The AM Forum

Good Day All,

 In my unsatable thirst for knowledge of Audio Anything and my unstable approach to gizmos gadgets and wiz bang latest and greatest anything, i have aquired the EQplus box from the man W2IHY, it arrived today.

 Now before we start cat calling and Jack you have to stop this, i would like to give Julius a Day on the board here, I have a very Great Liking for Julius and a deep respect for him and he's just the nicest Guy :D , i really enjoy conversing with him and to great lengths...i can't get off the phone with him..LOL...so here we go and this is my first impressions of the little Black Box as it was handed to me.

 It is/was Packaged in double box fashion with rather nice Material, all cableing is packaged seperately the box itself is wraped in a nice plastic bag and wraped Well, and all contents was stowed in a very handleable fashion, it took the riggors of UPS very well... :D all contents arrived well and the little black box in fine shape and the controls are seemingly tight and bright, Paint is a Flat Black not wrinkled, oh well, a nice Hefty little unit....included is an upgrade paper on the 8 band EQ and as well all literiture on the EQplus seemingly very nice treatise on the unit, i will relate my finished thoughts on this later as well...

 OK I had asked for a Cable for the Ten-Tec 538 and a cable for the Yeasu FT-897D and a cable to mate it to the 8 band EQ i had built a few years ago, so now i will have to pull that out and add it to the line up, the Idea behind this excersion is the modifing of the 897 i have fouind a way to open up the DSP filtering to 6Kcs or at least this is what i found when i swept the rig...in transmit so my idea here is to experiment Audibly with headroom at 2.5 Kcs width...i'm figuring Skirting at -60db to be about 2.9 just over 300Hz just over spec so that's equivilant to 150Hz either side i am talking -60Db down so...keep the neighbors Happy and Not Hogging the band, idea being shoot for a Flat Response...

 It is Possible with this rig to have some real nice Full Audio at 2.5Kcs on recieve so my test is to see the same response on transmit...of course i am talking about Scientific Set Back but the rig does have a very nice sounding recieve..So i will see...what Transpiers here...I can always widen or Shorten as needed to find the sweet spot...in keeping with the rules...

 So my testing will be done on 17 meters and if anyone is interested here or there i will be reporting my findings here...with some luck and alot of patients i'm hoping for a successful experiment... :D


 Not necessairly AM but Not necessairly ESSB either... an investigation in Audio...then i think i will apply it to the AM xmitter... :D

Good Day All,

 Welp after a Day at my bench yesterday, it was a wash as far as the weather is concerned, and as such this morning i have a snow covered yard that i awoke to this AM.

 As to my findings if anyone is interested, first off i have found that 3 Kcs is the benchmark if any assemblance of what is percieved to be Hi-Fi Audio is to be found, However, a somewhat Decent Flat response is to be had at 3.9 kcs and above and  that would put me on the carpet with Riley...therefore i made no "Contact" air transmissions, only One to check frequency for "Clear" and to throw a Test pattern out to capture the envelope on the System here. and I Have succumbed to this ESSB mode if one wants this Sound to be found...the Limits are going to have to be stretched to achieve a Decent Sound...is this Legal..? or is it not..? Now i understand what alot of these fellas are doing and are they at the Limits of the rules...?

This was done with both of my DSP rigs testing was done feeding both at the inputs of the DSP chips passing the audio past the mike amps and after all the work put forth i find it isn't worth it...but i have gained a better working knowledge of DSP chip sets and alogrithims...hi hi...of course this is just my opinion and a somewhat pleasant sound can be found at lower response 2.9kcs being the benchmark there.. if that is acceptable to the operator but Not Hi-Fi in my opinion...

As to the EQPlus....Well, alot of experimenting was done there...quite a few  hours i spent adjusting the "Little Black Box"..the controls do their job, Initial setup was a Snap, Cableing was to my advantage and expensive.. hi hi...Total investment on this Excersion was to the tune of 414.99, Well that may be a tidy Sum to some, Yes it is....quite Expensive in the Tight Asp crowd... :D  But this is My First Real Documented Opinion i have ever done on the net so i feel a total and complete discription is in order...

