Locosound vs PS2

[Anonymous]

What is the difference between the two systems? Does this affect the chugging sounds and smoke?

[Bob Keller]

The long and short of it is price and features.

The LocoSound system offers a generic sound package, and it takes the spot of the old horn/whistle-only locomotives in the RailKing line. In short, it is less expensive than the full blown ProtoSound 2.0 system.

The diesels tend to sound like an electronic simulation of a locomotive rather than the actual recorded sound of a locomotive. In sort, like some of the basic O gauge sound systems of five or six years ago. While I can appreciate various sound systems, I generally turn them off when I'm running trains in my basement, so I tend to go "cheap" versus bells and whistles.

LocoSound does however offer MTH's dynamite cruise control system. Since this is in trains on the bottom of the price structure, that is terrific. LocoSound engines don't have the other features of MTH's DCS package.

ProtoSound 2.0 locomotives have a greatly improved sound package than ProtoSound 1.0, you have the cruise control feature, plus all of the functions of MTH's Digital Command System (DCS) if you use the DCS command equipment.

If you are considering buying an MTH locomotive, if sound and operational features matter, go with PS2, if cost is a concern and you don't mind running only in conventional mode, go for the LocoSound.

Bob Keller
Clasic Toy Trains

[Anonymous]

Is the chugging sounds and smoke of a steam engine with PS2 any different that the chugging sound or a locosound steam engine? How does the smoke and chugging sound work?

[clinchfieldfan]

The smoke output is generally the same, both types of locos have fan driven smoke units. With PS2, using the DCS system, the smoke output can be varied. The "chugging" sound on locosound engines is pretty generic. With PS2 the sounds are richer, the chuff rate can be varied with DCS also.

[Anonymous]

LocoSounds are digitally synthesizes sounds of the horn/whistle, bell, and prime mover. PS-2 sound sets are digitally recorded and styored sounds of real engines. There is no comparison between the two sound wise. LocoSounds sound like a low end digital clock/sound effects watches while PS-2 sounds as much like a real engine as can be squeezed out of a 1 1/2" speaker.

The original air whistle is an analog sound system. The next increment in sound systems were the electronic analog sythesized boards like the original "Sound of Steam". These were followed by "stored analog" systems. An analog recording (tape recorder) was transfered to a memory chip for playback (QSI, RS-1). Now we have digitally recorded sound sets from real engines that are stored in digital format (RS 4/PS-2), and digitally synthesized sound sets (LS). I own one LS unit and I turn the sound off. Silence is better than low end synthesized "noise".