SPLAT users: what is your favorite compressor? And why?

Just curious, which "in the box" compressor do you all like the best? I'm talking primarily about compressors that come with Sonar. What is it that you like about it? Pros & cons?
 
If you happen to have a 3rd party software compressor that you a really crazy about, that's not off limits for the sake of this conversation, either. I'm just really curious as to everyone's thoughts on the various compressors. I'm still trying to decide on which one I like the most. I use the one in the ProChannel quite a bit, but I use some of the others, too, and just got curious.
 
Thanks for any thoughts!

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I use the CA-2A a lot. I’ve even got the Mac AU version if it and prefer it to Waves LA-2A model.

The Concrete Limiter is excellent - another Cakewalk processor that I think would be worth expanding into a VST and AU plugin.

Other than that, 1176 emulations are my "go to". Cakewalk's and Waves don't sound quite the same, but both are good and very easy to use. Rather like the original hardware that simplified compression into a small number of controls that make it hard to get a really bad result.

And the Sonnitus compressor might be old but is pretty good, if a bit "characterless".

My favorite bus compressor is The Glue. I'm sure there are comparable SSL style compressors available but I cannot fault this one. It goes on my master bus immediately. But it's also great on guitars and for parallel compression on drums.

I also love the VC-76 and VC-2A from NI, their 1176 and LA-2A emulations. VC-76 is great for aggressive compression and VC-2A is a no brainer for any kind of macro smoothing. Both are great on vocals, in fact a great compression chain is the VC-76 followed by the VC-2A, just 2 or 3 dB of gain reduction on each.

Fabfilter Pro-C is also a go to whenever I need to experiment with a lot of different compression strategies. It's like a Swiss Army knife of compression.

Supercharger GT by NI is fantastic whenever you need to compress the left and righ channels independently, and also for mid/side enhancement.

Of the stuff that comes with Sonar, I use the 1176 emulation ProChannel module a lot. I use the CA-2A even more, but I bought that as an optional extra, and I can't remember if it was ever give away as part of the standard package. It should be, it's kind of essential, IMO. Agree with Chuck about it's usefulness for vocals and bass in particular.

I've been using the new (or perhaps "recent" is a better word) multiband compressor more and more for serious work. And I like the SSL emulator bus compressor a lot for parallel compression on certain things.

I also bought the S-Type channel compressor module a while back, but I find I never use it.

In the box - that would be LP MB. It is fairly surgical, and musical. The next up is Sonitus, because it works really well on side chain bass track stuff and it’s easy to dial in.

I have used the Sonitus multiband on a lot of 2 trk live sound recordings for taming bass and whatever it is doing to make the upper end sound really nice.  
 
And the CA-2A for individual instruments.

My new fave is the API 2500 from Waves.  I've never owned the hardware but this plugin does some nice stuff to  pretty much anything you put it on.  I scarfed it up at one of their $29 sales.  Next would be the CA 2A from Cakewalk.  As for multiband compressors- the Waves C6, LMB, and L3 Multimaximizer get used a lot. 

Here's my lineup, FYI.  Main reasons for use, sounds good to me.
 
Bass - PC4K S-Type Channel Compressor, smooth.
Drums - PC76 U-Type Channel Compressor, parallel comp
Mix/Master - Adaptive Limiter, easy to use.
Mix/Master - L-Phase Multiband, great detail.

1.) I level out vocals with Melodyne and then I use a bit compression with the CA-2A, because it's best in leveling IMHO.
2.) PC76: Easy to use and like the fast access in ProChannel, especially when switching between tracks, like its use on guitars and sometimes for light compression on synths or classic instruments
3.) Kotelnikov (free), TB_Compressor and TB_BusCompressor: I like their interfaces, because I prefer to set the values with the mwheel & shift mwheel (they are very precise, best IMO), and they are subtle and don't change color

Interesting question and a lot of great answers.  I would add that material matters when selecting a compressor.  A compressor that is great for vocals ... may not be great for all vocalists.  So any formulas go out the door when choosing an energy management tool.  One thing I suggest that folks do with compressors is to become familiar with the technology the tool is modeled after or 'claims' to be modeled after.  Each physical and digital tool has characteristics even what we might call 'ballistics' to be considered in their selection.  Below is a table I use in one of my classes on energy management, I believe it was based on the compressors available in Logic - but the table illustrates the comparative model technologies, and provides some guidance to their use case.  Most important is to become familiar with the predictable behavior of the tool and then confirm with your ears what it is doing.  This is the same thing with meters, they should confirm what you are hearing, not telling you what you are hearing.  

Personally, I think my previous comment is very lame.  I apologize to the forum for posting inane ramblings.  What I meant to say really, was that I am trying to eliminate compressors in my mixes.  Bht, google translate did a very poor job with my French, so please pardon my French.
 
When I use a compressor, sometimes I just use the most convenient one, like in the pro channel, especially whem I am on my laptop, because all I have is cake supplied units.
 
When I want to wade through my plug in menu I really like Pro C, and Black 76,  Also. I really like to experiment, so I will try almost anything, and if it sounds bad to me I will switch it out.
 
I think what I mean is that, I choose the compressor to fit the song, so it could take me several iterations to find the one that sounds good to me.
 
Again, I apologize for the ridiculous post.
 
jqs
 

I actually quite enjoyed the"ridiculous post" - no harm no foul 😎

I generally have a kind of intuitive approach to these things, as with most things creative. Partly that's because I only half know what I'm doing with regards to the engineering side of all this, and I'm more interested in making more music than I am in buckling down and properly learning the technical stuff, so I kind of play to my strengths which are on the musical / creative side. Maybe that's lazy and I should spend more time shoring up my weaknesses, but I'm in this to have fun and it's more fun, for me, to just kind of dump the blocks on the floor and start making stuff.

So when it comes to compression I'm likely to just pick something that feels right, maybe something new I want to play with or something I haven't used in a while, and try it out and mess with the knobs a bit and see if it makes things sound better. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn't but I learn something in the process, or hear something in a new way, that sparks a new idea.

That may not be helpful to someone trying to use the 'right tool for the job', but given how much beautiful and important art has been made over the centuries by breaking rules and misusing tools, I think a reasonable case can be made for my more intuitive, fun-driven approach...

The right compressor is the one you have that makes it sound better, not the one you don't have that you think will magically provide something you think is missing. Make some music with what you have.

He said, talking mostly to himself...

I usually have the MJUC in the master buss(very lightly), Softube FET on the guitar buss, CA-2A on vocals, Boz +10 on bass, and Kramer Master Tape on the drum buss.