The Blackstone models, D&RGW narrow gauge engines and their contained soundtraxx sound controllers for steam allow for the sound of the dynamo spin up as the headlight comes on. (Part of their hyper-light effects controlled by multiple CV options) I, personally, have heard this effect live on a Norfolk and Western “A”. The Tsunami sound effect is spot on and flawless. For those who have never heard this in real life, you might tune into you-tube as a K-36 starts out of the Chama service area at.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwdyuotS2GI
The part you want is about 20 seconds into the piece. The engine is seen just outside the engine house on a service track and slowly comes alive to chuff slowly towards the camera. The light is off. Suddenly, the steam turbine spin up is heard and a small delay is noted as the headlight lamp comes to life with its characteristic tungsten yellow-white filament glow. This is exactly what Tsunami captured and what the Blackstone K-27’s and C-19’s sound like. It is just one of those super cool realistic, proto-typical sounds found in old steam.
The bulk of the rest of this piece is rather boring until at about 5 min & 30 sec. in, the train has to negotiate a steel trestle whose weight limit allows for only one locomotive at a time on it. The triple header has uncoupled and each of the first two engines have crossed individually. Third engine then pulls the rest of the train onto the trestle to couple to the rear of the first two in the consist already on the other side. They whistle communicate each engine’s readiness to move on and that all is coupled and ready. Pretty cool also.
Being unfamiliar with some other current sound systems, is there a dynamo spin up function in any other steam sound controllers and does it sound exactly like this you-tube presentation? Just curious.</
With all due respect to the nitwit who programmed that spool-up noise, Pyle National recommended that their generators should be started and brought up to speed BEFORE applying a load. Also, the headlight isn’t the only thing on the loco that requires electrical power.
Just one more reason that my locos will remain members of the Silent Service…
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Chuck,
Richard may have not quite hit the exact description on how this works or it may still be on the factory default setting. I don’t recall if on/off is the factory default or not, as I’ve changed things around on my Blackstones so many times I’ve lost track.
That said, the Tsunami provides an option that spins up the dynamo, then the light comes on, which closely replicates the Pyle National prototype. This flexibility is one of the beauties of the Tsunami’s features. There’s usually a way to make it do what you want, although there are so many features it’s hard to keep track without spending some quality time with the documentation.
One thing about the dynamo I didn’t like at the default setting was the level of the dynamo versus the overall mix of sound. Again, a quick look at the docs and one finds this can be managed with the Tsunami’s audio mixer. I’ve turned the dynamo whine down some, but may go through and take it down another notch or two to get it right where I want it in the mix.
Mike is correct. I guess I assume too much. The hyperlighting effects are fabulous and the documentation to the CV’s and the Soundtraxx controller are over 100+ pages long! You can lose yourself in a morass and sea of CV possibilities and sub possiblities. I can’t imagine a more flexible, but at the same time complex sound controller. Again, it runs and sounds nice, as delivered, with defaults.
If you go Tsunami Steam and accept the defaults you will have very good sound, but if you spend the requisite 10-30 hours learning and trying everything, the sound that comes out will be yours and yours alone! I was overloaded at first with the 100 page 81/2 X11 size documentation print out, but little by little, in 1 hour “poke-around sessions”, I have fine tuned the sound and capabilities to my own desires as I am sure Mike has as well. Most of the sales demos just use the defaults.
I have added rod klank subtly into the running chuff sound and poppet steam release at random times when sitting still (probability of occurance CV setting).
Richard
Glad to hear that it’s possible to re-program the Tsunami for realistic sound - even if it does take a week to do it. I presume each additional loco can be done faster.
Now all they have to do is figure out how to give my D50 class 2-8-2 that first chest-squeezing WHOOMPH of exhaust as it starts from the platform in front of me, only to fade into near-inaudibility half a kilometer up the track. For a follow-on, they can show me how to squeeze a speaker into a C12 class 2-6-2T - or a decoder of any kind into my 1873 Hohenzollern 0-4-0T…
Still sailing with the submarine service, analog DC, MZL system.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - quietly)
The Tsunami is a great argument for getting Decoder Pro !! It really makes programming it a lot easier.
I have a couple of BLI steam engines with QSI sound decoders. On those, when you hit F0, the sound of the dynamo starts and as it ramps up to ‘full speed’ the headlight turns on dimly and slowly brightens up to full brightness. It’s a neat effect.
Nice to hear that QSI has the dynamo capability as well. That’s two that we know have the capability.
LED’s have issues with dimming over incandescents and Tsunami has built in a special code of dimmable LED use and this can also be selected such that it acts very much like an incandescent.
To answer another question…Yes, once you get that super sound you want in Tsunami, and you are satisfied with your sound…AND… have hopefully recorded your CV values, The next one is a snap to do. If you have a wildly different type of loco you will have to recode some items. One can’t get a flawless sounding diminutive k-27 mikado and apply the same CV settings to a big boy, of course.
Richard