A subscriber unit for wireless communication with a base station in a wireless subscriber communication system includes a FIR chip, a DIF (digital intermediate frequency) chip, a single prccessor chip and a radio. The processor chip transcodes a digital voice input signal to provide digital input symbols; demodulates an output signal received from the base station to provide digital output symbols; and synthesizes a digital voice output signal from the digital output symbols. The FIR chip FIR filters the digital input symbols and generates timing signals for timing the transcoding and synthesizing operations in the processor chip. The DIF chip digitally synthesizes a digital intermediate frequency signal by direct digital synthesis (DDS) and modulates the digital intermediate frequency signal with the filtered input symbols to provide a modulated intermediate frequency input signal. The radio further processes the modulated input signal for transmission to the base station.