First off Read the pamplets and extra paperwork given...this is a Must to do, Julius is very in tune with his equipment as i expected, and Very interested in what you the buyer can and will do and how to handle his equipment..a Good starting point to think of... Feeding is NOT a Problem i fed the unit at different output levels from the 8 band eq and all was handled very well by the input gain and no noticeable distortion was found, However..pay Very close attention to the indicator...on the unit..clipping will occur if over driven this is a good thing and handled very well, Now,,all the controlling attributes Work, i did find a problem on compression Noise canceling effect.."Don't use it"...it creates a crackling noise what would be percieved as a "Poping affect"...Junk don't use it...not needed if the input audio is set up correctly....the "Echo" affects do work and different asymetry can be had depending again on how the input Audio is set up....Important Stress is placed here in my opinion...Dull is Dull, Flat is Flat, and Mike Choice is the answer ....

Overall, a nice piece of gear, i had found some "Phasing Noise" at the output......UM, this is to be expected and can be handled by how the user feeds the audio in what ever rig is to be used...most mic amps and DSP chips sets will cancel this out and squash the Amp noise...this happened with both of my rigs here...and, i did introduce a Jension tranny between the set up and "ALL" noise was cancled...

So, it does work, it does add enhancement, it does it's Job, So Nice Job to Julius and Job well done...

This my Opinion and hope it helps anyone who is interested in this aspect of the Service...

73 from me... :D

I forgot to metion all testing was done at optimum Levels and Above to Stress the circuit to and above enhancement to make noticeable, Noteable readings, So, at Nominal levels the unit is quite acceptable to my interests....

You might want to pass your findings on to Julius and, hopefully he can provide some additional feedback on your results.

Word has it that a EQ Plus loaner was sent to an AM forum member months ago for testing and evaluation, and then passed on to additional members for further testing. It would be "nice" to hear the results of that testing.

24 reviews on e-ham claim it's the next best thing since sliced bread.
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/4417

(http://w2ihy.com/images/DSCN0732b.415.jpg)

Thanks for the write up Jack.

My question about the IHY stuff all along has been what do they do that boxes from from Behringer, Rane, Ashley, etc don't do. Considering the price of the IHY box at $414.99 is more than twice some of the the others, I'm having a hard time grasping the value proposition. Further, the resale market for the IHY boxes is limited to the amateur radio market. The others have a much wider resale market.

The IHY stuff seems like a poor value when you buy or sell them.

My impression of the IHY stuff is that it's rightly targeted at the majority of hams who want a one-box, "plug-and-play" solution for SSB. The T/R wiring, RF shielding fuss, connector wiring, etc. is greatly simplified; just plug in a YeasuIcomKenwood mike and footswitch and you're done. He's also narrowed the complexity of pro audio gear down to only a few essential features the average ham might use. For what it is, it does the job very well.

The base price is $340. Buying ready-made cables for your rig, if you don't want to roll your own, will bump up the price. And 3 year warranty, free technical support, 30 day money back guarantee, the ability to interface with vintage rigs and current state-of-the-art rigs, and from his web site:
"User-Friendly, Shack-Friendly Self-Contained Unit
EQplus users would rather spend their valuable time on the air instead of endlessly twisting knobs and setting menus. That famous audio guy Albert Einstein said “Everything should be made as simple as possible; but not one bit simpler”. We’re with you, Al. While EQplus employs sophisticated technology custom-engineered for amateur radio, it is surprisingly simple to set up and operate.
   
With its shack-friendly footprint, EQplus fits nicely on operating desks where space is always at a premium. Note the efficient stacking feature when used with our 8-Band EQ.

Shielding from the steel enclosure, plus extensive internal isolation from RFI, hum and ground loops, ensures squeaky-clean pristine audio output. Like all W2IHY products, EQplus is designed and built to perform flawlessly in real-world amateur applications."[/color]

I agree that the IHY stuff is targeted at SSB ops. That fact does not speak to the value proposition, nor do any of the below items. The resale problem is not addressed at all.




At $100, those are some expensive cables!




No better warranty than is offered by most pro audio companies. The ability to interface is dependent upon the $100 cables. I don't see this as a selling point or a good value proposition.



These are the same guys with state-of-the-art radios that have tons of knobs and menus. Huh?



No more simple than most pro-audio equipment.
   


A good feature if one is stuck to the desk paradigm. But rack mounting is far more space efficient. That why pro-audio, and pro-telecom users favor rack mount.



Pro-audio equipment is used successfully every day in RF fields from broadcast transmitters. No advantage to the IHY gear here.

My question remains.

I concur, Steve.  I purchased a Behringer VX2000 Ultra Voice Pro a few years ago when it was introduced.  My first impression was that of a "poor man's" Symetrix 528E.  I couldn't be more satisfied...absolutely no RF intrusion issues, very simple to operate (providing you have an understanding of each function), 1U rack mount high that could easily be used atop a modern transceiver, and very inexpensive comparitively speaking, and yes, you have to make up cables-shiver the thought  :D .

