Of course! I did look briefly at the Vocal Chain, but didn’t consider the significance of the exciter element. I am quite happy with my vocal sound and control, so I didn’t pay a lot of attention to the details. I will definitely check it out and let you know how I think it shapes up. Many thanks.
FWIW, to answer the original question, I’d use a soft compressor with long look-ahead and very slow release (measured in seconds) and maybe an expander on the other end.
Anyway, the vocal chain looks pretty cool, so maybe that will make me consider the 13 upgrade…