Okay, kiddies, I had a little time today to make some audio examples. Don't get all trainspotting on this and talk about level-matching and stuff like that. I set the comp where I thought it sounded good and left it at that.
These were all created in Logic 9.1 using a track from a band I just finished mixing; I either have an I/O plug on a channel strip or an Aux track on which I've inserted the Overstayer (OS from here on out) using the I/O plug and then pinged to compensate for the delay. Converters are SSL Alphalink MADI clocked via an RME HDSPe card.
First up, parallel compression on drums. The file starts with parallel bus muted for the first two bars and then unmutes/mutes each subsequent two bars. Settings for the OS were:
tint: in
drive: 7
dirt: out
output: 1
grab: out
attack: 2.5
release: 8 o'clock
a/r x10: out
l/r link - in
Drums - parallel bus
Next, bass guitar. I had the OS inserted pre-EQ. The first pass through the 2-bar progression is with the Blend knob at 100% dry. The second pass the Blend moves to 50%, and by the 2nd bar of the third pass it's at 100%. Settings:
tint: in
drive: 10
dirt: out
output: 1
grab: out
attack: 1.5
release: 7 o'clock
a/r x10: in
l/r link - out
Bass guitar
Now, on to the 2-bus. The original mix of this song I used my Foote Control Systems P3S on the 2-bus at a 1.5:1 ratio with the threshold at +3; attack was 18ms, release 15ms. The comp was shaving off 2-3dB on the loudest parts of the track and I had the Carnhill trannys on (always...). The OS is a different beast entirely and doesn't have settings to match the P3S, but again, I was setting to sound good, numbers be damned. OS settings:
tint: in
drive: 7
dirt: out
output: 2
grab: in
attack: 2
release: 7
a/r x10: out
l/r link - in
2-bus - Foote P3S 2-bus - OS
You'll have to level match the 2-bus files as the OS is a bit louder in RMS, but no louder on peaks.
So there you go. This is now one of my "desert island" pieces of gear. I'd kill for either a dual-mono or even just a single channel version so I can use the stereo model on stereo buses/2-mix situations and have separate mono ones for bass/vox/etc.