I spent a good bit of time talking with Julius about this thing at Ham-Com last year.   It is designed to be used with the 8-band EQ, so you may also need to add the price of one of those into the mix.

I also agree that a 528E or VX-2000 or 9024 and several other things, too, make more sense.  They also benefit from not having an "effects" level that can be turned up so far that everyone sounds like something from channel 19 ... :-)

Grant/NQ5T

Good Morning Steven,

 I understand, and see that's the whole of my write up here, and the Experiment with this Audio "Thing" that is gripping the SSB crowd these days no matter where i go on the bands it's found this "Hows my Audio"... :D not trying to be smart or insultive, but, it's there, so i wanted to Run a complete Experiment with Todays latest Gadgets... complete with the Heil GM-5 and the Star quad mic cable and the IHY Box's and one of todays latests rigs and See for myself What this is all about... Damn it's Expensive.. :D  and no matter where one ends up it's not enough... :D

So, i can honestly state that my experiment is a success, and i learned a great deal about the modifications being done to alot of these rigs and the how to's and so forth, and Sure there's obvious more equitable choices that can be made, But the Points i tryed to express to the group Yes this Stuff works as stated, Um there's a mulitude of arrangments to be had, you will Spend a small fortune to do it...

As far as the ESSB thing. it's not a course i think I want to follow and after seeing it up front here for myself "Again " it's not worth it, if I want Hi-Fi man it's AM for me as always and I enjoyed making the Test and watching what the two rigs can do when Streched out to 5 Kc 6 Kc SSB and really see the Audio presence on the scopes and watching the filter skirting fall out down the db levels..

This was Just an Experiment and an Opinon on some of the equipment availibe today for the SSB crowd and that's it...

On to the next Job, it is Nice to have a Spectrum Analyzer Steven... :D  your Tag line says it all...

Very well put Jack. It sounds like yes, the stuff works but it's pricey. That's my point exactly. You've just gone ahead and proven it.

Thanks for passing the info along.

Take a tip from one of the best sounding AM stations on the air.... Big G, W2INR.

Much of the time for "processing", G runs a simple audio equalizer ONLY- that's it.  Big dynamic range and natural sound. Sounds almost as good as George, W1GAC [like a $million bux... :lol:]

I do the same - I found my own EQ at a music store for $35. It was a Urei from the 70's - high quality.  I also have a Symetrix 528 processor, but, DO NOT use it for rag chewing locally.  Only used for AM DXing once every month or so to get the higher, but "busy" average level.

If a higher level of audio is needed, then one might spring for the Behringer 6 band? audio processor - that's probably the best deal out there these days.

Dollar for dollar, I have to agree with Steve/HUZ that the IHY processor is expensive and not a good value for AM use - especially after you add on their 8 band EQ.

I would return the IHY box in a New York second.  Then go to your local music store and look at their USED gear rack.  Then walk out with everything you need for under $100.  [And, spring for a clean, USED Electro-Voice RE-20 microphone while you're there!]


** Oh, BTW and very important....  the transmitter itself has to be swept and proven out/modified to be clean and transparent BEFORE adding ANY processing boxes. Adding audio boxes to a dirty or audio restricted rig and expecting it to sound broadcash quality is the biggest and most frustrating exercise known to ham man....

73,
T

Except for trying to get rid of RF feedback in the audio...

Yes, I stand corrected, John.  Especially after doing a hi hi FB job of shielded braid strapping, capacitor bypassing, torroids, etc and buttoning it up - only to find it's worse than before!


Frustrating things known to Ham-kind:

1) "RF feedback in the audio is the biggest and most frustrating excercise known to ham-kind".

2) Adding audio boxes/ processors to a restricted/dirty AM rig expecting broadcash audio....

3) Spending $10K for the newest ricebox and being told, "it sounds like shit on AM".

4) Any more?  [This could be a good thread in itself]

T

Eh!

Get yourself some good shielded balanced cables, make proper conversions from balanced-to-unbalanced and vice-versa (hint: use a matching transformer), ground everything properly and you'll have no problems. I've used this stuff on the second floor (a.k.a. not a real good ground), less than 15 feet from the antenna on 10 meters with no RF problems.

If there is any imbalance in the system, RF can be a problem (not to mention hum). The key in getting the benefits of balanced in/out equipment is that the balance has to be maintained from unit to unit or connection to connection. Most important are the conversions from high to lo Z and balanced-to-unbalanced. Mess these up and you are asking for trouble.

