Athearn Has Posted CVs To Improve SD70ACe Sound

[D.Harrison]

The following is posted on the Athearn Facebook Page and on TrainOrders.

 

 

Hello Everyone, 

I wanted to share with you a letter that is going out to those customers who bought SD70ACes from the first production run. 
The folks at Soundtraxx worked with Athearn engineers and as a result, evolved thinking that includes new CV settings that may enhance your satisfaction of the sounds. 

In addition, future runs (including the second run of SD70ACe and the SD70M-2) will have revised CV settings and will also have the tooling altered on the speaker (hole closed and two baffles factory installed) 

We are working to bring in retrofit kits and to make them available to anyone who requests one, or alternatively, will install those retrofit kits at our Long Beach facility. We will keep everyone posted as to availability. 

All the best, 
Gwen Mueller, Director of Proprietary Model Railroading, Horizon Hobby 



Here is the letter regarding CV settings: 


Dear Athearn Customers, 

We believe the Athearn Genesis SD70ACe locomotive model represents the pinnacle of model locomotive development. This achievement is thanks to countless hours of R&D and graphic design work, as well as the hard work of our friends at Soundtraxx in developing the sound recordings for the model, recorded from real SD70ACe locomotives. While many are satisfied with the performance and sound of this fine model, some enthusiasts have expressed a desire for increased volume from their SD70ACe model, in particular the horn. Adjusting the following CVs can help in this regard, as listed below: 

• CV 128 = 230 Master Volume 
• CV 129 = 255 Horn Volume 
• CV 130 = 80 Bell Volume 
• CV 131 = 150 Prime Mover Volume 
• CV 143 = 50 Channel 14 Mixer (Poppet) 
• CV 153 = 7 Equalizer Control 
• CV 156 = 165 250Hz Cut/Boost 
• CV 157 = 140 500Hz Cut/Boost 
• CV 158 = 160 1 KHz Cut/Boost 
• CV 159 = 145 2 KHz Cut/Boost: 
• CV 160 = 200 4 KHz Cut/Boost 
• CV 161 = 7 Reverb Control Register 
• CV 162 = 180 Reverb Level 
• CV 163 = 32 Reverb Delay Time 
• CV 164 = 32 Reverb F.B. Gain Level 
• CV 169 = 10 Reverb Ch. 7 Mixer Level 

If necessary, please refer to the user manual of your DCC system in regard to reprogramming CVs. Also, if an error is made when changing CVs, or if the new CVs listed above are still not satisfactory, setting CV 8 to a value of 8 will restore the model to its factory default CV settings. Regardless, we hope these revised CVs can further enhance your enjoyment of this fine model. 


Sincerely 

Athearn, Inc.

Posters on both forums are now saying they are experiencing improvements in the ACe horn sound.

David Harrison

[WPAllen]

Thanks for the post David.

I tried the CVs on Tsunamis I installed in some Genesis SD70s and it worked out great. With that success I tried them on a WSM SP brass 4-6-2 steam engine that I installed a Tsunami in and it worked out just as well. Loud horn and all. In fact I had to lower the volume on all in all cases.

So with that I tried a Genesis F-7 I converted to Tsunami and the same success. In fact I feel the horn is even crisper and better sounding. Had to lower the sound levels all aorund for my taste. Later on I will try the new CV's on a Bowser VO-1000 I recently aquired and see how it works with that.

So far I think it is a great sound inprovement. I just finished converting aWSM brass SP 4-10-2 to a can motor an Tsunami yesterday with a so-so sounding horn. I will try the new CV's in it.

 

 

[WPAllen]

Update:  I have now tried out the new CV's on a variety of steam and diesel Tsunami's. IMHO they are a nice improvement. It is most noticeable with the horn/whistle. However everything sounds sharper to my ear and louder to boot. I have to turn down the volume on all.

[Rail-Stop]

Well, The SD70ACe cannot really claim to be a pinnacle of model railroad development with 15 mA bulbs as they do not offer prototypical lighting at all and burnout often. The ditch lights can hardly be seen.,  I have no idea why you want to stay in the dark ages of lighting unless it is just  to save money on engineering. Without prototypical headlights and ditch lights you cannot be a pinnacle. The lighting on the ACe is every bit as bad as the gas turbines.

 

[Hergy]

Agreed. Athearn needs to get into the 21 century on their lighting and wake up to the world of the "LED". Very little additional cost should be involved in the quantites Athearn woiuld use.. I also have been disappointed in the horns on the SD70ACe's. Very muffled sound. If I had one complaint re: the Soundtraxx locos I have, I would have to say the horn is probbably No. 1. weakness. The sounds are not crisp and sharp. Engine exhaust is very good.

[Hamltnblue]

Thanks for the info.  I'll try the settings on the Tsunami's I installed in my MTH Ace's

[Hergy]

I  have also tried the suggested CV's with good results. I have 2 SD70 ACes and I placed them side by side to get a good before and after. I modified the first loco and then toggled back and forth between the unmodified and the modified loco. I'm happy to report that the new values definitely do improve the sound. The sounds, both engine and horn, are clearer and more precise. The horn is improved, but It certainly is not too loud. I modified the 2nd ACe and then compared the sounds again. Same result, but strangely the tone of the 2nd unit 's horn was about a note lower in pitch??? Still OK, but since they are identical units, I found it odd that the sounds were different. The engine sounds were clear and crisp on both units.

I did three more locos since I was so pleased with the success on the SD 70's. I did an Athearn GP-15 and MP15-AC, and an Atlas SD24 that I had installed a Tsunami board in. The GP 15 and MP15 were both factory installs. The improvement in the GP-15 was the most dramatic followed by the MP 15 AC. The Atlas conversion was already quite loud, horn included and I actually had to turn the sound level down on this loco. Obviously, the speakers used in the various locos probably has as much to do as anything with the sound change, but from my experience changing these values is definitely an exercise worth doing. I have about a dozen more locos to do. I'll report back on the rest of the herd. 

[cacole]

So now comes the big question -- why didn't Athearn have the decoder set to these CVs when they installed it in the locomotive?

 

[WPAllen]

"why didn't Athearn have the decoder set to these CVs when they installed it in the locomotive?"

They probably left it up to the "experts" at Soundtraxx. IMHO all my locomotives sounds were improved with the new CV's. Maybe Soundtraxx should consider this for all their Tsunami's.

[Hamltnblue]

They didn't see the need until the complaints started coming in.  It's not needed for loco's other than the SD70.  They simply had a poor design for speaker placement and are trying to adjust for it.

[woodone]

To me thay are using the CV's to correct a poor speaker enclosure. OPEN holes? What is with that?

I did a sound install on a SD60 unit- I did not change any of the CV's used in the SD70's update.

When the two units were on the same test track, the install that I had done on the SD 60 was loud enough to cancle the factory SD 70 sounds.

I have updated the CV's in the SD70  and it does help, but I think the correct way to make this sound better is to correct the enclosure.

The problem is that there are so many  small details on this model how do you get inside ( remove the shell) so you can fix the enclosure? So easy to damage so many small details when you remove the shell.

Are you able to return the locomotive to Athearn and have them correct the problem? A new speaker enclosure?

[Hamltnblue]

I might give it a try this weekend.  The 3 tsunami's I have sound great but who knows, maybe it will do even better