Compressor pedals - When to have one?

[howard]

Got it!

some more focused info then that might interest you both

What exactly does a compressor do?

I know this might seem like a strange/silly question to most, but I am indeed unsure what exactly a compressor does! And by “does” I mean what it does to the tone, not so much the technology how it does what it does. I have little problem imagining what a distortion effect does, or even a chorus and a flanger, heck even a noise gate and a fuzz-wah… But, even though it is one of the most common effects, I am still a bit unsure what exactly a compressor does. So, what does it do to the tone and …