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Vocal compression settings for beginners in REAPER (with stock ReaComp)
Published August 2, 2026
If your vocal jumps from too quiet to too loud and keeps sliding around under the music, compression is the fix, not more EQ. Add REAPER’s stock ReaComp to the vocal track. Start with a ratio around 3:1, then lower the threshold until the loudest phrases show about 3–6 dB of gain reduction on the meter. Use a medium attack near 10–30 ms and a fairly quick release near 60–150 ms, then raise the output to match the original level. These are starting points, not fixed rules, and every voice needs a little adjusting.
Compression is the effect most beginners understand the least, and it is also the one that makes the biggest difference to a home vocal. A raw vocal has a wide range between its quietest and loudest moments. Some words disappear, others jump out, and the whole thing feels like it will not sit still in the mix. A compressor evens that out by turning down only the loudest parts, so the vocal stays at a steadier level.
The goal here is a vocal that sounds controlled and present without sounding squashed. You do not need a paid plugin. ReaComp ships with REAPER and does everything a beginner needs. Below is what each control does in plain English and a set of starting settings you can adjust by ear.
What compression actually does
A compressor watches your signal and, whenever it gets louder than a level you choose, turns it down automatically. Quiet parts are left alone. The result is a smaller gap between the loud and quiet moments, which is why a compressed vocal feels more even and easier to keep audible in a busy mix.
That is the whole idea. Everything on the plugin is just a way of telling it how loud is too loud, how much to turn down, and how fast to react.
The controls in plain English
ReaComp has more controls than you need on day one. These five do almost all of the work.
- Threshold. The level where compression starts. Anything louder than this gets turned down; anything quieter passes through untouched. Lower the threshold and more of the vocal gets compressed.
- Ratio. How hard it turns down what crosses the threshold.
2:1is gentle,4:1is firmer. A ratio of3:1means that for every 3 dB the signal goes over, only 1 dB comes out. - Attack. How quickly the compressor clamps down once the signal crosses the threshold. A slower attack lets the first punch of each word through before turning down, which keeps consonants crisp.
- Release. How quickly it lets go after the signal drops back under the threshold. Too fast can sound like pumping; too slow can leave the vocal turned down through quiet moments.
- Output / make-up gain. Compression lowers the overall level, so you raise it back up here to match how loud the vocal was before. This is how you fairly compare on and off.
ReaComp shows a gain reduction readout while it works. That number, how many dB it is pulling down on the loudest phrases, is the single most useful thing to watch. Set your threshold by that meter, not by a rule about where the slider “should” go.
Beginner starting settings in ReaComp
Add ReaComp to the vocal track’s FX chain, then dial these in and adjust by ear. Treat every number as a range to explore, not a preset that fits every voice.
Set the ratio first
Start at about 3:1. If the vocal still feels uneven, nudge toward 4:1; if it sounds squashed and lifeless, drop toward 2:1.
Lower the threshold to taste
Play the loudest part of the vocal and lower the threshold until the meter shows about 3–6 dB of gain reduction on those peaks. Light and musical, not crushed.
Set attack and release
Try an attack near 10–30 ms so word starts stay clear, and a release near 60–150 ms so it recovers between phrases. If ReaComp’s Auto release mode is on, it adjusts the release for you, which is a safe beginner default.
Match the level and compare
Raise the output gain until the compressed vocal is as loud as the bypassed one, then toggle the plugin on and off. If it sounds better and steadier, keep it. If louder just tricked you, back the settings off.
ReaComp has an Auto make up option that raises the level for you. It is convenient, but with real attack and release settings it can overshoot and push peaks into clipping. For a predictable result, set the output gain by hand to match the bypassed level and watch that your track is not going over.
EQ first, then compress
Order matters. A compressor reacts to whatever is loudest, and if your vocal has boomy low-mid buildup, the compressor will chase that mud instead of the voice. Clean the tone up first, then compress. If the vocal sounds thick or veiled, see why your home vocal sounds muddy in REAPER before you reach for ReaComp. Compression is also just one stage of a full chain, so if you want the bigger picture of what goes where, read the REAPER vocal chain with stock plugins.
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| Vocal still uneven, words drop out | Not enough compression | Lower threshold or raise ratio toward 4:1 |
| Sounds squashed, flat, lifeless | Too much gain reduction | Raise threshold, lower ratio toward 2:1 |
| Consonants sound dull or soft | Attack too fast | Slow the attack toward 20–30 ms |
| Audible pumping or breathing | Release too fast, or too much reduction | Slow the release, or use Auto release; reduce ratio |
| Room noise rises in the gaps | Release pulls level up between words | Compress less, and clean noise before compression |
What compression will not fix
Compression controls level. That is all it does, so it cannot solve problems that are not about level.
- It will not fix tone. Muddy, nasal, thin, or harsh are EQ problems. In fact heavy compression can make a thin vocal sound even smaller by flattening its dynamics.
- It will not fix pitch or timing. A compressor has no idea whether a note is flat or late.
- It will not remove sibilance. Harsh ess sounds are a narrow, fast level problem that needs a de-esser, which in REAPER is a job for ReaComp set up a specific way. See how to de-ess vocals in REAPER.
- It will not clean up background noise. Worse, a slow release can raise the noise in the quiet gaps, so reduce noise before you compress, not after.
Good compression makes a home vocal sit steadily in the mix and stops it sliding around. It will not turn a rough recording into a pro vocal on its own, but combined with clean tracking and a little EQ, it is what makes a home take start to sound finished.
Reach for compression when the vocal is uneven in level, not when it sounds wrong in tone. In ReaComp, start around a 3:1 ratio, set the threshold for 3–6 dB of gain reduction on the loudest phrases, use a medium attack and a quick or Auto release, then match the output level and compare. Adjust by ear, and stop as soon as the vocal sounds even rather than squashed.
Want REAPER to set this up for you?
The free StudioRescue vocal chain measures your vocal and sets REAPER’s stock plugins, including a ReaComp compression stage like the one above, so you can hear a steadier version in seconds. Stock plugins only, nothing to buy.
Get the free vocal chainSources
- Cockos, “ReaPlugs” - ReaComp described as a compressor bundled with REAPER, with sidechain and detector filtering. reaper.fm/reaplugs
- Cockos, REAPER User Guide (current version 7.78, July 2026) - ReaComp controls: threshold, ratio, attack, release, knee, RMS size, program-dependent auto release, and make-up gain. reaper.fm/userguide
- Cockos, ReaEffects / ReaPlugs Guide - ReaComp detector input, RMS detection window, and auto make-up gain behavior. reaper.fm/guides/ReaEffectsGuide.pdf