The compression/expansion and brightmodes are more for freaking out IMO.
Bridge pup + expansion + chords + dirt pedal + big ass amp = thhe rythmn guitard starts to feel the existential threat.
That's my most of the time setting with the RD (or, to be fair, neck, normal mode, bass up, treble down, mudbucker simulation sort of thing for cleaner more melodic bits). Granted don't use the RD as my main weapon. The dude from Metz does, and on the records it certainly sounds like he uses bright mode sometimes. FX mode is hard because it could be pedals. RDs have a bit of a cult following with the heavier musics and (I guess I don't know what sort of stuff you do) I expect part of that is the non-normal modes (and the look).
... anyway, I was thinking the chordy rhythm bit I did on one song we recorded (used the Triumph on everything) wasn't sounding right; now thinking I should retrack it with the RD and how the bloody hell it didn't occur to me to switch (That's what happens when you wear to many hats in the studio, I suppose).