It can be done.

Giving out audio reports at 8:30PM on a Friday night on 3885KHz.
But quite honestly, I think we all have been guilty of that.

ZE

Another one....

Pushing in the AM button on your ricebox, and calling CQ with 20 watts PEP, and wonder why no one can hear you.

DUQ and I do that almost evert Sunday afternoon with no problems.


 - Using a crappy antenna (dipole at 10 feet or worse, a vertical with one radial) and wondering why no one can here you.

 - Making an old buzzard while running the above (frustrating for those on the other end).

 - Trying to strap HUZ.

Indeed.  That is a true exercise in futility.

My problems *started* when I went to all balanced audio.  Actually I think the source is probably that POS hamfest special mixer.  Needs a bit of bypassing in the power suckply.

Shoulda gone with the W2IHY box (running and ducking for cover...)

LOL. There's no way you'd get an IHY box unless it was given to you. The cost of your entire audio rack (mixer, eq, compressor limiter) was not even one-tenth the cost of an IHY box. You are a shining example that it doesn't take big $$ to sound FB.

I'll be up your way next week. Let me know if you want me to bring cables or matching transformers, etc.

Gotta get you rockin' again. Can't let those 1-land pukes out do us!

Excuse me??

Who says 25 watts and a ricebox don't work?
We be "Whirl-wide" here good buddy, caw'n.

You guys coming to HossTraders this year?




.

Going to Dayton so that takes care of the road trip thing for a while. But JN and I may make it up for the fall HossTraders. We had a blast last year.

BTW, lest anyone think I'm just singling out the IHY stuff or being a pro-audio snob, I'm not. I also think much of the high-end pro-audio and broadcast processors (e.g. Orban 9000s and such), and high-end mics are a poor value proposition. Is this stuff good and does it work well? You bet. Will it make you sound hundreds or thousands of dollars better than the less expensive stuff or as Tom pointed out, little or no processing? Not in my opinion. Therefore they represent a poor value proposition.

[ (e.g. Orban 9000s and such), and high-end mics are a poor value proposition. Is this stuff good and does it work well? You bet. Will it make you sound hundreds or thousands of dollars better than the less expensive stuff or as Tom pointed out, little or no processing? Not in my opinion. Therefore they represent a poor value proposition.[/quote]

I agree.....and you hear very few homebrew speech amps any more...

About high-end mics....

For years I ran a $50 Radio Shark dynamic mic and played
around with those electret condensor cartridges. They all
sounded and looked "OK".

But about 5 years ago Mike/ZE gave me a used Electro-Voice
RE-20 with the boom and spring holder for only $200.  This
was like a new era in audio for me!

First of all, the mic setup looks like a $million bux. It feels
good to use and the effect never wears off. There's something
about the focal point of a station revolving around the microphone.

And secondly, for the first time I started getting unsolicited
good audio reports on both AM and ssb.  I'm not sure why
this is other than maybe the RShark mike sucked and the
electret condensor cartridge needed a better enclosure.
But now I have a smooth and flat mic output to work with.  

As a plug for EV... after I got it, it developed a loose cartridge
inside called "baby rattle" by EV. I called them and they repaired
it for FREE! They put in a  NEW cartridge and repainted the
body - like a new mike now. Lifetime gaurantee is no BS
with EV.

Bottom line is that for the magic, pure flat output, and
outstanding looks - and to mention again the lifetime
garantee AND holding its value, a USED Electro-Voice
RE-20 is a mike that every serious AMer should consider.

I think I spent much more than $200 over the years dicking
around and trying cheaper mikes. This is like buying a good
camera or telesope that will last you a lifetime.

T

RE-20 with "spring mount":
(http://www.oldradio.com/archives/hardware/EV-RE20.jpg)
(http://www.coutant.org/1814.jpg)

It sure is! I've been using one (Behringer DSP9024 dual six band compressor limiter) on the air now for almost 2 years. It sounds incredible and it's a real bargain for under $199. Bill DUQ also uses one. I've seen them on E-bay for $100 used. Tom's right, the used equipment rack at your local music store (or E-bay) is the place to look for REAL audio gear. Bass and Treble control does not an equalizer make!

