Here is my delema, I have just about finished my layout and there is no sound to it, I don’t now nor will I have the money anytime soon to add DCC with sound, so using the pro recording gear that I once used in my recording studio.
I sampled different sounds around a town and a working rail road and spliced and edited until I came up with a realistic blend and flow of natural sounds for my layout.
I throw the disc in and I’m treated to bird sounds, light traffic, a little wind, some trains, a few intermittant whaling ambulances, little snippets of peoples conversations along the platform and the sounds of heavy steel wheels on tracks,and now and then a little construction going on, it serves my purpose for the time being, I guess it is a poor modlers DDC sound…LOL!
As long as I’m having more dreams than money I will have too keep inventing other ways of doing things…LOL!
What I like is I can remix and remaster other CDs for different times of the day or night and different seasons also.
I’m having fun over comming my short commings thats for sure.
And I’m still detailing the layout and hope to be posting the final series of finished picks next month, the detailing can be rather time consumming but I’m learning a lot from the latest issue of “How to build realistic layouts”.
Now I’ve got to go simulate a building that is burning, hummmm, real flame or fake??? I wonder???
That’s a good use of your gear that your using. I did a search for “train sounds” on the net. Downloaded a bunch of .wav files and play them in Media Player for back ground sound. You can extract the sound files from Youtube videos too.
I too have no DCC. So I loaded the deisel horn sounds onto my pocket PC and played it through the stereo in my train room. Now I have pretty loud horn at the press of a touch screen handheld device.
I’ve been playing train videos in the background for years. It’s actually quite effective, (play videos without commentary). My buddies and I have recorded over a hundred hours of train video. I still run the videos even though I now have some sound engines, it really helps put you in the moment.
For several years I used a looped recording of a train horn. All I had to do was press a button on the control panel and the horn would blare as long as the button was pressed.
Sound has been used with and in model trains for years and years before DCC was even a dream. I’ve got a 1982 vintage PFM Mini-sound II. It still has some advantages over the current DCC systems. You can pick similar things up off e-bay for $50 or so. MRC also makes a unit called something like sound commander. I’ve seen them at Hobby-Lobby on the clearance rack for no too many $$. For off-board sound it isn’t terrible, often people just run them too loud.
The replies are great, I wasn’t aware that so many used “Off board” train sound tracks that’s great.
As for selling the equipment that is not possible as I still make flute Cds for my tribal members, believe me that thought once crossed my mind.
As for having bad luck with the ceiling killing my first layout sure I want too tempt fate by simulating a qwanset hut on firs, after reading your warning here I’ve opted for fake flames…LOL!
I love some of the unique ways you guys have dealt with the sound effects with none built in train sounds, just awesome, If you guys don’t mind I’d like to try a few of your methods here.
I’ll attempt to post pics tonight of the burning hut first I must get too my Dear Brides Honey Do list, I guess I’m going to fence in a acra of land for the dog to play in…wish me luck getting some train time in after dark.
Happy rails and thanks for the insperation too explore other ways of train sound effects.
Jess, even if you were in time to add DCC and sound equipped locomotives, the background sound tracks that you have created will continue to be a valuable part of your layout. I have some sound equipped locos, but really feel I am missing something by not having background sound tracks.
MRC used to make an under-the-table sound system for DC trains that gave you a choice of steam or diesel, and a steam whistle or diesel horn you could blow. It connected between your power pack and the track. I had a couple of them on the old layout before I went DCC, it actually was pretty good. There was a rate adjustment so you could usually synch up the engine and the sound pretty well.
It wouldn’t be anywhere near “state of the art” sound by today’s standards, but I’m sure you could get one or two cheap at a flea market or online and add to your background sounds.
Hi Jess: Way back when we were making a few buildings model buildings for the remote controled tank area where I worked. To simulate a burned out building one of the guys took his building into the welding area and was burning it with a torch. Just about then the insurance inspector walked in. When we had revived him and gotton him back on his feet we explained to him what we were doing. He gave us a look like we were crazy and left shaking his head.
I have the MRC City and Country sound system. Other than it’s a little too loud, even with the volume turned all the way down, it’s ok for background noises. The sounds are too repetitve, the audio loop could be longer. Placing the speakers farther under the layout, instead of at the front, may help.
Awesome web links, and the sound gagets are priced for affordable…cool, thanks!
And to everyone else when I get a real good CD down I’ll consider making copies for train friends for the cost of shipping them, It will be a while longer, I’m very fussy with line levels and such, the 32 individual tracks I can over lay are more than enough for a Train enviroment sound effects Cd, I’m right now experimenting with sounds inside Grand Central Station, but they seem to want to come out sounding like a casino…ROFLMAO!
