When two channels are stereo linked and compressed, will the compressors react to each sides’ level sepaerately or will one sides’ over threshold level affect the other sides’ after compression level?
You can select what channel processing parameters are linked together.
There is a difference between stereo channels, configured via the global Show configuration, and channels linked via ganging.
Stereo channels are using stereo processing, so there is a stereo compressor with only one set of parameters for that stereo channel. The gain reduction will be based on both inputs but be applied also on both input signals.
This will be also be the case when you use ganging and link also the compressors (in fact you can only link blocks of parameters, not only a single parameter like ratio or threshold).
And that behavior makes imho the most sense. If the compressor of each side of the stereo signal acts independent from the other side you will get an unsteady sounding result.
You can select what channel processing parameters are linked together.
I should have worded my response differently to just say…
You can select what channel processing is linked together in stereo linked channels.