Many hams strive for the perfect signal on both receive and transmit sides, whether for rag chew or nets, needle bending armchair copy DXing or contesting, etc. All begins with your voice.
Adjustable Downward Expanders from EQplus provide fast and transparent noise reduction for an optimal signal-to-noise ratio, matching guidance in radio ALC circuits and speech processors.
1. What is an EQ?
An equalizer adjusts frequencies within a signal to create an appealing audio experience for listeners. Originally developed as analog recording equipment, equalizers have since made the leap into digital audio processing technology.
Most people are familiar with the basic three-band equalizers found on home stereo receivers with presets like “Rock” or “Jazz.” These simple EQs allow users to quickly increase bass levels, reduce treble levels or add midrange; making for quick changes. But audio equalization encompasses much more than simply these three bands to deliver more refined results.
There are various types of equalizers, and each offers its own distinctive set of controls. You may already be familiar with graphic EQs found on consumer stereos that feature faders with frequency labels beneath. With these types of EQs, you can boost or decrease certain frequencies; just remember that whenever you boost one frequency by increasing another one as well in order to maintain balance in sound output.
Parametric equalizers offer greater control and sophistication, including the ability to notch out very precise frequencies. Parametric EQs are popular among professional studio recordings for making fine adjustments in tight spaces; many amateur radio operatorss favor them for their superior capabilities and precise control over every element of an audio signal.
No matter which EQ you opt for, it is essential to keep in mind that any time an additional device is added between your microphone and radio, an impedance mismatch occurs that could reduce sound quality. A radio was designed to work at 600 ohms so any additional output will cause audio fidelity issues.
EQplus differs from other radio interfaces and microphone amplifiers in that it does not require you to plug your mic directly into it; rather, it works together with it for optimal audio processing, interfacing, level control, connectivity and operating convenience. With its built-in compressor delivering commanding presence while its adjustable Downward Expander (DE) removing unwanted background noise for an optimal signal-to-noise ratio.
2. What is the purpose of an EQ?
An equalizer (EQ) is designed to adjust various elements of audio signal in order to produce a pleasing listening experience for its listener. EQs may be used to boost high end, reduce low end or remove certain frequencies altogether – usually subtle but sometimes noticeable changes can take place; ultimately the goal is for all parts of a song or audiobook to work cohesively, whether that means accentuating hi-hat cymbals that might otherwise get drowned out by bass guitar chords or smoothening out narration voices over audiobooks or any combination thereof.
Please keep in mind that equalization processing is highly subjective and the result will depend on personal taste as well as equipment and acoustics of the room in which it’s played back. Furthermore, professional EQ apps and software have presets specifically tailored by experts for maximum usefulness in an attempt to please both listeners and other engineers reviewing and mixing tracks into final form. This is why many professional apps feature presets designed to satisfy both parties involved – listener as well as engineers reviewing/mixing track.
A typical graphic equalizer consists of 10 to 31 filter bands that, combined, cover the full frequency spectrum. Individual bands can be customized by shifting sliders up or down for gain control in each range; small changes to one slider’s position, expressed in decibels (dB), can often have significant results on sound.
High pass and low pass filters are among the simplest forms of equalization available, providing gradual frequency reduction above a user-specified cutoff point, leaving all frequencies below it unchanged. By contrast, a low pass filter will boost frequencies below a cutoff point while simultaneously cutting frequencies above it down to zero.
At this point, it should be made clear that using an equalizer (EQ) to improve poor-quality music should never be done! Any attempt to force audio beyond your radio’s audio system into being will actually make it worse as each time another device enters into the chain you lose some quality due to impedance mismatch.
3. How do I use an EQ?
EQing sound involves adjusting the relative strengths of various frequencies. This process can help improve audio fidelity by eliminating certain frequencies that muddy up the audio, or by amplifying particular ones that don’t quite come through well enough. However, it should be remembered that EQing can only go so far; increasing frequencies beyond what the microphone element can produce may result in distortion instead.
Remember to also utilize microphones with built in tone controls for improving audio fidelity, especially if there is an unpleasant tone or frequency that sounds “muddy or old.” These controls may provide valuable assistance if your mic has flat or dull tones or frequencies which sound old or muddy.
Remember, too, that microphone quality has a profound influence on how a person sounds over the air. A cheaper microphone may lack sensitivity at certain frequencies and result in muffled audio quality while more expensive microphones feature greater sensitivity for more natural-sounding results.
Also, proximity and positioning around a microphone can have an enormous effect on how someone sounds; that is why announcers achieve deep voices by standing very close to the mic and taking advantage of proximity effect.
Most mixers feature graphic or parametric equalization capabilities to help improve audio fidelity, typically with knobs to adjust volume, center frequency, and Q settings. Higher-end models may even come equipped with fully adjustable parametric equalization features for added control over how your sound comes out. While EQ’s can add some depth and versatility in how sound comes across the radio dial, use of these effects should be done sparingly as too much of them could alter its natural qualities and cause interference between stations.
4. What is the best EQ for ham radio?
Ham radio (amateur radio) is an international hobby that encompasses social chitchat, disaster alerts and digital transmission between ham operators on different continents. Many amateurs (hams) also enjoy experimenting with computer-controlled equipment to extend range or increase data types that they transmit. A ham can use any frequencies not reserved for international broadcasting or commercial communication services – so getting started typically requires taking an exam administered by volunteer examiners in your locality and passing multiple levels of licensing tests before beginning operations on any particular frequency band.
The EQplus audio processing suite was specifically designed to meet the demanding challenges of amateur radio, featuring an adjustable low noise preamp that delivers mic-level signals to your microphone input. Our dual-band EQ provides peaking and shelving to maximize voice intelligibility and our Compressor and Downward Expander provide advanced processing to reduce background noise picked up by microphone, resulting in improved signal-to-noise ratio; this provides significant advantages over speech processors built into some radios which may actually degrade sound quality by raising the noise floor!
The EQplus Tone Control adds the finishing touches, enabling you to apply just a small amount of high-frequency enhancement for improved clarity and sound quality. Excessively increasing or reducing high frequencies beyond what the radio can produce can produce harsh or boxy sounds; especially noticeable when operating CW mode. A small increase at 2500 Hz improves articulation of syllables while eliminating over-EQing which results in murky voice from over-EQing; it’s essential for intelligibility – too much boost could produce sudden loud sounds which could become annoying to listeners.