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I agree but the combination of this article with the previous discussion, along with some experimenting on my part at least gave me a very good idea. And then it also explained some of the ways of playing by Michael Brecker with his almost over the top punch attack (on some of his recordings) where I was always listening and just thinking "how in the world?" I know he did a lot of experimenting with reverb and compression and of course most of it is his playing but "I can hear it now".
Do you have any examples of that?
Are you sure that you’re not referring to the auto wah effect he used (as did Wilton Felder - Crusaders / probably many others in the ‘70’s) ?
Sure, it's definitely possible but listening to his solo on Everyday I Thank You, my (naive) ears lean towards a compressor. I'm certainly not the expert in that matter but take a listen. Lots of reverb, too.
Can you indicate a specific time stamp where a compressor is an audible effect? I'm not saying there isn't, just that most engineers I know strive to use a compressor in a way that that you don't actually hear it as a compressor. ie the best compressors are transparent but they can do a bit ( or a lot) of magic in the mix.
Maybe the time is different, but the solo for me doesn't start until 4:08 and I cannot hear anything unusual. But I hear something specifically at 4:20 that almost sounds like the note has been started half way through, ie no normal articulation start to the note. But I wouldn't immediately think "compressor"
But still have a lot to learn. And a lot of what I learn is from noobs. I wouldn't have noticed the thing at 4:20 but maybe it is caused by compression. You are right that slow compression can amplify the attack of note, but then so can the player (in a different way of course).
Absolutely yes, but I have tried pretty much everything I could think of to get that specific kind of attack he has (not on all recordings), which is hard to describe because it is ultra-smooth but yet with an incredible punch. There is another recording of "James" (which I can't find anymore) where he's doing it even more extreme. And, of course, Brecker is Brecker, beyond human but I read somewhere that he was among the protagonists of using effects on his sax playing, no surprise, of course.
Just sounds like standard Brecker to me. Long reverb tail yes, but that’s not uncommon.
Having listened on my phones instead of my phone (up to my ear), you do realise that from 4'08" - the first part that you mention, Pat Metheny is in unison with Brecker - this will account for the extra bite on his attack.
It certainly makes it very difficult to analyse.
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