What is the reason for using a properly adjusted speech processor with a single-sideband voice transmitter?

Human speech has distinct peaks and valleys in volume. In a single-sideband (SSB) transmission, the transmitted power fluctuates based on these audio levels, meaning a lot of the voice energy is transmitted at a low average power. A properly adjusted speech processor compresses or clips the audio signal, bringing the lower audio levels up closer to the peak levels. This increases the overall average power of the transmitted voice without exceeding the peak envelope power limits. Because the average power of the voice signal is increased, the signal becomes much easier for the receiving station to hear and understand over background noise. Therefore, the primary benefit is improving the intelligibility of the signal, not improving fidelity or reducing noise pickup. In fact, processors often reduce overall audio fidelity slightly to maximize punch.