Well, I got the decoder back a few days ago, and installed it last night. All I can say is: I can't believe how absolutely CRAPPY the original sounds were! My WHISTLE, CHUFFS, and BRAKE SQUEAL actually sound like........guess what? Just like they're supposed to! Best $25 I've EVER spent!
Mike C.
What I found objectionable with the OEM Loksound was the "anemic" whistle which sounded like the fire in the loco had gone out (way too little boiler pressure), the mid-range "chuff" which sounded like a "skipping cd played backwards", and the so-called "brake squeal" that souded like a whistle from a bird. After searching thru all sound samples for the V3.5 version, I actually found a European loco whistle that sounded very good. Also, a brake squeal from ONE loco sounded like a real SQUEAL. Also, I found a "chuff" from a generic articulated 2-8-8-2 in "US SOUNDS" that didn't "shift" into something that didn't resemble a "chuff" at all! The Generic chuff actually started out with a "double-chuff" as if starting in "simple", and then shifted into a good "compound" single chuff, and STAYED that way. If the "samples" on the website are an accurate representation, I'll be tickled pink! The sounds on the OEM "project" were just too "electronic" for me. What did you think of the double and triple "toots" for the forward and reverse signals on your original Y6? No Y6 ever sounded like THAT!!
I did a little checking, found this:
http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/Week-of-Mon-20100426/013610.html
That shrill whistle IS the correct one. The Y6B's did not have the deep steamboat 'hooter' whistles. It may sound out of place for a giant locomotive to have a shrieking whistle sound, but they really did. You can find examples on Youtube which in some cases are from one of O Winston Link's recordings.
ALso, I wonder how they had it set up - my Reading T1's had a shrill freight whistle as the second whistle sound on F4, the default one of F2 was a random 5 chime one tha MIGHT have at one time been on a T1 in Ramble service - the whisle from the Freedom Train (Reading T1 used on the East coast) is available as an alternative to laod with the Lokprogrammer, but the shrill one found on F4 by default is similar to a Reding freight whistle, so I just reset the function mapping (Lokprogrammer NOT needed for that) so that F2 played the shrill one. Never played with one fo the Y6Bs so I don;t know if they used a similar alternate whistle setup
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I wonder what was objectionable, or simply wrong, about the original LokSound files. I have the same loco, and believe it or not, it's original decoder let go last year. I replaced it with a QSI Titan, with which I am mightily pleased. But, of four original Loksounds in four different locomotives, the only two I really liked and felt were accurate and of good quality were the Trix GG1 and the Y6b from PCM/BLI. My Rivarossi H-8 2-6-6-6 was laughably bad, so I had a Tsunami Heavy substituted in jig time...as in within three weeks. The other was in a Trix 2-8-2 whose sound files I simply couldn't abide. It has had a Tsunami Medium in it since about 2007.
-Crandell
I sure hope so!
Well, I guess that sounds ok.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
After owning my first-run PCM Y6b, with the Loksound V3.5 sound system, I finally did something about the lousy whistle, the lousy "electronic" chuffs, and the "tweety-bird" brake squeal. Through considerable research, I was introduced to a fellow who is a "Loksound Guru" with a "Loksound Programmer" who has managed to replace all of the "offending" sounds with ones I picked-out from many different loco's sound samples on the ESU website. We have been in constant communication over the last few weeks, and he has now notified me the job is DONE! I can't tell you how anxious I am to hear the results!