It costs $14.99 for an 82-minute video that tries to explain (and more importantly, lets you hear) what compressor plugins that emulate classic hardware do. Not just a lecture, you get to hear the same clip effected by 11 different plugins.
 
If you're a beginner, this might be a good introduction to the subject, assuming you already know basic compressor terminology. But even for old hands it's still interesting to hear all these units side-by-side. It would cost you a lot more than $14.99 to perform this experiment yourself.
 
You can buy it or watch the first 9 minutes for free here: https://audioschoolonline.com/product/?lesson=388
 

What, about 30 seconds of actual comparison in the 9 minute teaser?
He should of let the drum loop play thru all 11 emulations.
Maybe I would have bit.
Felt like an infomercial to me, if that's 9 of the 82 minutes...
But thanks for the link.
 
T

There's a tutorial on exactly that topic by Kenny Gioia (who is excellent at explaining things) on the Groove3 site. 
 
The Groove3 tutorial goes through classic compressors, then brings up different versions of those same compressors offered in software by different vendors.  Talks about pluses and minuses, and how to use in various situations.  Listening samples along the way.

bitflipper
It would cost you a lot more than $14.99 to perform this experiment yourself.
 

Maybe not me.

I watched it, Bit.
 
It was interesting.
 
I would never take the time to do this comparison myself. I think it would have been cool if he'd also had the original hardware for comparison.
 
Really, you have to do some listening when you choose and set your compressor. It's handy to know the properties of different compressors. There's a PDF that comes with the video that talks about minimum attack and release times for different hardware.

It used to be that if you had the compressor set correctly, you didn't hear it. IOW, automatic gain changing.  I guess it's to hear the subtle differences, which I don't really hear nowadays.... cept for that Manic Compressor.... squashville.  But it seems the compressor has morphed into the pre-amp arena, with adding sonic color....not how well they actually compress.

mixmkr
It used to be that if you had the compressor set correctly, you didn't hear it.

LOL, good one, Gramps. Next you'll tell me that back in the day real people played real instruments and that people only scratched records by accident.

that's funny

oh...actually that's Great Gramps...  ahh...8 of the little rug rats now!  :-D

Piker. I've got 14 greats, the oldest of which is 16 so I may live to be a great-great. 
 
Back to topic. I hesitated posting this thread because I didn't want to encourage the mindset that compressors are effective because of their "character". That you don't need to learn how they work, just keep on buying more of them until you have one for every possible application. That you have to have a Fairchild because that's what the Beatles used, a Decapitator because that goes on Lady Gaga's vocals, and three types of LA-2A clones in hopes one of them will make you sound like Don Henley.
 
Truth is, compression isn't magic. It's math, just like everything else. And no compressor was ever responsible for making a record a hit.