Pre DSP

[Wynnd]

Politicians and Preachers are the worst.  It's the rare politician who really knows how to use a mic without hiding his face.  It was Preachers who got me to even try compression with speeches.  I usually run about an 8:1 ratio with them. 

[walterw]

yeah, the importance of compressing vocals out front was the impetus for one of the biggest fixes of the 2.0 upgrade! if you want a pro-sounding pop-rock mix you gotta compress the vox at least a little, so quiet singing doesn't disappear while loud singing blows up the room (or your speakers).

its probably the number one use if you only have a single channel of compression.

(4:1 with fast attack and release, set so normal singing gets you just a few dB of reduction, sounds natural to me while keeping the vox just on top of the mix where it belongs.)

the issue with feedback is from compressing monitors, which you don't wanna do.

[Wynnd]

This assumes that your FOH isn't louder onstage than the monitors.  My bandmates have gone insane on volume.  I'm just waiting to blow the horn drivers again. 

[Fluddman]

This assumes that your FOH isn't louder onstage than the monitors.  My bandmates have gone insane on volume.  I'm just waiting to blow the horn drivers again.

I feel for you Wyn. I am in a slightly similar situation but at least mine is improving slowly. Our noisiest band mate has started using in ears - that way he can have it as loud as he wants without ruining it for the rest of us. One problem is he really can't tell how loud he is relative to the rest of us and sometimes his stage levels are way to high - but at least now he is happy to turn the stage volume down and his in ears up.

I do play in another band which is focused on keeping the volume down and the sound balanced with vocals soaring over the top. It is bliss!

Cheers