Voodoo Audio

[985chicago]

Greetings from Chicago.
When DX. is on listen for me on 27.385 LSB.
I go by 985. My main radio is a highly modified 6k Kenwood TS950VMSDX.
If your interested in ESSB audio see this web site for great info.
WZ5Q Hi-Fi ESSB Amateur Radio Station with VooDoo Audio
I use 10+ pieces of rack gear to produce the very best audio quality possible.
I use a very rare tube microphone from TSM Muneo to get that real deep sound.I also use a Eventide harmonizer to lower my pitch.
Lot's of tweekin !
If you have any questions about HIfi audio just give me a shout.

73, 985 Chicago
Ray

 

[MisterFatty]

welcome to the forums, good to have ya... Already been on the Voodoo site, good info...

 

[Robb]

An Eventide Harmonizer?
Whoa dude; that cost some cash!
Impressive!
(I used to have a 16-track recording studio; I'm aware of outboard gear like that piece)

 

[Moleculo]

I like the work you did comparing the Heil PR-40 and the Electrovoice RE-20. Very good stuff

Feel free to start some threads in other parts of the forum to "show off" some of your work and also discuss what you've learned about how to produce great sounding HiFi ESSB I'd like to learn more about your setup!

 

[WR0220]

You were definitely sounding good up here in Washington State last weekend! Hopefully the east/west dx will roll back in again soon and we can do it again!

World Radio 0220

 

[sp5it]

Great stuff. I'm running TS870 with Behringer rack and B1 microphone. Broadcast modulation. I always enjoying QSO's with people just stopping by to ask "wow, what you got here that you sound that way"
Mike

 

[985chicago]

ESSB audio

Greetings

The Kenwood TS870 with a good quality microphone like you have is a great start. IMOP. Maybe the best SSB " out of the Box " ham radio ever made.
Your Kenwood can receive from 0 to 6000 kHz. As you know ,most other radios are limited from 100 Hz to 2600kHz at best. Even though most of the human voice is between 100 and 2000khz there is so much more to accent to create that wonderful sound. With the right equipment you can open up your receive and transmit to another part of this great hobby that I also enjoy.
I love to hear that 6K wide audio. It rumbles the headphones !!!: when done right.

73, 985chicago.

 

[jazzsinger]

ESSB totally defeats the purpose of using a narrow band mode like SSB,what is the point of it,if your going to take up that much bandwidth on TX and let that much through on RX why not just use AM or FM?

SSB was designed to narrow the bandwidth in the receiver to improve the signal to noise ratio at the cost of some audio fidelity,all you are doing is reverse engineering it.Pointless.

If you want real deep bass on RX plug in a subwoofer.

 

[Robb]

ESSB totally defeats the purpose of using a narrow band mode like SSB,what is the point of it,if your going to take up that much bandwidth on TX and let that much through on RX why not just use AM or FM?

SSB was designed to narrow the bandwidth in the receiver to improve the signal to noise ratio at the cost of some audio fidelity,all you are doing is reverse engineering it.Pointless.

If you want real deep bass on RX plug in a subwoofer.

I have to agree that the usable width is a definte compromise. But -on the other hand- the usable width can be modified greatly by the use of this gear. Greater intelligibility should be the goal - if nothing else. That would still be advancing on current radio protocol. Is it too much - as far as cash outlay? Depends on how deep one's wallet is...

Especially the use of tube preamps as he has done. Tubes preamp usage will warm up the level of even harmonics - something that solid state ("odd harmonics") transmit will be able to emulate once it has been fed with it. I'd like to have a QSO with the VooDoo station and videogate it. That is; unless someone on this site does it before I do...

As far as his setup goes, I would put the tube preamp AFTER all other equalization/compression/effects is done. That will keep the warm tube sound and punch effect level strong before the TX stage. Otherwise; one of better effects ('tube warmth') can be lost or greatly diminished. That tube warmth is what make the Yaesu FT-101 such a hot item still to this day.
But..that is what I would do...studio engineering experience; you see?

 

[985chicago]

Greetings Rob,
The purpose for all the hardware is to achive maximum clarity. I replace all the tubes with RCA black plate command 5751's. replace all the Op amps. When done right, you can get harmonics not found from a straight CB with a D104. Yes, only a few can hear the bandwidth, but this is what I enjoy. I have spent 100's of hours tweekin the chain to achive my goals. Its not for everyone.Listen for me when you get DX from the midwest.

73's 985Chicago.

 

[Beetle]

Greetings

The Kenwood TS870 with a good quality microphone like you have is a great start. IMOP. Maybe the best SSB " out of the Box " ham radio ever made.
Your Kenwood can receive from 0 to 6000 kHz. As you know ,most other radios are limited from 100 Hz to 2600kHz at best. Even though most of the human voice is between 100 and 2000khz there is so much more to accent to create that wonderful sound. With the right equipment you can open up your receive and transmit to another part of this great hobby that I also enjoy.
I love to hear that 6K wide audio. It rumbles the headphones !!!: when done right.
73, 985chicago.

I think you're getting your units a bit out of step. Why would anyone buy a radio that could only receive "from 0 to 6 megahertz"? (6000 KHz is 6 MHz). And I've never heard a human voice that could hit 2 MHz, which is what 2000 KHz is.

 

[LOX]

I think you're getting your units a bit out of step. Why would anyone buy a radio that could only receive "from 0 to 6 megahertz"? (6000 KHz is 6 MHz). And I've never heard a human voice that could hit 2 MHz, which is what 2000 KHz is.

These Voo Doo fellas sound like Doo Doo on the air. Extremely wide on SSB with
signals wider than some AM stations. One loser from TX came on 10m bragging about his rack mounted Doo Doo station. He was politely asked to hit the road. A word of advice to anyone on the ham bands - Don't get mixed up with that Doo Doo group. You will accumulate enemies on HF very quickly. 20m, 40m, and 75m ops don't put up with that junk very long.

 

[LOX]

ESSB totally defeats the purpose of using a narrow band mode like SSB,what is the point of it,if your going to take up that much bandwidth on TX and let that much through on RX why not just use AM or FM?

SSB was designed to narrow the bandwidth in the receiver to improve the signal to noise ratio at the cost of some audio fidelity,all you are doing is reverse engineering it.Pointless.

If you want real deep bass on RX plug in a subwoofer.

Well said. Bravo.

 

[jazzsinger]

I think you're getting your units a bit out of step. Why would anyone buy a radio that could only receive "from 0 to 6 megahertz"? (6000 KHz is 6 MHz). And I've never heard a human voice that could hit 2 MHz, which is what 2000 KHz is.

Even after being kicked in the balls by an elephant the human voice would seriously struggle to reach 2 Mhz,pmsl.

 

[SR385]

ESSB is half the width of equivalent sound quality AM...so it's a lot more efficient. It's also a LOT easier on the gear because the duty cycle is _much_ lower.

Nice gear. I do hope you didn't buy an Eventide and Bellari gear for ham radio ;-).

Oh and technically, running a pitch shift through the Eventide is 'disguising' your voice and not really legal....though it's clever.

Most that complain about ESSB, don't have a receiver that can hear it properly or the technical understanding to set themselves up.

Personally I only run about 3k wide, I find that it is enough. Though I have no trouble with people running 6k wide if band conditions allow for it. The human voice has energy easily to 6k...the effective communications grade range is narrower for sure, but it doesn't sound natural does it? 0-6kHz can sound like you are talking directly to the guy. Over long periods of conversation, that is a lot easier to listen to.