Try automation before another compressor
Use intentional level moves when the musical role changes between phrases.
Name the level problem
One phrase jumps out or drops away, and the reflex is another compressor. I ride a fader before I reach for a second compressor.
Decide whether an individual word, a complete phrase or the whole track needs a change. These are different tasks and need not share one solution.
Listen through a complete section before drawing automation. Mark the moments where attention moves away from the intended lead.
Draw a reversible move
Make a modest level change with transitions that suit the performance. Review the start and end of the move so it does not create an audible step.
Remember that automation before a dynamics processor can change how strongly that processor reacts. Automation after it changes the resulting balance instead.
Compare in context
Listen to the entire phrase with the automation enabled and bypassed. Keep the change only if it improves the intended musical emphasis.
Revisit the following section as well. Save the earlier version and avoid adding a processor merely because one phrase needed a manual adjustment.
Rory