In the world of compressors, there are two schools of thought. One ideal holds that compressors should subtle, ninja-like, there but not there. Fans of the Barber Tone Press and (to some degree) the Keeley Compressor fall into this camp. The other ideal holds that compressors are only worth their salt if they add some real texture of their own, building in a flavor that somehow does more than just rein in the peaks and valleys of the EQ. The king of this latter school of thought is the MXR Dyna Comp.
Released in 1972, the Dyna Comp was one of the first compressors on the market. It was the basis for the heralded Ross Compressor and paved the way for staples such as the Boss CS-2 and CS-3.