Sounds for Analog Dinosaurs

[vsmith]

Cleaver man!

[Rex in Pinetop]

Just what I'm looking for

[dwbeckett]

Thanks that fit's my budget of very cheap...

Dave

[ttrigg]

This is my “on-board” sound system for “Analog Dinosaurs”.  As a confirmed “AD” I tried one of those $170 sound systems with far less than stellar results.  Fingers did not work so well, could not get the magnets on wheels and reed switches properly aligned, kept knocking off parts because track magnets were too high, or a rock got in the way, gave up after about two months and filed the entire project in the “round file”.

I get these “wannabe iPods” from the “electronics” section at the local toy departments when they are on clearance.  This one was $15 (+$7 for the speakers); I left the lid off the speakers so you can see the size of the setup (AA battery). Typically they can hold 20~30 minutes of music.  I downloaded steam sounds, you know the ones that last for about 4~5 seconds, and several whistle sounds.  Using a freeware mp3 editor, I cleaned up the ends of the sounds.  Using “copy & paste” I turned 2.5 seconds of chuffing into about 90 seconds of chuff.  Insert a whistle, then more chuff and so on until I had a 10 minute “sound track.”  For the saloon I ripped a “honky tonk” CD. I put the music on the left track and party/crowd sounds on the right track. For the old “haunted mansion” (Halloween clearance sale at Hallmark Store) I ripped a Halloween sound CD.  The trolley has streetcar sounds. For the engine house (still under construction) I have blacksmith type sounds. The hotel downstairs has sounds of slot machines and small crowd party sounds, upstairs has a lot of null sound interspersed with “adult” sound effects. I even have one for the Fast Attack Trawler “SS Minnow”.  The gazebo in Rosebud Falls City Park has the sound of children at play. I’m waiting for another sale to come along to “finish” my sound requirements. I have the necessary soundtracks compiled for construction sounds (track gang), motor and horn sounds for the “Goose” and the three trucks acquired from the defunct Barracho Springs RR. Using this system I can change any set of sound effect by simply plugging the unit to the computer and loading the new sound set.

Just thought I’d toss this out as “cannon fodder” as there are a number of threads showing up about different sound systems.