My friends and I are starting a band and it's the first time for all of us. Right now we're just playing in a basement and figuring things out. We just got a mic and quickly realized vocals sound BAD without reverb and possibly other effects that are unknown to me. What should I get to make the vocals sound decent? Also probably need help on how to set up the signal chain. Right now the mic is plugged directly into a Roland KC-550.
Also, recommend some bass pedals that won't make me homeless if I buy them. I currently just have a P-Bass going into an Ampeg RB-108.
Your keyboard amp has eq already, I assume. If you haven't, I would adjust that, prioritizing the vocal quality over other instruments if all channels share the same eq. One benefit of a "real" mixer/PA is that each channel gets its own EQ. Reverb is the second most important effect, I'd say. And delay is optional, depending on the genre.
If your mic sucks, that also might contribute to "sounding bad." Does everyone agree the singer sounds bad on your system? If you aren't used to hearing your own voice objectively, you might be thinking it sounds worse than it actually does.
Look into mic technique. The basic idea is you have to actually sing directly into the mic (NOT over the top, and don't hold it like a comic facing straight upwards; it should point into your mouth), making sure you are following the polar pattern of the mic.
With a dynamic mic, there is something called the "proximity effect." The closer the mic is to the singer's mouth, the warmer the sound is gonna be, while farther away makes the sound thinner. But you have to pull the mic an inch or three away when you sing especially loudly or high pitch or you will break everyone's eardrums.
A good baseline distance is a finger's width or two between your mouth and the mic. If you sing very loud in general, 3 fingers might be appropriate.
And during mic check, don't just talk. Actually sing like you're actually planning to sing. Seems obvious but many singers just say check 1 2 but that's usually quieter and less melodious than singing.
Somebody once told me "air is the best mixer." What that means is if you're practicing in a small room, it's gonna sound shittier than a real venue, in terms of sound quality.
Oh, another pitfall is oversinging. If you can't hear yourself singing, the instinct is to sing louder. But this can make you sound shitty and lowers your stamina. Ideally you have a vocal monitor, but if not, position yourself so you can hear a little of what is coming from the amp. Without letting the mic feedback.
It's a very small room so it needs a lot of help lol