Shopping For Sound
Shopping For Sound
All,
Dipping my toe into sound and looking around to see what is available. I managed to find wheeltappers.co.uk for my Irish diesel and have looked (and listened) to a couple of providers for British diesel/steam. Two in particular seem to offer a good service, Youchoos and Wickness, although one when was was listening to a steam sample had diesels idling and public address broadcasts that did take away from the immersion effect.
Where do other people get their sound from, recommendations for chips/speakers, best sound file quality ? Your thoughts are welcome.
Mark
Dipping my toe into sound and looking around to see what is available. I managed to find wheeltappers.co.uk for my Irish diesel and have looked (and listened) to a couple of providers for British diesel/steam. Two in particular seem to offer a good service, Youchoos and Wickness, although one when was was listening to a steam sample had diesels idling and public address broadcasts that did take away from the immersion effect.
Where do other people get their sound from, recommendations for chips/speakers, best sound file quality ? Your thoughts are welcome.
Mark
Re: Shopping For Sound
Whatever recommendations you get, you need to hear it for yourself if at all possible, before any purchase decision. This is because what you hear may not be exactly like what other's hear; the end result can be that one person's 'great sound, totally recommended', may not please you at all.
I think this is worth mentioning, because you have already detected an unsatisfactory aspect of a recording. Some people may not hear that at all, it lies below their hearing threshold. (Which is a polite way of saying that by midlife many have some form of hearing defect of which they are unaware: reduced sensitivity, loss of frequency range and artefacts - such as tinnitus - are relatively common. Exposure to 'de funky loud music maan', industrial and traffic noise, infection or injury, genetic inheritance, there's a pile of factors which can affect hearing very significantly. And a warning, some get very prickly/offended when it is revealed that they don't have top class personal auditory equipment too...)
I think this is worth mentioning, because you have already detected an unsatisfactory aspect of a recording. Some people may not hear that at all, it lies below their hearing threshold. (Which is a polite way of saying that by midlife many have some form of hearing defect of which they are unaware: reduced sensitivity, loss of frequency range and artefacts - such as tinnitus - are relatively common. Exposure to 'de funky loud music maan', industrial and traffic noise, infection or injury, genetic inheritance, there's a pile of factors which can affect hearing very significantly. And a warning, some get very prickly/offended when it is revealed that they don't have top class personal auditory equipment too...)
- TimberSurf
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Re: Shopping For Sound
Pardon?
Could you repeat that please Bigmet, you seem to be taking in a somewhat muffled voice!
Could you repeat that please Bigmet, you seem to be taking in a somewhat muffled voice!
Re: Shopping For Sound
It's a case of how much you want to pay and what you expect to get for that price.
There are budget sound decoders from Hornby, Bachman and ESU and increasingly more expensive sound decoders from many other sources.
I suggest you go on over to RM-Web DCC Sound forum and have a trawl through there, where you will find actual sound providers contributing to the discussions, e.g. Paul Chetter (legomanbiffo) and other well known knowledgable chaps.
Rob
There are budget sound decoders from Hornby, Bachman and ESU and increasingly more expensive sound decoders from many other sources.
I suggest you go on over to RM-Web DCC Sound forum and have a trawl through there, where you will find actual sound providers contributing to the discussions, e.g. Paul Chetter (legomanbiffo) and other well known knowledgable chaps.
Rob
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Re: Shopping For Sound
@Bigmet, phonecall one afternoon from "number withheld"
" Mr Williams I understand you now need hearing aids due to exposure to heavy machinery"
"Nah mate more like 'eavy metal"
Clunk
" Mr Williams I understand you now need hearing aids due to exposure to heavy machinery"
"Nah mate more like 'eavy metal"
Clunk
Growing old, can't avoid it. Growing up, forget it!
My Layout, My Workbench Blog and My Opinions
My Layout, My Workbench Blog and My Opinions
Re: Shopping For Sound
Paul Chetter (pauliebanger) supplies sound for Zimo decoders via Digitrains. I think legomanbiffo is Ian Chapman, I stand to be corrected.RAFHAAA96 wrote:It's a case of how much you want to pay and what you expect to get for that price.
There are budget sound decoders from Hornby, Bachman and ESU and increasingly more expensive sound decoders from many other sources.
I suggest you go on over to RM-Web DCC Sound forum and have a trawl through there, where you will find actual sound providers contributing to the discussions, e.g. Paul Chetter (legomanbiffo) and other well known knowledgable chaps.
