Digital Dynamics Railsounds in NW-2 Switcher?

[ChiefEagles]

Jon, nice to have you around the forum. We'll be calling on you for advice more often. So check us out more often, thanks.

[Anonymous]

ChiefEagles Posted: 30 Mar 2006, 13:44:57
"DD has a mini commander too. Directional lighting, electro couplers and Railsounds will plug into it too. "

This is not a Mini Commander! The Mini Commander is a unique, trademarked, and patented accessory controller. My products are occasionally carried by DD, and currently carried by TAS (Sound Commander).

The sound commander is new(less than a year old), and as such the sound sets are limited. Each sound set is first extracted by Green Frog Ltd from their DVD's; then "sliced and diced" to fit in the sound chip on the Sound Commander. This process takes about 3-4 weeks of fairly intensive energy. I try to release sounds as often as I can.

The Sound Commander is the smallest, and most featured sound card in 3-rail, bar none. Obviously well received, I have 800 units sold since last fall’s introduction. Look for more features and lower prices on the next production run.

For the NW-2, I would use the “Alco” sound set. This, and all other sound sets, may be listened to on-line. They sound much better when installed, and the Sound Commander is the only aftermarket sound card to come complete with a pancake speaker and modeled baffle.

Regards,
Jon
www.electricrr.com

[Anonymous]

Pete, If you can find the kind of tethers that MTH or Lionel uses, let me know. The kind that have the 90 degree turn on the tender side. I have looked but have not found them. Don't really like the ones that DD has, although I used them........Tim

[SPFan]

Tim,
My plan now is to install all of the components in the powered A unit. I will install the DD standard speaker, properly baffled and damped, in the head end. Then install the DD high performance speaker in the B unit followed by a pair of Williams speakers in the unpowered A unit. The reason for the pair in the 2nd A is to better match impedence (2 parallel pairs wired in series results in the same impeadence as a single speaker.
Right now I am deciding on what type of tether to use for 6 conductors (1 pair each for audio, rear light, and couplers) if I decide to convert.

2037, Yes I have only heard the unbaffled speaker in the Beep. I was not impressed.


Pete

[Anonymous]

With respect, I'll have to disagree on that one. TBII sounds really good (I just got an NW-2 ! Sweet!) but you're limited to the crossing sequence with the whistle - and it dosen't really work with a TMCC conversion. If you've only heard a sound commander in a Beep - or some other installation without a proper speaker baffle - you ain't heard nothing yet.

The factory TBII does sound great - to make any aftermarket conversion sound as good takes some skill and care. Without a proper speaker baffle, forget it. And Railsounds would sound just as bad.

Just my experience/opinion.

Old 2037

QUOTE: Originally posted by SPFan

Neil, I am familiar with both the Sound Commnader and Williams TBII. If bell and whistle are all you are looking for the Williams unit has better sound quality IMHO. I am installing a DD TMCC, RS and speaker in a Williams F unit. I also have a PW622 and can tell you it would be a very tight fit to get the RS boards and speaker in that loco but if you had you would have superior sound to the other options listed here.

Pete

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SPFan

Neil, I am familiar with both the Sound Commnader and Williams TBII. If bell and whistle are all you are looking for the Williams unit has better sound quality IMHO. I am installing a DD TMCC, RS and speaker in a Williams F unit. I also have a PW622 and can tell you it would be a very tight fit to get the RS boards and speaker in that loco but if you had you would have superior sound to the other options listed here.

Pete

Hi Pete, I'll bet you are putting it into a SP F7, going by your handle. I recently installed same into Williams F7 SP B unit, and tethered it all together. Are you installing in A or B....Tim

[SPFan]

Neil, I am familiar with both the Sound Commnader and Williams TBII. If bell and whistle are all you are looking for the Williams unit has better sound quality IMHO. I am installing a DD TMCC, RS and speaker in a Williams F unit. I also have a PW622 and can tell you it would be a very tight fit to get the RS boards and speaker in that loco but if you had you would have superior sound to the other options listed here.

