I have 3of the atlas mp15 that i would lime to add sound to. I have one with sound and i like it a lot. This is eventuallybgoing to end up putting sound in my rs fleet as well. So i am here to ask everyone advice on what decoder and install tips. Insee that mrc has some for the mp but am still leary of there stuff from what has been said on this website. Thanks in advance for your help Mike
WHo’s said anything bad about MrDCC? Bruce is quite knowledgeable, and the pictures there are actual installs he’s done.
–Randy
Ummm, what? How did Mr DCC enter into this thread?
Randy,
Bruce sold Litchfield Station a couple of years ago –
The OP did not mention MrDCC – he mentioned MRC unless he has subsequently edited his post.
At first glance it almost looked like mrdcc, but it is mrc. I’ve seen plenty of discontent with MRC sound decoders, and I’m sure that’s what the OP was referring to.
rs2mike, I’m not familiar enough with the Atlas MP15 to comment. If you do a Google search, I noted several videos and links that will help you.
Thanks i saw some of those videos, but i thought they were more of just a decoder install. Looking more for suggestions on what decoder would plug in and go.
I have an Atlas and Athearn MP15, one DC, the other AC. Atlas uses QSI and Athearn uses Soundtraxx. For me, I prefer the Soundtraxx and I replaced the speaker in it to make it sound awesome. The one in the Athearn is a GN formar/series Soundtraxx, it should work in the Atlas too. The GN series has board mounted caps to reduce space requirements. This winter we will convert the Atlas to Soundtraxx. BTW, they are the 645 prime mover. You can listen to them on Soundtraxx website by clicking the 645 file.
http://www.soundtraxx.com/dsd/tsunami/1000gn.php
Richard
Excellent thank you for the great info.
I for one would look at using SoundTrax on the MP 15’s and ALCO Road Switchers.
I think the SoundTrax has the best “notching” and sound overall for these prime movers.
I have the ATLAS MP 15 with QSI it is good, but any future MP 15 that I get will have a SoundTrax sound decoder. This means I will have to install it myself.
I do not know how the new series of QSI sound? Anyone with experience here?
Chris
I don’t know about the new QSI decoders, but the old ones had computer generated sounds that just don’t sound real.
This is patently untrue. The QSI decoders have sampled sounds liek everyone else. They are not like some of those early synthesized sound boards. Horns on any QSI decoder are far superior to the Tsunamis as well. And QSI lets you do a far better job of smulating the loco loading up to get a heavy train moving. The Tsunami in my Bowser FT seems to assign the sound the same momentum as the motor drive, so no matter what, the loco always starts moving before the sound revs up. This might be ok for a light loco move, but when pullgn a 50 car train - no. The transistion sound is great, but no matter how much I mess with the reverb and mixer, the horns sound like they are packed with snow. Then there’s the lack of simple speed matching usign CV2-6-5 since SOuntraxx doesn;t see a need for the mid CV6, forcing you to use 28 step speed tables for any speed matching. One’s enough, I’m stickign with QSI and Loksound now, Tsunami was truly ahead of the game when announced but they were so late in delivery that the others have surpassed them.
–Randy
The horns sound good on QSI. So do many of the horns and whistles on my many Tsunamis. I’ve got about 20 Tsunamis and 10 QSI. As far as loading up, I agree. They used to be where you go to step 1 and they would move, as if light, now they load up on step 1 as if they are heavy–to address your dislike. I would prefer and have told them they should make the loading up a user adjustable feature. They have DDE on the steam and if they put it on the diesel, then you would see the sound make adjustments to the load going upgrade, etc.
As far as synthesized, I know it is a recording, but the speed change is synthesized. I am looking forward to trying the new Titans, in stereo!! I sure like the m
All one has to do is listen to the QSI 645T to realize that at most they recorded (and I use that term with lots of skepticism) a NA 645 and added a turbo “whine” to the package. This is evident in the start up sequence and it is disjointed to the prime mover it’s self.
To my ears, the prime mover just doesnt sound right. However, the horns are fab…but I am a motor guy.
David
I sent two new Titans back (waited almost a year). Traded them in on Soundtrax Tsunamis. Yes they too sound like they are recorded from a cell phone just like all the earlier QSI ! There is no subsitute for Tsunamis prime mover sound, the horns are really good if you add reverb to them. You must try the equilizer also to get much more out of them too, they are trully amazing and their is nothing like them. I have several of each of the diesels in my fleet & their mobile decoders are the best too. REALLY,
Wow the last post on this topic was 8 months ago. Better late than never I guess?