no no, that's the way i do:
let's say 8 drum tracks with audio file, and their fx to make the cool sound for each one (usually, eq for fixing resonances, comp and eq to cut just the final drum mix).
then, i create two empty tracks that i call "bus drums" and "bus parallel".
Then i send the 8 tracks to both the busses.
So now i have 2 busses with the drum mix.
Till now, no difference cpu usage, just a couple of sends.
Then i want to process the whole drum mix into the song mix as a single instrument (which drum is in reality) so i m going to eq and compress it to cut the song mix..cpu usage? yes the plugin i use on this track..but hey...i need them even without the second bus right?
On the second bus, where i have the clean drums, without the new eq and comp i put on the other bus, i applied only the comp, squeezing it as much as i can without ruin the sound to have all the punch the drum can have.
cpu usage? the same of applying a comp to the other bus :P
Then i adjust this level to give to my "real drum" the cool punch.
What's the difference between having a dedicated bus for the punch compression and putting it on the drum bus directly?
In this way i dont squeeze my "final drum mix" with his own eq but i squeeze the "clean drum mix".
A compressor after or before an eq gives a different result by a compressor without any eq