@Biglb79 , one particular problem with compression is it can be used in so many different ways. It can be used to gently even out your tone, add punch, add sustain, limit, as an effect, etc. With some of these uses you don't really hear it, but you can feel it subtlety messaging your signal as you play. When I play with compression, I typically only use enough to feel and not really hear it.
Many if not most bass rigs develop enough natural compression when they are turned up, that I don't feel the need to use a compression pedal. However, a couple of my amps have built in compressors that sound really nice. Also I have one amp that I feel sounds significantly better with the compressor engaged, my Mesa M9. The compressor seems to really tighten up the lows, which can be very hard to control with this amp.
I am not confident that compression is 100% of your problem though. It could be the bass. To find out, I suggest turning off both compressors and switching back and fourth between finger style and slap. If the volume is not relatively balanced between the two styles then it's most likely the bass, the setup, or possibly your technique, which is somewhat dependent on setup. If the sound is relatively balance between both styles, you should be able to manage by simply adjusting your technique.
Since you have two compressors I would consider doing the following: Setup the amp for very light compression when you are playing finger-style. Use the MXR only for slap and dial the level and compression in for the specific slap tone your are after.
Some people like a really compressed slap tone. In other words, the are using enough compression for it to create and audible effect. IMHO
, but if that is the tone you are going for, you definitely need some makeup gain to boost your level up because the heavy compression will knock your level down and/or limit your headroom so much that you will need a boost.
Even though your compressors probably do not allow you to adjust all of the compression parameters, it would be beneficial for you to Google and read some articles on compression. Then you would have a better understand of what is going on. This understanding would help you see why your compressors may be working really well for you, or really poorly. Parameters to understand: Attack, Release, Ratio, Threshold, Knee, Gain, Makeup Gain. This looks like a decent article to start you off:
How To Use a Compressor: The Easy To Follow Guide (10 Top Tips)
Another thing to understand is how the threshold is set on your compressors. Studio compressors may have discrete controls for all of the parameters I mentioned above. This means you can set the Gain and Threshold separately. Some have a fixed input Gain but a variable Threshold. Most compressor pedals have a fixed threshold with a variable input Gain. Essentially you adjust the Gain to determine the level of the signal in relation to the Theshold, instead of adjusting the Threshold in relation to the signal.
Although rare, some compressor pedals give you control over most if not all of the Parameters. For example, here is an image of the original Empress compressor.
It has separate controls for Gain (Input), Attack, Release, Ratio, and Makeup Gain (Output). There are no user controls for Knee. There is also one extra parameter (Mix) that allows you to combine the dry (uncompressed signal) with the wet (compressed) signal. This feature allows what is commonly called "parallel compression."
This version of the Empress is obsolete and a new bass specific version is available with an HPF
Bass Compressor
While having access to all of the Parameters is cool if you know how to use them, it can be very confusing if you don't. Some people love to tinker and some don't. If you don't like to tinker, you need to find gear that is setup the why you like. In other words somebody has already adjusted the parameters to your needs, so there is no need for a bunch of confusing controls.
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