The Qsinami of course . I think that such an question can´t be answered so easily. I prefer Tsunami´s because that´s the US sound decoders I bought first and as they are so similar to my LokSounds I like them. If I had bought a BLI or similar with a QSI I might have thought the same about them! It´s a personal thing.
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CB&Q4-8-4FanaticWhats the best sound decoder? Qsi or Tsunami?
Yes.
A more definitive opinion is a matter of personal judgement.
CB&Q,
As Graffen and Chuck have already stated, it's really comes down to a matter of preference. But, sometimes, certain sounds are better for one particular locomotive than they are for another - even in the same brand of decoder. So, it can depend on how well the "sound" was originally recorded and digitally sampled.
I have never owned a Tsunami but I have heard them in person before. Nice and full with 16-bit digital sound, they come with 22 sounds to choose from. The TSU-1000 decoders are currently manufactured in eight (8) different "flavors".
Conversely, there are a wide variety of QSI decoders available because they are loco-specific. So, you must purchase the decoder that has the correct preloaded sound files for the particular locomotive you want to install it in. Because of this, you'll do less fiddling with sounds than you would with a Tsunami decoder. (That's not a good nor bad thing. It just depends on whether you're a "fiddling" person or not.)
I currently have two (soon to be three) QSI-equipped locomotives in my roster. For me, the sound is good and "clean". There are two things about them that I am less than happy about:
Like Graffen, I like Loksound decoders. The low-speed response is excellent and the sounds range from good to impressive. (Again, it depends on the locomotive.) My one BLI Blueline locomotive (a NYC 4-8-4 Niagara) has unbelievable sound to it. I also installed a Lenz Silver MP decoder in it and it crawls as good as my Loksound decoders and nearly rivals my Lenz Gold-equipped Stewart FT A-B locomotive.
So, bottom line, CB&Q: Your choice of decoder may depend very much on the particular locomotive you will be installing it into. Hope that helps...
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I have to agree. I have taken the 'stock' sound decoders out of two engines, and unfortunately, in both cases they were LokSound decoders because I didn't like the sounds. I don't know of a better decoder for slow motion control....they are simply amazing as Tom has claimed.
So, if I have removed two LokSounds, what have I replaced them with? Tsunamis because even with their onboard libraries of selectable sounds, and only a few of them a really good fit for a particular engine, they were still readily available and offered what to me was a considerable improvement in sounds for the engines.
For me, both QSI's and Tsunamis are quite a bit more jumpy off the start. It is very difficult to get them adjusted so that they move off slowly as my only LokSound decodered engine left, the PCM Y6b, does routinely.
For modern diesels, I have two Genesis SD75M's, one with a QSI Revolution and one with the Tsunami 1000 (I think it is....). Both sound incredibly good. I don't know that I can pick one over the other. In the case of the Revolution, I had to let Litchfield Station know which catalog number because they come with sound files to match a whole whack of different prime movers and horns. Or, they'll take a Revolution and customize it for you. If you want the K5L vs the K3LA horn, they can usually do it for you.
But, on those two modern diesels....wow...both do a great job IMO.
-Crandell
Tweaking the startup voltage will help, but you're absolutely right, you can't get it to "crawl" with just that adjustment,
I have an older Broadway Limited (Paragon) NW2 with a QSI board in it (factory installed). I think I may have even spent the money and bought the upgrade chip for it. It crawls beautifully. I also have a AC6000 that has great low speed operation.
I have installed a couple Revolution (atlas style) in other locos (Athearn MP15) and like you, I am still not able to get the same performance. I have played with the BEMF (QSI calls the PID) settings and obtained some improvement, but still not like the NW2. I have the Quantum Programmer, so fiddling with the bemf is a bit easier. Would be even better if I'd actually make a test loop like they suggest.
Check through theis manual http://www.qsisolutions.com/pdf/quantumdccrefmanual_4_5_0.pdf
It gives some hints on setting up the PID settings.
I've even tried copying the setting from the NW2 and using them in the MP15. No good, motor characteristics are all different, I guess.
So far, I've only done one Tsunami (Heavy Steam). Low speed setup was fairly easy. Low speed performance is good, but not spectacular.
I have two Atlas MP15s with QSI sound, and if I remember right they crawl very well. I do not have a layout at this time, and I am not at home to test either one of them on a test track. I know I did spend a few hours playing around with them to get them to run that slow. I have a Genesis SD60M with a Tsunami as well, but I have not had much time to play with it.
Both are excellent but I am slightly partial to QSI. QSI does have the benefit of being able to download new sound files but you have to have their QSI Programmer. Tsunami's come from the factory with a set soundfile.
Engineer Jeff NS Nut Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/
I have both and it's a toss up. QSI is a little easier to work with once you get used to the indexing but other than that I have no negatives against either one of them. Soundtraxx came to the rescue for athearn which negates the previous comment Soooo.
I call it a tie.
