Posted on 
Feb 19, 2003 06:05 pm Here's my take:
Kick Drum - Set the ratio to about 4:1 - this will even out the louder hits but still allow for some dynamic range. Set the attack to about 15ms (That'd be 4 or 5 "ticks" past slow on a knob selector) and the release to about 85ms (but it depends on the speed of the track - the faster the track, the quicker the release). This will give the kick a more accented attack which will help it cut through.
Snare Drum - I like REALLY cutting snares - the type that could cut through concrete, let alone a distorted guitar :) I set the ratio to about 8:1 (I told you I like it sounding compressed :) and the attack to about 25ms and the Release to about 120ms (again, depends on the tempo of the piece - the faster it is, the shorter the release time) - this will again, give it an accented attack, but will then give it a REALLY solid sustain and release - just keep pushing that threhold down until it starts to scream at you - and remember to jack up the output gain to compensate.
As a final tip - try a bit of compression on your overheads - ratio of about 3:1, attack set to medium (about 25-45ms) and the release pretty slow (140+ ms) - this will give your drums a more "polished" sheen to them.
Hope that helps a bit.
jues.
