Is it better to use compression on vocals or limiting? And what are some prefered settings to start out with? :)

when is compression really necessary?
I have a habbit of adding some form of compression to every instrument channel and vocals.

any tips for use of compression?

Hi there! i'm pretty new to all of this and i must say i invested quite a nice amount of cash in equipment/software and things...

I use my computer to record my girlfriend which is a pretty dynamic singer (Celine dion/Barbra streisand) type of voice...really powerfull when she hits high notes.

My equipment presently :

Hey, I was wondering the other day about which one you think is the best software compressor out there, just curious :)

Hi there I'm looking to purchase a 8 channel preamp.

I am fairly new into recording. I understand many of the different concepts involved with regards to EQ, panning, compression and everything else. But I still need to take my mixes to the next level.

Hello All,
I am relatively new to the whole recording arena and am soaking up as much as I can. I am faced with a new obstacle now - multiband compression.
I am at the mastering point of production. I have a tightly recorded and mixed song that sounds pretty balanced to me and the people I know with recording experience.

I'm always a little unsure about applying compression while tracking vocals. I know different vocalist call for different approaches, so i'm looking for some general guidlines to get started. Generally i'm pretty conservative on the front end. I use an Avalon or universal audio running through an AMEK 9098 compressor.

I would like some hints about applying compression across the mix bus. I'm unsure about attack and release times, ratio, and threshold parameters. I understand what these parameters do, but don't feel confident setting them. I'm using an AMEK 9098compressor in Pro Tools. I'm doing a lot of pop/rock mixes. If anyone has any thoughts I would greatly appreciate some direction.

I dont really understand the mechanical (and thus sonic) differences between these 2 types of compressors. I am starting to look into vocal compression and I am trying to understand the science behind compressors.
Justin