Rob
All my decoders are Zimo, sound and non sound because of the ability to programme them to get the best out of any loco. Cheaper decoders don't allow for 'chuff rates' to be adjusted to suit your 2,3 or 4 cylinder steamers. Whatever decoder you use, sound quality can be good or bad depending on the speaker, speaker enclosure, speaker siting, so don't expect to simply bung anything in anywhere and get top quality sound.
I hope I haven't turned you off sound (no pun intended) but you need all the info' you can get.
Pete.
Re: Shopping For Sound
I have a few sound locomotives in OO scale and once had quite a few largescale sound locomotives and to me sound is a nice thing to have for a few minutes but then the noise becomes quite bothersome. Personally, I prefer locomotives to run smoothly and quietly. After a lifetime exposed to working in a noisy environment I prefer the relaxation of a noise free area.
Re: Shopping For Sound
And there is the further piece that the DCC system needs to be of 'full system' capability for all CV's and functions, to access all the adjustments and features of sound decoders from the likes of ESU and Zimo. Also the current supply required is significantly greater than for a regular DCC loco with a modern can motor. As against an average 200mA draw with a DCC loco working hard, a DCC sound loco can easily be in the 500 - 700mA range, and some go higher than that (sound reproduction is inherently very inefficient, lots of wasted energy in making sound). Even standing still with the sound running, the sound system can be drawing more current than the motor does when the loco is moving!
That rules out the starter DCC sets as they will not access most CV's and functions, and the economy DCC sets typically only have a power supply adequate for a couple of sound locos to operate simultaneously. If sound is definitely for you, and there are to be more than a couple of sound equipped locos operating, proceed directly to a full system with a minimum four amp output is my suggestion. Not infrequently you see people puzzled why their DCC system control has 'gone off' in some way when a sound loco or two is introduced to their layout. Usually the modest power supply of their DCC system getting 'winded'. Often there is a contribution from layout wiring which was just about adequate while the current draw was lower, but isn't any more. (You can see why the industry is keen on DCC sound...)
Personally, I do all the sounds in my head. It's perfect in there, I can hear the A4 from four miles away purring along in the 90 to 100 range, with the chime whistle going for the viaduct, tunnel, tunnel, viaduct, station, station, and away...
That rules out the starter DCC sets as they will not access most CV's and functions, and the economy DCC sets typically only have a power supply adequate for a couple of sound locos to operate simultaneously. If sound is definitely for you, and there are to be more than a couple of sound equipped locos operating, proceed directly to a full system with a minimum four amp output is my suggestion. Not infrequently you see people puzzled why their DCC system control has 'gone off' in some way when a sound loco or two is introduced to their layout. Usually the modest power supply of their DCC system getting 'winded'. Often there is a contribution from layout wiring which was just about adequate while the current draw was lower, but isn't any more. (You can see why the industry is keen on DCC sound...)
Personally, I do all the sounds in my head. It's perfect in there, I can hear the A4 from four miles away purring along in the 90 to 100 range, with the chime whistle going for the viaduct, tunnel, tunnel, viaduct, station, station, and away...
Re: Shopping For Sound
Apologies for getting the professionals all mixed up.
Rob
Rob
Re: Shopping For Sound
I have12 locos Steam and Diesel with sound, all my sound decoders and speakers are from You Choos, I have listened to all the other supplies of sound and find YouChoos suits my requirements. They supply various sized decoders and speakers to fit all sizes of loco. You will need a good quality control system, I run Power cab from NCE with booster which enables me to run up to 6 locos, it also has the ability to change CVs and use all the additional sound effects available.
I have no affiliation to any of the above companies, this is my own personal opinion.
I have no affiliation to any of the above companies, this is my own personal opinion.
Tim
aka Forfarian
aka Forfarian
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Re: Shopping For Sound
Please stand Peter, I'm correcting you . LOLPeterm wrote: Paul Chetter (pauliebanger) supplies sound for Zimo decoders via Digitrains. I think legomanbiffo is Ian Chapman, I stand to be corrected.
.
Legomanbiffo is Ian Bishop.
Kind regards,
Paul
Re: Shopping For Sound
Well spotted that man. I was waiting for someone to see my deliberate mistake.pauliebanger wrote:Please stand Peter, I'm correcting you . LOLPeterm wrote: Paul Chetter (pauliebanger) supplies sound for Zimo decoders via Digitrains. I think legomanbiffo is Ian Chapman, I stand to be corrected.
.
Legomanbiffo is Ian Bishop.
Kind regards,
Paul
Pete.