Thomas Juth breaks down how to make a vocal jump out and grab attention immediately, using fast, aggressive compression instead of smoother, slower styles.
His go-to tools are classics like the 1176 or a Distressor. On the Distressor he favors a 6:1 ratio, a rather quick attack around 3-4, and a fast release at 2, and the Distortion 2 setting.
The result is a vocal that feels upfront and urgent rather than polished and tucked in, a useful contrast to gentler compression approaches.