I have an MRC prodigy system. I wanted to try a DCC sound decoder in my KATO AC4400 (it has a receptacle for a speaker in the fuel tank). Do I need a whole new DCC system or is the decoder enough?
A sound decoder other than MRC’s will not produce the desired sounds with an MRC Prodigy system because the Prodigy cannot access the necessary Configuration Variables and Functions to activate the sounds.
I know you likely spent quite a bit of money on your MRC system, but consider that you may be better off “biting the chain” and going with a system like Digitrax, NCE, or TCS. This in turn would allow you to use Soundtraxx DSX decoders (or you can wait for the Tsunami) which offer a much greater variety of high quality sounds.
So far with Soundtraxx the prime mover sounds offered are 1st and 2nd generation EMD, GE, Alco, and now Fairbanks Morse. They also offer a nice variety of horns.
At a train show I heard an HO F-7 equipped with an MRC decoder/speaker. It was loud but the diesel engine and horn sounds were generic which is why I’ve decided to go the Soundtraxx route.
Cheers!