voical compression
I dont know if everyone will agree with me but this works for me and never fails. Acually when you record first try two be about 2-4inches away from the mic do not move around so much, secondly it is almost impossable recording vocals with no compresser. It sounds like you need to raise the input level on your compresser loud enough so that the lower levels can be heard clearly but dont over do it because you dont what to distort the higher or louder levels.
Then depending upon your compresser you will raise or lower the threshold to even out the louder levels of your song, for example my compresser goes from 0 through -80, other compressers can go from 0 through +100 the point of a compresser is to make the lower and the louder levels to come to the same volume level. If you are using my type of compresser lower the threshold levels to about -20 through -40.
you must play and tweak around until the levles match, now on the other type of compressers you probably will go from 60+ to maybe 85+ again you have to play around to match the levels, your level may be way different than what I would use for what I do, may be 20+ through +35., Now you have to tweak with the release and the attack, usually I will keep my attck somewhere on the higher range and my release will go in the mid levels but again this will probably change with your style. If you do not adjust your attack and realse right your voice will pulse and you will be able to hear it you have to get rid of that. Sometimes you will not have to change the attack or release but maybe lay off the threshold a bit. I am sure there is someone around that will be able to give you the exact levels on the compresser. You just have to experiment and tweak. Because every song I do has a different compresser setting depending on sing, wispering, yelling, or lower levels of singing.