Improving home vocal recordings: mic placement, gain staging, room treatment

[Aaron_J]

I'm a musician recording my debut EP at home, and while I'm comfortable with instrumentals, I'm really struggling to get professional-sounding vocal takes—my recordings often sound thin, have inconsistent levels, and pick up too much room ambiance despite using a decent condenser mic in a treated space. I know my vocal recording techniques need work, from mic placement and gain staging to performance delivery. For home studio producers or vocalists, what were the most impactful changes you made to your vocal chain and recording process? How do you position the mic and use pop filters effectively for different vocal styles, and what are some simple processing steps you always do during recording versus saving for the mix to keep the takes clean and powerful?