Twist the knobs till it sounds good.
Kidding. Sorta.
Depends on the rapper's flow, the tempo of the song, and a dozen other variables. Usually when I'm teaching interns or assistants to track rap vocals, I use the Distressor, so here's some points I go over with them:
- don't overdo it; err on the side of undercompression
- faster flows and/or faster tempos typically require faster release times, otherwise you may end up losing a syllable or five following a loud peak
- set the compressor differently for each rapper, on each song; there's no one-size-fits-all setting
- if the rapper is spitty or really punches certain syllables (like that one dude from Slum Village), higher ratios work well
- if the rapper is smooth (like, um...remember that dude Mase? hee hee), lower ratios are good
- lower ratios (2:1, 3:1) on the Distressor are soft-knee curves
- LISTEN closely when setting the attack time; you don't wanna suck the life out of vocal
- if you give a shit about the performer/performance, stop them if they punch a syllable too hard or move in too close or get way off axis and cause some weird pumping or other change in level. It'll take 30 seconds to punch the line in, and it'll save you a headache. Plus then the emcee will trust you, which is huge
- last: READ THE ****ING MANUAL!!! This is huge, especially with the Distressor. That manual is one of the best dissertations on compression ever, period. Plus, the Distressor has a lot of interesting and somewhat hidden features. For example, different ratios have different gain reduction, attack, and release envelopes. Knowing that shit comes in handy.
Good luck, and congrats on the buy!
