Sound on a new Bachmann. Need Help

[hwolf]

I just got a new Bachmann Modern 4-4-0.  The sound is very low.

I got a sheet of all the CV's. It shows the Whistle Volume control with a default value of 255. Isn't that the max?

The Master Volume control has a default value of 192. Can this be raised to 255 and will that increase all the sounds?

Harold

[JoeinPA]

Bachmann has started using a modified Tsunami decoder and Tsunamis in general have weak horn/whistle sounds so that may be why the default setting has been set to 255. In my experience with Tsunamis raising the Master volume doesn't have much effect on the horn/whistle sound level. Give it a try but don't be too disappointed.

Joe

[hwolf]

Is 255 the max setting?

Harold

 

[JoeinPA]

It should be.

Joe

[selector]

As Randy R. would advise us all to do, do a factory default CV8 reset as soon as you get a new decoder.  If anything has been mistakenly set, or fiddled with and forgotten, by an assembler/tester, now is the time to establish the baseline performance of the decoder and its installation.  Do a reset.

From there, with what "should be" earsplitting and distorted volume of all sounds, adjust the master volume first to something near 60%.  From there, I always do the steam hiss, injector, pop-off, and blow down volumes next, quite a bit less than the newly set MV.  I also find the bell much too loud at that setting as you are really viewing the locomotive from a scale 100 yards away most of the time (but that's just me...).

[rrinker]

 It's a 'Tsunami thing' - one of the reasons I got rid of the only one I had. The horn/whistle levels are ridiculously low, even with max volume (which can end up causing distortion) AND playing around with the fancy equalizer and mixer settings (which the stripped down Bachmann versions don't have). The problem isn;t really the decoder but they original recordings used to build the decoder. The whistles and horns were probably deliberately mixed low to emphasize the prime mover or steam chuff sounds.

                        --Randy

 

[RR Baron]

hwolf

Is 255 the max setting?

Harold

 

Yes, 255 is the maximum valid CV value for Whistle Volume Control.

The Master Volume Control can be raised to 255 but it will have little noticeable change to the whistle volume other than it may distort the sound.   

For Bachmann locomotives it is common to find discrepancies between the installed decoder and its Configuration Variable Defaults file. Both in the CVs supported and the CV default value.  

BTW CV 30 = 4 is correct. The function assignments for F5-F8 are swapped with the function assignments for F9-F12.

 

RR Baron

 

 

[hwolf]

I have now made all the adjustment.  I mainly corrected the problem by switching  the whistle sound to a different engine which more closly fits my railroad,which is also loader. Thanks guys

Harold