Vocal Compression Settings for Attack and Release

Start vocal compression with a phrase that has a hard consonant, a loud held note and a quieter word right after it. Those three moments tell you what to adjust. The attack changes how much of the front of the word comes through. The release changes how the compressor lets go as the singer moves into the next word. Set both while the vocal is in the mix, where you can hear which syllables are hard to follow.

Vocal compression settings to start with

For a lead vocal that needs leveling, try a 3:1 ratio, an attack around 10–20 ms and a release around 80–150 ms on a compressor with time readouts. Bring the threshold down until the louder words show about 2–4 dB of gain reduction. Timing scales and response vary by compressor, so use these numbers to get close and adjust from the sound of the phrase.

• Threshold and ratio set how much the loud words come down. Loop the loudest phrase you need to control and lower the threshold gradually. If the loud words settle but the softer delivery still has room to move, you’re close.
• Attack sets how quickly gain reduction builds. Go faster when hard consonants poke out ahead of the notes. Ease it back when words lose their edge and start to feel harder to understand.
• Release sets how quickly the gain comes back. If the note after a loud syllable sounds held down, try a shorter release. If the level seems to swell between words, try a longer one and listen to the breaths and the gaps.
• Makeup gain lets you judge the result at a similar level. Toggle bypass on the same phrase and match the perceived loudness with the compressor’s output gain. The peaks may be different after compression. Use the level of the phrase as your reference.

Hear KC1 on the same vocal phrase

Play the two clips from our KC1 vocal demo. Listen to the start of each word and how its level sits through the note. This pair gives you the bypassed and compressed versions of the performance. Use the exercise below to compare the two timing controls separately at matched levels.

Compare attack and release at the same listening level

Put KC1 on a lead vocal and switch to Manual so you can set attack and release independently. Use the same loop for each pass. Start at 3:1 with Mix fully wet, and set the threshold so the loud words come down a few dB. Leave the ratio, threshold and input alone while you change the timing.

1. Compare two attack settings. Leave release where it is. Save a slower-attack pass, then make a faster one. Match each pass with KC1’s Gain control or with a trim after the plugin. Switch between the same words and listen to the first consonant before the note opens up. Pick the setting that controls hard peaks while keeping the words clear.
2. Compare two release settings. Keep that attack setting. Make a shorter and a longer release pass and match their levels again. Listen to the quieter word right after the loud one. A long release can carry reduction into that next word, and a short release can make the breath between them jump forward. Move the release until the transition feels like part of the performance.

For a fair check, match the average listening level over the same phrase before choosing a setting. A loudness meter can help you get close. Then switch back and forth with the instruments playing and listen for whether the words sit at the level you want.

When the vocal needs a different move

If a couple of words trigger much more reduction than the rest of the take, lower those words with clip gain before compression. This gives the compressor a more even performance to work with, while letting you decide which phrases should still stand out. Use a fader ride after compression when a whole line needs to come up against the arrangement.

When S sounds or breaths get distracting after compression, listen to them again with the output level matched. If the consonant itself is the issue, a targeted de-esser can let you keep the attack and release that worked for the rest of the line. Place it before the compressor if sibilance is driving the gain reduction, or after it if you hear the problem in the compressed result.

To hear how different designs react to the same kind of move, read our guide to compressor types. For this exercise, try KC1 free for 14 days and listen to how Manual timing changes the shape of a phrase you know well.