Springfield PA
tstage, what QSI equipped engines do you have with poor slow speed?
I have noticed a dramatic improvent in that area over time.
My first QSI purchases were M1 4-8-2s ,and they have sever issues with starting fast, but being able to be "turned back down" after the initial start. They also have issues with some sounds going away at lowe volume levels.
The next was the T1, which was an improvement.
I bough a slew of 2-8-2's and they are fine but could be better.
The next was the K4, and it was a very noticeable improvement. Better sound set and better slow speed.
Next, NW2. I'm still not satisfied with this one.
Next, P2K SW9. This one runs great, except I had to take off the traction tire axle so it wouldn't stall on frogs. Can't fiure out why it's so much better than NW2, since they were released about the same time.
Next I1 2-10-0 This was a HUGE improvement in slow speed, control, sound set and stability Stars on step 1.
Next, Walthers H10-44 BEST QSI diesel yet. Slow speed is GREAT, on par with Loksound!!
I have 5 upgrade chips on order to try see if that helps the M1's and the NW2, with 2 left to play with or try in the Mike's.
I also have GN series Tsunami's on order for a Genesis F3 set. This will be my first experience with Soundtraxx after a horrible one with the LC series several years ago.
For the record except for a BLI E7 set, the rest of my diesels have Loksound partially because they are mostly Baldwin, Alco and FM.
I do have a Proto 0-6-0 with a Loksound, and frankly I'm not crazy about the soundset or sound "schedule" after trying about all they have on the website.
1948PRRtstage, what QSI equipped engines do you have with poor slow speed?
1948PRR,
My two BLI locomotives with QSI decoders (a 2-8-2 Mike and a 4-8-2 Mohawk) don't run poorly. Their low-speed operation at speed step 001 is okay and good, respectively. They just aren't as good as my Trix Mikes, BLI Blueline Niagara, Proto 2000 0-8-0, or Stewart locomotives - in comparison.
Thanks.
Forgot to mention those Proto 0-6-0 abd 0-8-0 units.
Those are some of the smoothest, slowest runners of all, period.
Do
tstage My two BLI locomotives with QSI decoders (a 2-8-2 Mike and a 4-8-2 Mohawk) don't run poorly. Their low-speed operation at speed step 001 is okay and good, respectively. They just aren't as good as my Trix Mikes, BLI Blueline Niagara, Proto 2000 0-8-0, or Stewart locomotives - in comparison. Tom
Do you have any newer ones?
Have you tried the chip?
Hornblower
The sound files were taken under permissions or license from known analog sources, such as film with sound or from trackside recordings, which were both done in abundance in the first half of the last century. The sounds are digitized and 'remastered' to correct hiss and pop sounds that might come from the surface of a phonograph recording, if that was the source for that particular file. They will even use software to interpolate the sounds most likely between the ends of gaps, or 'dropout' from faulty tape surfaces. They generate the best 'master' file from which other recordings are made because each generation done in analog tends to degrade the overall quality of the recording.
I have heard very old recordings that have not been altered, and they are surprisingly good, particularly those made in the 30's and later. I wouldn't disagree that we are getting human bias in the sound files we hear, but what else is there to draw from? If you and I agree that a lone human will impart his/her own bias into a remastered file, what would prevent me from rejecting one that you had chosen and fiddled with, or you from rejecting one of mine?
BTW, history suffers from the same problem. We only read what others felt was important, or what conclusions they felt one should justifiably draw from the 'facts'.
And some sound decoders feature steam-sounds newly recorded on preserved locomotives!
And the quality of the old LP´s with steam sounds on? Marveously good actually! The dynamics of a vinyl is unsurpassed in digital technology, so the only job that has to be done is to remove some unwanted frequencies.
I know that on one movie I worked on, the director wanted real "street rod" sounds in the background as it was set in the 60´s, I had some old records featuring some nice "gassers" that i lent them. I can only say that the dynamics of that sound byte was the best of the movie in my opinion.
I have a friend that works for a railroad which runs an RS-1. He told me that a few companies actually came to his shop to record sounds of the ALCO for their files.
tstage 1948PRRtstage, what QSI equipped engines do you have with poor slow speed? 1948PRR, My two BLI locomotives with QSI decoders (a 2-8-2 Mike and a 4-8-2 Mohawk) don't run poorly. Their low-speed operation at speed step 001 is okay and good, respectively. They just aren't as good as my Trix Mikes, BLI Blueline Niagara, Proto 2000 0-8-0, or Stewart locomotives - in comparison. Tom
The upgrade chip might help with the QSI engines. My BLI 2-10-4 with the chip may the best slow-speed engine I have, steam or diesel.
The upgrade chip will enable BEMF. It will make a HUGE difference. Comparing a non-BEMF decoder to some of the best (loksound, Lenz, CT) is just not fair. I don;t have any of the old OEM QSI decoders but I would definitely buy the upgrade chip if I did.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
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