Poor/Bad Transmit Audio Flex-6300

What do you mean by a low frequency octive? 100-200 200-300 300-400 400-800?

This is what I did. Made all the difference. YMMV:

1) Got rid of the factory mike. I chose the Heil HMM Handheld since I don't like headsets.
2) Set my transmit audio to:  -4  -8  -4  +4  +8  +9  +6  +3.

I got *lots* of people saying "there is a lot of bass in your audio" when I first set up my 6300.  Some liked it, but I was missing a lot of QSOs and finally someone, on a QSO, worked with me one night.  I basically ended cutting my bass sliders down to nearly the bottom and got a very clean audio report after that.

Just a reminder that Transmit Profiles are delivered with built-in EQ settings for several popular microphones, including the Flex hand mic, and Heil's offerings. I applied the settings for my PR-40 and have had nothing but excellent audio reports.

The Transmit profiles are easily accessed in the TX pane. You may wish to have the EQ pane open to see what the differences are.

Good luck!

Vincent,

The TX EQ settings you are using should be a farily good starting point for that mike.  

Just a few diagnostic questions...

Are you sure you have the TX EQ turned ON?
  (Sounds like a dumb question, but I have seen it before when someone spent a long time adjusting the EQ with not much result and then I... I mean he...noticed that the TX EQ has not turned ON!)

Are you using the wide band mic element on it?

Where do you have the TX filter Low and High frequency limits?

What processor setting are you using?

Are you making sure that you are keeping the Mike level meter below the "0 dB" red zone at all times?

Also, double check the grounding lines on the mike cable.  Some of them have what is called a "pin 1 problem" or another wiring problem that creates a ground loop by grounding the shield and the low side of the audio line together.

Ken - NM9P

Before you can like "flat response" you have to have tried it. They crank everything to max, or all the way to the right and think that means "all there is" it just won't go any higher. Once you've tried all there is, why try anything else? If they'd only try all knobs to the left, we'd like their audio. Ah, silence. no NR required. CQ wonderful, QRZ. RST is 599, and for once it's lovely don't change a thing.

73, Jay - NO5J  

Yeah, that was poetic, but weird.

I have been playing radio for over 25 years and have been a Flex user for the last 6 years...I am also am somewhat of an audiophile.  Contrary to popular opinion, A mic that works good on some radios might not work good on ALL radios!!! And the same is true that a mic that works good with some voice types may not work for other voice types... They all might be great under certain conditions but not under other conditions..... I constantly see postings here stating (well it worked with my other radio... There has to be something wrong with this radio.)  When you are using a radio that has an EQ available it takes time to find that SWEET SPOT. you can't just use settings that someone else uses because it's their voice not yours. Thru all the radios I have used I have never found one radio that had an audio issue cause by something inside the radio, It has always been an issue from the mic plug out.  Before insisting your radio is broke, take the time needed to find the right combination that works for you...Believe me... it can get a bit frustrating sometimes... BUT DARE TO PERSEVERE!   There are MANY mic manufacturers besides brand X or brand Y..... You just have to find what works for you. Whether it is a $14.00 Transcontinental from amazon or $3200.00 Nuemann U87i from Sweetwater. Somewhere there Is a mic that work for your voice.

One of the reasons for the "Flat" audio response is that it also facilitates the digital modes more easily.  One problem with many standard rigs of other brands is that the audio response, being designed for speech, is not flat for the digital modes and is problematic.  

On the FLEX, the passband is completely flat from about 0-10,000 Hz if need be, and in digital modes the TX and RX EQ are taken out of the line to prevent alteration.  

For phone, the 6000 will work fine, "Out of the box" if one takes care to read the instructions and load the proper default profile to match the mike in use.  It is a simple matter to make additional tweaks after that, far easier than any of the other modern rigs where one must go several levels down into the menu system, define different bands for the parametric EQ, including frequency, gain and bandwidth, and then define them again for use with the processor ON.  

It is much, much easier to do it on the 6000 series - just select your Hi/Lo cut freuencies from the TX tab, then go to the EQ and move the sliders.  Then save the TX profile.  Do it again with different bandwidths or emphasis and processing setting for DX mode, and you are in like Flynn!

