Equipment specific questions about vocal mixing and mastering with an instrumental

[MackyPro]

I have read this forum for years and its time I finally start chiming in instead of being a ghost.

I've been extremely confused with my mixes and I need a little help. Everything I have read, I try and it comes out terribly

Recording equipment: Pro tools 10, Focusrite Saffire 6 USB, Art Tube MP, Mxl 67G


First Issue:
Compression on the vocals -
I've been using, normally Rcompressor, which is a great plugin, and adding about -3 to - 4 of compression and adding 3 or 4db back in.
I have a lot of background fuzz coming from the vocal when I do this! I can't stand it! It almost sounds like a static like its being picked up from the computer fan or something but thats impossible because the mic is far away enough in a semi-treated area. Does anyone have any idea why I am picking up so much fuzz or static?

Second Issue:
In my mix I can get my vocals sound super crispy and clean. But when it comes to mastering and making the track sound together as a song I'm falling short. What plug-ins should I be adding on my master track? Normally I am doing this - SSLCOMP, LinEQ, J37 - Fat & Open - Aphix vintage Exciter with a master setting tweaked then a L2 for volume control. It always sounds terrible on different speakers. It only sounds good on one or two speakers. As well, I know its a difficult task to uncompress an instrumental that you download but does anyone have an idea of how to open up an instrumental to make the vocals sit well in it? Usually on the instrumental track I will add a Lineq to try to pull up or push down different parts of the beat and a center plug in to raise the side information of the beat. I just cant get anything to sound right.


If someone could please give me some information based on my equipment and what I am working with it would be much appreciated. I love engineering for my friends but its getting to the point where my mixes are so bad that I think I would rather stop then continue we all know that wont happen though

Thanks,
Macky


EDIT: I've read the forums on these topics multiple times, with no solution to my issues.

 

[rhythmgj]

With compression, like all of recording, it's GIGO ("garbage in, garbage out"). Compression will not only crush your vocal for you, but also anything else (noise) in the background of that track. So compression is great, but make sure that you're feeding your compressor with a clean signal, or the make-up gain will bring-up not only the vocal volume, but the background noise as well. The noise itself is impossible to diagnose from just a brief verbal description. If you could post an example, that might help.

As far as making a vocal "sit" well in a finished track that you have not recorded/mixed/mastered, that is also a difficult task. There are different techniques (but posting a sample of what you're talking about would help here too).

GJ