We now use Shure AGC processors with a 2.8-1 ratio, hinge points set 3dB below our target level of 0dB, 1.0s decay, .4s attack. Final result sounds very much like a public radio broadcast which is what the listeners want. Both plosives and sibilance must be under control before the signal hits the AGC or the results will be sub-optimum. AGC provides a simpler more consistent approach to dynamic range reduction, especially for the spoken word, than compression and fixed manual makeup gain can ever hope to.