I also use the Behringer DSP8024 dual 31 band programmable equalizer. Another incredible bargain at $179 new. You can setup all kinds of different EQ curves and save them to memory which is a great thing... Memory 1 = normal flat resp. Memory 2 = bass boost and mid-high presence rise, Memory 3 = COMBAT MODE!!  :lol:  You get the idea... very handy device... These two units along with a good mike and mike preamp are all you'll ever need for external audio gear... but sorry, no special effects or roger beeps..  8) .... oh yea, I also have an RE-20, but I've been using a Senheiser MD-421 lately. Both great mikes that get moved back and forth between my shack and recording studio all the time.

I'd bet money the hams that reviewed the IHY as best thing since sliced bread are not AM'ers.

...but please don't take me too seriously, after all, I'm not an award winning engineer...  :roll:  :roll:




(http://www.behringer.com/DSP9024/DSP9024_medium.jpg)

Lemme clarify.....
at 9PM on a friday night on 75.

So true.

Reminds me of the time in the 80's when they were
upgrading an in-house studio facility I worked for.  I
recommended an RE20 for the voiceover booth,
because it was (and still is) an industry standard.

To my dismay, a few weeks later, an RE18 was delivered.
I asked my boss what the hell was going on. He told me,
"I was looking at the catalogue and found the RE18
had nearly the same specs as the RE20 --but it was
$100 cheaper"  :cry:

(http://catalogs.infocommiq.com/avcat/images/products/detail/7066.jpg)

I use the RE-27 here and love the thing.....best $450 bucks I ever spent.

Good thing your boss wasn't a recording engineer,.... two very different sounding mikes...

:(  No kidding, it sounded like trash. But the boss was a bean-counter and proud he'd saved the company $100.

BTW, on AM, I am an adherent of the W2INR Method. I run an ART parametric Tube EQ into the transmitter - and that's all. The only thing that precedes it is a mike preamp w/phantom power to run the condenser. Less is DEFINITELY more.
(http://www.electroharmonix.co.jp/art/img/teq.jpg)

Oh yeah, now THIS is a REAL microphone. I used to SWL a lot when Tim was using the RCA 44BX in his "pre-fire" period. The combo of handcrafted transmitter, ribbon mike, and Tron vocal stylings was simply incomparable.

(http://home.worldnet.att.net/~wa1sov/meet_the_amers/tims_op.JPG)

Speaking of the Tron, now that the thread has gone on into who knows where.. :D

How's he doing, hows the better half, things going along OK..? I always like seeing pics of Tim, one of these days i'll get to meet him...someday.. :D

You got that right bro!

It's a fact that the bigger the signal you have the less audio processing you need. PWers need not subscribe to INR style audio.

It's hard to go wrong with proven dynamic mics like the RE20 and MD-421. I'd never buy one new though, poor value proposition once again. The worst is the RE27. This mic was a big marketing gimmick by EV.

The 27 was sold as an improved 20. But it wasn't long after the 27 was out that those with good ears could tell the 20 sounded better. Many who traded in their 20s for a 27  (EV even offered x dollars of the 27 price for a 20 trade-in) soon regretted it. Many ended up getting rid of their 27 and buying a 'vintage' 20 or getting a new one. EV made out like a bandit. First they sold a bunch of 27s at prices higher than the 20 was selling for at the time. Then they sold a bunch of 20s. They used the Coke/new Coke ploy and made it work, unlike Coke.

With very good condenser and now even ribbon mics selling for under $200 these days, some under $100, I see paying more than $200 for nearly any mic (no matter how "legendary" it may be) as a bad value proposition (unless you get a deal and the potential resale value is way up there and then this only makes sense if you sell it in the near term).

This value proposition applies only to amateur radio use of course. If you plan to do some home recording, or use the mic for other "pro" uses, then extra $$ makes sense.

Let's get real here. How flat does a mic need to be to make 50 Hz (and that's usually only those with a third-BA voice) to 5/6 kHz?

You bring up the most important point, Steve.

**   "There's no substitute for a good voice"  .... period. **

We've all heard guys with great voices using a stock ricebox sounding
better than guys on a BC transmitter using all the audio goodies
but with an "average" voice.

The funny thing about it is that MOST of us have an average voice
by default - it's the bell curve of what society says sounds good.
Some on the extremes of the curve have high EGC type voices
while some have voices like these beer or car commercial
announcers. [The Kia Rio guy or Jay]  If EVERYONE had a
great broadcash type voice then the few that sounded high
pitched would then be in demand by society.

