[hduncan]

I appreciate the response but I don't know what I'm listening for!

I know how a compressor works and what every knob does but I want to know your (veteran engineers) opinion is of WHAT constitues a squashed peice versus optimal -(via audio samples) so I can hear what you mean when you say "squashed".

I, as a novice, find that its hard to know what's too much or not enough... If someone can show me what the pros consider to be the extremes, I have a better starting point to develop my own educated style