so ive been on HF for about two years now mostly doing digital but lately ive been getting into SSB more and im kind of obsessed with trying to get my audio sounding decent. right now running an IC-7300 into a Heil PR-40 through the stock mic input and honestly people tell me im readable but a few guys have said my audio sounds a little thin or tinny. im not sure if thats the mic placement, the mic gain setting, the compression, or just the radio itself doing something weird.

ive been messing with the TX bandwidth settings and the bass boost on the 7300 but i feel like im just turning knobs without really knowing what im doing. does anyone have a sort of baseline starting point for SSB audio on the 7300 specifically or just general tips for getting a fuller sound without over-driving the mic gain and splattering all over the place. i know ALC is supposed to stay in a certain range but ive gotten conflicting info on exactly where.

also what do people think about adding an external processor like a DBX or something similar, worth it or overkill for casual ragchewing

ALC thing is probably your main issue honestly. on the 7300 a lot of people run the mic gain way too high trying to get loud and then the ALC is pinned constantly which is what causes that processed crunchy sound. general rule ive heard and it seems to work — set your mic gain so the ALC is just barely kissing the lower end of the scale on voice peaks, not sitting there the whole time. like it should flicker on peaks not be a steady bar.

for the PR-40 specifically i run mine about 2-3 inches off axis and slightly off to the side, that mic is pretty sensitive and being dead-on axis can make it sound harsh through the radio even though it sounds great into a DAW. the TX bandwidth on the 7300 i have mine set to 2.4kHz which is pretty standard, going wider sounds good on your end but it annoys people on crowded bands. bass boost I wouldnt touch it, the PR-40 has plenty of low end already and adding more just makes you muddy on the other end even if it sounds full and warm to you locally.

external processor is kind of personal preference thing. ive used a behringer MDX2600 before and it did tighten things up but honestly once i got the mic gain and ALC sorted i didnt feel like i needed it for ragchewing. contesting or anything where you want to cut through pile-ups maybe different story.

yeah what he said about ALC is spot on, that tripped me up for a long time too. one thing i'll add is try getting somebody to actually record your signal off the air if you can, like have a friend with SDR or whatever record a clip and play it back. makes a huge difference because what sounds good monitoring yourself is not always what people are actually hearing. i thought i sounded fine for months and then heard a recording and was like oh no