Society currently desires to hear a classic masculine/ bassy voice.
Back in the 20's - 30's I notice most announcers had higher voices.
The Spanish just love the low manly voice, if ya listen to their TV
shows. What's crazy is when most of us are sick with a cold or smoke
a lot of cigarettes and drink coffee clogging up the vocal cords,
we sound "great"!  I have a CD of myself when I had a wicked cold
a year ago that makes me sound so good I smile when I hear it. For
one day the guys couldn't believe my voice.  The ironic part is that
we sound good when we are sick or abusing ourselves....  :lol:  :lol:

It's like an ugly or beautiful girl. The beautiful one looks good
even without makeup.  The great voice needs little makeup.
[processing] The others need an EQ... [I sound like crap without an
EQ  -  too much muddy mid-bass]   But we're stuck with what we have.

I sometimes hear guys with great voices comment that they run
their audio flat. They can get away with doing it. These guys have
a very desirable and powerful peak in their voices at 120-150hz?  
But, many of us with average voices need to cut and suck out that
mid-bass 200-400 hz area with an EQ to sound decent.

But, once you find the right combination of audio gear settings to
make you sound "good", it's real satisfying to set it and forget -
just communicate and accept that you did your best with the
body you have to work with.

73,
T

Joe.  You really need to turn some of those knobs.  When they all point to 0 dB less is actually nothing.

BTW.  Joe Walsh just said on the AMI net that he's bringing a truckload of stuff to George's BBQ on 14th.  Maybe I'll go afterall.  Are you?

Jon

Of course in the photo they are all at zero. You don't think I'd share my personal EQ settings with the world, do you? :)



I haven't been to the last couple, and I hadn't planned on this one. But if K6ESE is going up I might tag along with him.  Yeah, I heard Joe Walsh was bringing his stuff to sell. I don't know why that gets everyone excited. $5000 SX-88's and $10,000 KWM-1's are not my idea of a bargain.

Hmmm,
Looks like I should have checked with Steve before I bought my 27. On air reports compairing my 27 with the B1 conderser were in favor of the 27 most of the time. I would bet the farm that if some ham were to get great audio reports and than told the listener ( one of the so called "audio experts") that he was using some equipment the listner considered sub-standard....the audio expert would change his mind and tell him his audio sucked!!!! One thing the "audio snobs" wont tolorate is being wrong. The audio subject is almost as bad as religon or politics. I was in the sound business for a few years and met many "experts" that fit the above example. If your on air audio is clean, no buzzes or pops.....we can understand u and your on AM...who gives a shit what u use.....BTW I think Behringer stuff sucks....but I dont go around telling hams who use it they sound like shit......
Had to get in my $.02 worth.
Let the flames begin....
Bill

Bill, you have NOTHING to apologize for in the audio department.  I suspect in your case that comparing one mike to another is going to be like comparing a Rolls Royce to a Bentley.

In my case, I have $75 invested in my whole audio chain including the mikes, which are either a Shure 55S or the somewhat bigger EV look-alike (can't remember the number offhand).  I just like the way they look!

The compresser/limiter is a Gates SolidStatesman which was a gift from the HUZman, the EQ is a professional stereo 10 bander in a cast aluminum case ($5), and the mixer/mike amp is a recent vintage which cost $20 (2 for $40!).   I don't have that "FM DJ" voice, and the xmitters don't evidence the care and attention to detail for quality audio that some do, but it don't sound too bad.

73 John

Hi Bill!

No flames, just calm cool collected discussion  8) ... In all seriousness, please, if you hear me on the air and you think my audio sounds like crap, PLEASE, PLEASE let me know!! Don't hold back. There's nothing worse than getting a "sugar coated" audio report when it really sounds turd-like. I would think most folks want to know the truth.

 

Yo, MSDS, get a grip. No one on this thread said anything about YOUR audio, good or bad. No one said ANY RE27 sounded bad, including yours.

EV thanks you for your patronage.  :p

Hi Glen,
When I said that I dont like Behringer my point was that there are a lot of hams using Behringer stuff and they sound great. I could say otherwise because I dont like  Behringer but that would be stupid. All the stuff I use is broadcast stuff...but that doesnt mean I will sound great to everybody.
Ya know....... one thing about audio is  the simple fact that the quality is in the EAR of the beholder. There are so many variables and so many opinions of what "good sound" should be that its a never ending argument. I enjoy listning to ALL AM'ers.....sorta like they all have there own personality as far as sound is concered. If all of us sounded the same......IMO things would be VERY boring indeed.
Bill

Dont worry Steve....my grip is just fine thank you....... :roll:

LOL! I'm biting my tongue. :evil:

Biting your what Steve??????...... :oops:
I just have one question.......why did u decide to bash the RE27......or just about anything else u dont like......enquiring minds want to know.... :evil:

Ah I see we are in the old your opinion is welcomed as long as it agrees with mine syndrome.

