HI Mr Vinyl,
To match volume, you usually do it on a predetermined sine frequency: the norm is 1 khz. So we don't do it using program material like drun hits, rather on a preset pure frequency like a sine wave. If the SPL was 85 db for the sine frequency, the drum hit would probably be a bit higher in SPL, say the true value was 100 db.
IF there was compression that was due to the component under study, then in one case the drum hit would register at 96 db, and in the other at 100 db. Or itwould do 100 db for both, but there would be more distortion.
-akhilesh