How do I remove the tappiness out of percussion?

[loopdon]

Yes it`s easy to overuse compression.
But also, compression has many uses, so it`s not only a case of when, but of how, as well.

As for parallel compression.
I`m not convinced. I`ve never really seen it or used it in a proper hardware studio, so in my opinion if you are needing to mix in some original sound source, then you`ve probably just compressed the sound wrongly/badly

What's the definition of "wrongly/badly"? Now that's thin ice to me.

If you think of it, it's nothing but layering, i'd say. I want certain qualities from the original sample mixed in with changed/exaggerated qualities caused by compression.

I could of course do that on two separate channels.

But if i am true i don't know if i do it very often or always? Same as with sidechaining something to something; but i daren't say it's useless or bad practice just because i don't always/ever use it.