This thread was about the IHY box.  We have seemed to move off topic here.

Oh by the way the 27 and the 20 are two differant mikes. The RE 27 is the next generation of the popular 666 (or something like that) ask Nick KG2IR.. The Re 20 was designed and has been in service for over 30 years. The 27 has been around about 10. They may look similar but the are two differant designs.

I bought my RE 27 10 years ago for around $400.00 and that is what the are worth today. I have sent mine in twice to be rebuilt for the cost of shipping. There was nothing wrong with it but I just wanted it refreshed.

 I wonder how much a B1 will be worth in ten years?

Okay back to the topic at hand - - - - -  -

hi guys,
        havn't been in here for a while. out of work for about 3 weeks. the
job finally shipped to india. but i just got a contract job! back in the saddle!

     Gar, your setup sounds terrific. i like both the mikes, if you have
whats more important. that is the beef after the microphone. if you have
gobs of audio, super clean amplifier stages etc you sound like a million
bux with either.

yo - deano!

Hi Dean

Man I have not had the chance to work you out west this radio season!

Oh don't get me wrong.

I strongly believe that a microphone is the next most personnal thing to a person. Underpants are the first. They have to fit right and be comfortable and affordable, Briefs , boxers, and all the other crap are there because these are items of personnal taste. There are thousands of mics out there. All developed with differant applications in mind. They all work good and all will do the job. Some will sound better than others. Some of us will sound better on one mic than another. That's the way it is.

I try mics out before I will buy one. I want to hear how the mic sounds and how I sound with that mic. With each persons voice being differant there are plenty of mics out there to find one that best suits you.

Now to bring this back to the thread all of the above goes for processing too.  It's all a matter of taste and how YOU want to sound.

Considering inflation and the cost of "refreshing", you're losing money on that 27. Coke lost money on their new Coke trick too.  :evil:

And who pissed your in your Cherrio's :?

Anyway I drink 7up. :D

These's something to be said for a person who will not sugar coat his opinion.
Cawm awn.

either dem mikes work great!

    as  to the IHY - I built my own back east on various rigs.  I got a yard sale 10 band eq. it had a metal box, rack and so it was good for RF.  Then I added my own limiter/preamp, reverb circuits etc. A half dozen chips later, using some of the best OP amps avaiable I had a great system.
Its still is in operation and cruising.
    I bet the IHY works good, but expensive!!  In Maine, I have a music
shop EQ, like tom mentioned. its in a metal box. no RF problems and works pretty durn good - but I hate forgetting to unplug the mike, and
draining a 9V batt down overnight!

deano!  ( PS Gar, I worked a crap load of DX out here, and east coast
AMers all winter. just heard the ZE - ZM a couple nights ago, despite
the gal-darn QRN! )

Good Day Everyone,

 Well now after the Initial Price Shock has subsided, I have found that there is a multitude of Sound shaping capabilities with the match set of the 8 band Eq and the EQPlus, it Does make Heils GM-5 mic sound Better..the Mic does need a little help, it's very Bassy..if that is considerence of the "Full Range' Audio sometimes i'm not sure where Bob is headed with his "Elements" I do like the HC-5 cartridge..

 I like the  graphic simplicity of the units, and the very minimal learning curve needed to operate the set. I have had the 8 band EQ for sometime now , I dearly enjoyed Building the thing and watching the circuit come to life and perform, of course that's Half the fun at my bench here building and testing alot of the components availible today as well as working rebuilding alot of the Past recievers i have here...

 The set takes up very little room, the cableing is somewhat cumbersum, the "Switching " Idea  i guess is OK it's on the rear of both units so they have to be in the Open to access the controls...if one likes a tidy desk you have to leave room to get at them...Small Footprint and stacking is the thing to do with them.

 It comes to mind at this point That in the World "Realm " of Audio Processing that my summary of these two units would be "Entry Level" practically idiot proof..somewhat.. Geared for Plug and Play..

 The Pricing of this stuff is "High" in my estimation the circuits are "Not' over Engineered and for what you get and what's there it just comes to my mind that with todays " Speed Fabricating Shops" the pricing would fall into line for the circuits involved here...Maybe i'm wrong but ..if you want to play your gona Pay....

 The Wonderfullness of "Free Enterprise".... :D

I drink beer. And I never need to refresh it.

