Clint,
Damned good question...what's compression about...
Don't know, but been a hard core compression freak before they had digital. Even have a coveted antique Gray Ross floor box with all the diodes not leaking.
My subjective experience if you play real real loud.. Once you cross the RMS value of an amp in a live setting, limiting and distortion clipping start to come into play. At extremes, you cross into compression.
Went to digital late in my game. All know we are trying to recreate the flaws of the tape era that the industry has imprinted upon. If we were robots, screw it all and render math perfection but we are not.
Input compression is a blessing and a curse that has to be balanced with the intervention of a noise gate. Got several pristine metal floor stomps and all the digital versions.
Do input comp for the definition of the guitar's note. Attack takes a few millisec if set right and accents the initial presence. Decay allows the ring and sustain. Bells with a bite if done right.
Melda's superiority is twofold in my book.
First an incredible compression machine.
Second, the ability to script the compression curve to your specific environment. If someone else can come close to this, please let me know.
Doesn't affect keyboard players, but us guitar bangers have every avenue of hum attack coming in if you even slightly compress. Battle in ancient.
MCompressor elegantly dives into the XY amplitude dynamic and allows subtle control over the noise floor and how it is managed. Means some independent vst noise gates, good noise gates have an all or nothing clip at some level that crackles harsh on and off. MCompressor manages the signal all in one drawing a soft transition.
Posting here to pass on maybe dumb and backwoord inspirations. Selfish motive is to get educated by better experiences and opinions.
Given compression and the noise collateral damage, anyone using a killer gate?. Nomad Liquid Gate is on the top of my list. Anything better than MCompressor's custom draw? Probably not.
Best,
John