED a compressor on your material if you are not liking the results. The CA-2A is really subtle and personally I think of it as more of a polishing than a full on compressor. Ideally you don't WANT to use a compressor in post because your raw tracks are good enough or if you do you don't actually want to "hear" it.
 
Maybe your input signal is just that good... which is the type of "problem" you want to have... as opposed to the mess I deal with a lot of times... but am correcting. lol

Here's a snippet of a song I was mixing last night for a local band I recorded. Lots of CA2A and Concrete Limiter and a little bit of PC76U. Also some Waves CLA76 here and there but, really, the bulk of compressor duties are being handled by the Pro Channel units.
 
 https://soundcloud.com/st...-tuscarawas-river-band