Refresh This  :D

By the way if you make the trip up here in the near future you may want to bring the guitar OM . There seems to be a few musicians showing up.

LOL! Good one.

Sounds like a good scene. BTW, refresh me on the dates (too many beers and my memory is shot.)

My on-the-air offer is still open:

Anyone who is disenchanted with their RE-27... I will trade you my RE-20, which has been "refreshed" with a new cartridge from EV,  for your RE27, straight up.

Caw mawn.

T...  [always ready to take advantage of distressed merchandise at the right moment]

Actually I fail to see what the rest of this has to do with the thread But, Hey, if it feels good do it... :D

Crack me up... :D

Does anyone know if this was ever done????

Just to stir the pot and drag the thread further through the woods...I found this (SSB-based) comparison of the RE-20 versus Bob Heil's PR-40...

http://www.wz5q.com/index/pr40.htm

(http://www.wz5q.com/index/pr40_data/PR_40.jpg)

Hi Pete,

 Julius told me Paul has/had it and was running it through it's paces and really didn't say much other than that.

I bought this unit to keep me happy until my Optimod 9000 was returned from the repair shop. The construction quality appears to be very high, the reviews appeared to be favorable, and the designer,  has a well respected name in the ham radio business.
Let me put it to you this way. The 9000 is now sitting on the side used as a beer bottle coaster .
The EQ Plus has great resolution and the ability to resolve what is recorded is phenominal. Solid, deep and extended bass, wonderfully gorgeous midrange and airy extended highs. You can literally 'hear' the soundstage along with the "space" around the performers. AM Reports are that my carrier is now quite clear and crisp. The preamp is VERY quiet. With well recorded media, the presentation is stunning. I am constantly surprised with what is revealed within my recordings each time I listen. The bass is deep, taut, and extended. The EQ Plus' have very deep bass capabilities, and when the bass is present, you can not only 'hear', but feel it. No "one note" bass reproduction here. The panel lamps on my ricebox now dim on bass peaks. What more can be said? The midrange is not forward, although there is a slight 'edge' in my system. The rasp of a voice, the minor inflections, even the breathing of the singer can be heard distinctly. With choir music, each voice is distinct. Placement does not wander. You can, with your eyes closed, envision the placement of the singers. Sometimes I hook it to the receiver to listen to the Mark-Wannabe Net. I can just see all the guys sitting around the campfire with their flashlights and Amyl Nitrate. The highs are extended and not 'etchy'. The attack and decay of the cymbals is reproduced as if they are being played in your room. Brushes used on cymbals in a good jazz recording reinforce the quickness and resolving ability of this preamp. Violins in the upper registers "sing". Trumpets have the right amount of 'bite' to their sound. The soundstage is 3-dimensional. Very holographic if present in the recorded material. I can listen to the music as never before. It becomes an 'musical experience'. You are drawn into the musical presentation. Even a D-104 hooked into a 2 KOhm load has new meaning. If it appears that I am very enthusiastic about this preamp, it is because I am. Mind you, this preamp will reveal all the weaknesses in a poor transmitter.
My musical tastes run from large scale orchestra, jazz (ther 'real' stuff.. none of that fluff of today), Christian contemporary, Acid Rock, Spike Jones, Ground loop AC hum and just about anything that 'sounds' good to me.
I am using "home made" 891R final with Canare rca connects. I like these interconnects better than the MIT's, Esoterics, Monsters, Vampires or whatever else I have in the box. And, they are CHEAP. Modulation transformer cable used is the AudioQuest Indigo 2 shotgunned.
Again, this preamp was a musical 'revelation' for me. The guys on 75 ssb who do nothing but adjust audio all day say it sounds great. The sound was so good that I signed off as we had nothing further to talk about. It has taken me 20 years to find a replacement for the Optimod (I have heard better, but not by much and the cost was too high to justify the purchase). I can only hope that it will be another 20 years before I replace the EQ Plus.
So far, it looks that way!

Yeah, the day YOU send something to a repair shop is the same day I do...

Funny stuff - what audiophool site did you cut/paste that out of, Dave?

Thanks Jack. Julius told me the same thing back, I think, in January or Februrary.

Nice Dave. You should be in marketing.
"beer bottle coaster" hey, my R-390A is my foot rest.

Here's a place to see and hear many mics:
 http://www.coutant.org/contents.html

And here's the side by side comparison of the RE20 and RE27nd

 RE 20          http://www.coutant.org/re20.mp3
 RE 27nd       http://www.coutant.org/re27nd.mp3