Marc Daniel Nelson builds a parallel vocal chain around the Waves CLA-76, modeled on the Rev A "Bluestripe" 1176, prized for a spitty, snappy character when driven hard. Blending that aggressive compression under the dry vocal keeps the lead sitting on top of a dense arrangement without squashing the main take.
He adds a de-esser on the parallel path only when the hard compression exaggerates the esses, treating it as a case by case decision rather than a default step.
A touch of Culture Vulture brings harmonic grit and noise into the parallel signal for extra edge. Flipping the parallel bus in and out reveals how much separation and air it adds compared to the dry vocal alone.