The panadapter gives you an excellent tool to visualize your frequency response (too much bass, not enough treble, too much midrange, etc. if you need some extra help.)   

I much prefer the ability to tailor my SSB audio response the way I want it, starting from a flat response, than trying to figure out what in the world the manufacturer did to the audio input and trying to correct or over-correct for it.

Did someone suggest checking for RF feedback?

I'm running a 6300 with a Electro Voice RE-320 mic I bought off EBAY for $200.  This mic is a  version of the standard professional broadcast mic the RE-20 which is used in every friggin recording studio in the world.  That means I started with a true pro quality mic designed to reproduce exceptional articulation.  That is what broadcasters/musicians/voice over artists sell, exceptional articulation.  (POINT NUMBER 1, if you want good audio don't buy a **** communications quality mic no matter if it's gold or platinum or looks like a lollipop.)  I run the mic into the front jack of the radio, using a cable I purchased from Heil.  I tried other cables and had RFI, after installing the Heil cable, RFI gone!  I hated paying like $40 for a friggin cable but that got the job done for me.

EQ is not necessary for this mic.  EQ is useful only in so far as you want to enhance certain qualities of the audio spectrum (i.e. you want to play with the buttons).  This mic run flat with no EQ will modulate the radio with excellently articulated pro quality audio.  You can add EQ if you like but that is for your artistic flair, that is YOU trying to personalize the quality of the audio based on YOUR perception.  It is not at all required if you start out with a true pro audio mic.

Flex radios have the ability to run very deeply into the bass register as well far into the treble registers.  The possible bandwidth is 0-10,000 hz.  Again this is your choice.  I run my radio with the low cut at 300hz and the high cut at 3050hz.  I have heard many Flex's that to me sound pretty bassy but I think that is because of the way the radio is adjusted.  I think because one can adjust the radio like this many do using the notion "if I don't use the controls I might miss some advantage"  There is no advantage to sounding too bassy but that is your choice.  How you want to sound is "just right".  It's the articulation that slices pileups and contests, and this radio gives astounding articulation if you use the right mic, as Howard says.

The Flex has the best speech processor in the business.  It basically adjusts the RF envelope to bring the average talk power up by 2.4 dB with out adding any distortion to the speech characteristic.  2.4 dB increase in average talk power is basically like doubling your power.  You best make sure the transformer in your amp is capable of handling the increased duty cycle of this radios waveform.  In addition the radio has downward expansion which improves the dynamic range and adds color back into the audio.  Flex includes the hand mic so you have a known starting place with a known standard mic.  You don't need to "send your radio back" if you start with that mic and can make your radio work with good clean RF free audio.  If you can't make your radio work with that mic then you likely need to clean up the RFI your amp/antenna is generating.  I had to clean up the mic cord at my station to eliminate the RFI.  I knew this was the case because when I plugged in the Flex mic the radio worked fine.  

How does it work?  With this mic and this cable and NO OTHER external or third party equipment or software, my audio is stunning.

All of these together makes for excellent audio, far superior to any standard format ham radio, IF YOU USE A GOOD MIC and take ten minutes to set up the radio.  I am very against the "out of the box" criticism.  If you're too **** **** or lazy to spend 10 min adjusting your radio to match your mic, then you really don't need to talk to anyone.

The 320 is reviewed on eham.   Pay special attention to W6LBV's second review where he did digital audio recordings of his mic collection with no EQ.  

73  W9OY

Hi Vince

ECO suspect is shorthand for something like "Engineering Change Order" or such.  Most likely an  optional change applied only if needed.  If you ask FRS they will certainly decipher the shorthand, as I may have guessed all wrong.

The last sentence that Jim questioned is most likely boilerplate - says that if it needed re-calibration that they did it. 

It isn't surprising they focused on the issue, had a engineered solution, applied that solution, verified performance & checked the radio out, and then shipped it back.  That is what their warranty promise is all about.  Cool stuff!

FRS's benchwork is very fine indeed, and glad you got your radio tweaked to perform!

73

Steve

K9ZW