I just ordered 2 U28B P2K locomotives without decoders and 1 U28B P2K equiped with QSI sound. My question is does anybody know if I can order QSI decoders that are configured for specific engines like the digitrax decoders for the AC4400 and SD38-2?
You cannot order QSI decoders. Yet. Supposedly they will be available to the public but no word on when at this point. You can order Loksound decoders with any sounds from the ESU library though. The Loksound decoder’s sound is better than QSI. The motor control is also MUCH better. But they are a little expensive at around $110 at tonys.
http://tonystrains.com/products/esu_standard.htm
You will of course have to either install it yourself or have it installed. Narrow hood units are hard to fit good size speakers in and being P2K you will likely have to modify the frame a bit to install a speaker.
I think that Sounds for 'specific locomotive’s 1. not very practical 2. limits the customer market, and 3. is wishfull thinking right now.
-
Most all sound encoding is synthesised, and generic in nature. We pay $100 for generic now. How much more would would you pay for ‘specific’? $200? $300.
-
Since the opprtunities are few too hear the original, who will know? We don’t have libraries of sound samples from 75 years ago, like we do photographs.
We are left wondering who has the best rendition of B&O blue, from looking at B&W foto’s. Be glad at the simulation.
The world is full of so called ‘authentic’ items at bargain prices.
Thats what is great about the decoders from Loksound and Digitrax. They only have 1 decoder, but you can change the sounds loaded on the memory to anything they offer. If you buy the programmer you can mix and match sound from different locomotives and get whatever you like. If you havent seen the ESU sound library, it is pretty big and expanding all the time.
I think we will see more of this type of thing. Sounds on the decoder that are unchangeable is like a computer where you cannot change the software. If that were the case, if you wanted to say… run train simulator, you would have to buy a computer with train simulator on it. If if you wanted to run word processor you would have to buy a computer for that too. Our houses would be full of computers! Reprogrammable sounds are the way of the future.
I dont know about Digitrax, but ESU sounds are recordings of the real thing. Different positioning of the microphone does make a few of the sounds inconsistent in volume, but you can fix that because you can program the volume for individual sounds. And it sure sounds good! I would pay $110 at Tony’s.
Thats a good point, I think ESU has spent a lot of time at museums and such recording what they can. I model modern stuff so its no problem for me.
Thanks guys, I will take apart the one that is sound equipped when I receive them and see how much room there is to install in the ones that are not equipped. It looks to me that Loksound is the way to go.
The only current sound decoders (for DCC anyway) that MIGHT uses synthesized sound are the Soundtraxx LC (Low Cost) ones. Soundtraxx DSX, DSD, Tsunami, QSI, Loksound, Digitrax, etc. all use actual recordings for the sound source, NOT synthesized sounds.
–Randy
That isn’t true. Even the really old (1979) PFM sound system 2 used real recordings of bells, wheels, steam blasts etc. The newer DCC units now allow one to upload their own sounds into it.
Or who will care? That gets to the whole issue of what level one wishes to take their modeling. Some people don’t even seem to mind when the steam locomotive chuff sound is not syncronized with the wheel rotation! Just like some people don’t care if a D&RGW locomotive is painted in yellow, orange or gold, others do.
Well maybe not 75 years, but from 50 years, yes we do. There were many people out getting recordings of trains not just photographing them. I believe more an more of these will materialize with the new “programmable” sound decoders coming out. I have 9 “albums” worth in my personal collection. Here is one of my favorite that is still on the market today: http://www.ivycreek.com/onlinestore_products.html?prod=2130&cat=845except I have it in CD format.
I have a DVD of a DM&IR Yellowstone in which the video was recorded on 16mm film and the sound on a reel-reel sound recorder, then combined. This was done in the 50s judging by the automobiles in the background. The sound and video are great!
the goat
THERE WERE NO tape recorders until post WWII. ALL recording was done in studios.
THERE WERE NO battery operated recorders until well after that.
The first was ‘STELLAVOX’ built for use in the African Jungle to record bird & animal sounds - and @ over $3000, plus mikes. Portable hi-fidelity CASSETTE recoders were limited to Uher, and Nakamichi and the late 60’s.
TODAY one can buy a SONY ‘Walkman Pro’ for $250., and a suitable (full frequency range) microphone (X2) for $150 ea. and record on location - except that few of these Dinosaurs still exist. Some excusion steamers have been rebuilt, but the last ALCO 2000hp PA engine is sitting in parts in Portland OR. Parts are no longer made. Can someone conjur up a sound and print ‘ALCO PA’ on the box?
It’s not like it hasn’t been done before.
In such a case I assume they get as close as they can. The sound package must include sounds from engines with the same or simialer prime mover, bell, horn etc. But is not synthesized.
That’s correct, they just use something close. they don’t synthesize the sound. There’s plenty of Alco RS-3’s around with 1600HP versions of the same 244 motor. Whistles and bells varied a lot by railroad, but there are plenty of colelctors of both out there to be able to find correct sounds and make modern recordings of the actual whistles and horns and bells.
Older recordings will not have a modern level of sound quality - those I’m SURE a processed to clean them up as best as possible if there is no alternative.
TAPE recorders are a fairly modern invention, but there were other kinds of recordings. Any such recordings would certainly need some modern cleanup to be usable. I dunno about not having battery-operated devices until well after WWII - after all they had battery operated field radios during the war.
TAPE RECORDERS were an invention of the Germans. After WW II, one was brought to the states, copied, and sold to NBC to record the Bing Crosby Radio Shows. It was A BIG heavy Studio Recorder, and the beginning of AMPEX Corp’s dominance of pro recording.
RCA still was making disk recording lathes and the first magnetic wire recoder was done by I think Fairchild, around '48 or '49. It wasn’t battery uperated though.
The motion picture industry made recordings of steam and diesel locomotives before 1950. BTW, 50 years ago would be 1956, not 1946[:)].
It however, was not the first portable tape recorder (Magnecord PT-6, circa 1948); just the first battery powered one.
Emory Cook recorded railroad sounds in the 1950’s; others may also exist.