A communications system receives a modulated signal that carries encoded communications data. An adaptive filter has a plurality of non-adaptive and adaptive filter taps with weighted coefficients and a input and output normalizing circuit that obtain sample values from a received signal input to or output from the adaptive filter to increase gain recovery based on type of modulation of encoded communication data, on state of demodulator (preamble search, preamble detected, data state) or other signal acquisition information. A demodulator and decoder receive the filtered output signal and demodulate and decode the signal to obtain the communications data.