Pete

[tadowler]

Hi Neil,

Which sound did you buy? GP7/9 or F3/7 or ???

[Anonymous]

Hi again everyone,

Just wanted to close the loop here. Thanks for all your help.

I ordered a Sound Commander today. The primary reason being the size of it. The DD unit would have been an extremely tight fit inside the NW-2 switcher whereas the SC unit is very easy to fit.
Also I never got any response from DD despite trying to contact them by e-mail and by telephone. On the other hand I had a prompt and very helpful e-mail exchange from ElectricRR.

Certainly the Sound Commander is not a fully featured as the DD unit but it meets my basic requirement of horn and bell.

Now I need to work on the best way to add a bell activation button to my system.

Neil

[Anonymous]

Well, the selection is really a lot more limited than railsounds. But I would go with an EMD sound set, either the GP-7/9 or the F-3/7. Pick the horn you like best. If you wan't really "accurate" sounds for a specific model and road name, then a full railsounds installation is a better choice. That's not to say the sound sets offered by ELRR are particularly "inaccurate" - there's just not a whole lot of specific choices like there are with railsounds.

Old 2037

QUOTE: Originally posted by tadowler

Which Sound Commander product is appropriate for the NW-2? They have so many options to choose from. Here is the link: http://www.electricrr.com/

[ChiefEagles]

Talking about room. I am about to install TMCC and RS in an U36B. Narrow shell but the boards are suppose to fit. You just have to get them "right". For speaker, take the fuel tank off and drill out lots of holes or saw out a big hole. Cover it inside with plastic screen wire. Put fuel tank back on. If you have a fake fuel tank, you can build a plastic box to hide behind the fake sides to do the same. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

The sound commander idea is also a good one. I have used it in one engine . Easy to hook up...just make sure you do a " sound baffle" as advised, it increases the sound greatly...Tim

[tadowler]

Which Sound Commander product is appropriate for the NW-2? They have so many options to choose from. Here is the link: http://www.electricrr.com/

[ChiefEagles]

DD has a mini commander too. Directional lighting, electro couplers and Railsounds will plug into it too.

[Anonymous]

Neil, consider the Sound Commander from Electric Railroad. It's about 1/2 the price of railsounds ($50), but more importantly it's about 1/3 - 1/2 the size! I'm sure it could be installed without modifying your original switcher. You get horn, bell, and prime mover in conventional mode. There's a few sound sets available, and you can hear them on line. If you add TMCC down the road you also get coupler clank and compressor sounds.

I have no financial interest in ELRR, I'm just a very satisfied customer.

I like the railsounds boxcar idea - but I would need two anyway - steam and diesel versions. And passenger cars.

[Jumijo]

Adding a Railsounds/Trainsounds car is more cost effective. It adds sound to ANY locomotive you have, not just one. And you don't have to modify a 50 year old antique locomotive to hear it.

Jim

[ChiefEagles]

QUOTE: Originally posted by pigseyes



Personally I think you would enjoy a diesel railsounds car more. At least it makes more sense to me.....Tim

10-4 Will work though if you can fit the boards.

[Anonymous]

If you chose to add he sounds to the loco, you can get a diagnal bracket and mount the speaker in the cab area. Bigger issue is where to put the electronics package.

[dwiemer]

I have to agree with Tim. I have a steam sounds car on order, and as soon as she who must be obeyed says it is alright, I will be ordering a Diesel sound car too. I have a number of post war and absolutely no TMCC or any sounds beyond the tender whistles. This just makes more sense verses sounding all my engines.
Dennis

[Anonymous]

Personally I think you would enjoy a diesel railsounds car more. At least it makes more sense to me.....Tim

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone,
I am considering installing a Digital Dynamics Railsounds module in my 1950-era Lionel 601 NW-2 switcher. Has anyone done something similar and what was your result?

The switcher is operated in conventional transformer mode. I do not have TMCC so I do understand that not all sounds will be available.

Thanks,
Neil