....I suppose, based on the observation from the above quote, that having noisy, crappy background along with untailored non-optimized audio is SO much better than clean background, tailored audio to match the human speech envelope to the radio mic input response and we should all just do it this way to avoid the appearance of 'commercial radio' audio?....
So it seems that what you're implying is that everybody should shell out for the latest audio processing equipment and state of the art mikes so everybody can sound as good as you want them to? You don't really mean THAT do you?
There has got to be a happy medium here. Hams should first learn how to use their equipment, and one of the most neglected lessons is how to speak into a microphone! That one skill, if taught, would eliminate the lion share of audio complaints.That reminds my of something one old ham always used to say to beginners when he saw them 'swallowing' their mikes--"Would you like some salt and pepper to go with that mike--or maybe some butter to help it go down better?" That one thing said in the presence of other hams cured more of the 'mike too close to the mouth' problem than you'd care to know!
No sir, I was NOT suggesting anyone go and buy anything. What I was saying is that just because someone DOES decide to add a little preprocessing to their input audio PRIOR to the mic input, that they should not be hammered by the 'I run all stock so therefore I am the best' crowd and detested and labeled as 'HI-FI Freaks' or anything like that. Using a simple yet VERY effect audio processor like the W2IHY EQ-Plus
correctly (and I emphasize 'CORRECTLY') makes the 'eating the mike' condition a non-starter in my opinion. And it is a known fact that hand mics are GENERALLY notorious for poor audio response and each as a 'sweet spot' where the best response is obtained, whether it be close talked, side talked, eating the mic, whatever. I have used many different type of microphones in nearly 40 years of operating and each has its own personality. I personally find the audio response from my Heil microphones much easier to 'calibrate' to my voice than a stock hand mic, regardless of the manufacturer.
I could not agree MORE with your statement about learning to use the equipment. I am a staunch believer in
RTFM!!! I realize that not everyone is maybe as technically capable as the next person, but we see all the time where people buy gear and then come on the forums and not simply ask a couple of questions to get started but make it appear the want someone else to hold their hand and walk them through the ALL steps in using said gear. Don't get me wrong - I think hams should help one another but also a ham should be able to take the info provided and so some experimenting on their own to solidify that info and learn from it. When buying gear, I will obtain ALL manuals and tech papers on said gear to use while I own it and when I sell it, all the pubs go with the gear.
If you listen to the bands, you can hear the examples of signals where, most likely but not always, the opertor took said gear out of box, tossed the manual and started using the radio with little to no idea what controls do or how to set them properly. If I, for one, hear a person on the air that has a definite issue with audio or signal quality, I try to point that out to them in a way not to belittle or embarass them, but to inform them. If I am not in the QSO with them, I do a quick lookup and see if they have an email. I will try to capture a little of the audio or at least an image off the scope for them to start troubleshooting with. I would hope that others would do the same for me. I monitor my signals, both as audio and visually on a scope when I transmit.
On the topic of buying gear, if more money was spent on creating a top quality, clean, within specs signal and optimizing what is currently being used instead of rushing to buy an amplifier, the signals we hear would be much better I believe. Many appear to think that if they are having problems getting contacts it must be because they operate barefoot instead of 'Wow, maybe my audio sounds like crap and people can understand (or decode) me'.
73
Gene W5DQ
