But....to address that last question, a factory reset (CV8 -> Value 08) resets everything, including your startup sounds to that factory earsplitting volume and horrible quality. You'll have to adjust them all once again. It's one of the really hard lessons you learn when you enter broadcast mode or paged mode and reset something on one loco forgetting that six others on the layout will adjust the same way. If you switch a whistle on one, you may switch it on all others. If you reset one decoder, all the others using the same procedure for reset will all reset. It's all the customizing that makes such mistakes a once-ever lesson if you are lucky.
Great explanation
Gary
It works like a mixer - each of the indivudual volumes feeds through their volume control and then into the master. The individual settings adjust each sound's volume relative to the other sounds,. and then the master controls the overall volume. So if you set the air pump and whistle both to 70, then they will be approximately the same level realtive to each other, the total overall volume controlled by the master. If you want the air pump to be half the level of the whistle, set it to half as much as the whistle volume.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
selector Gary, are you aware that you can adjust the overall, or master, volume on your decoder? I routinely turn the Master Volume CV down to about 60% of its maximum value. From there, you can easily adjust the most annoying sounds right down to a tolerable level. I have heard the air pumps thumping and whishing from 50 feet away, but at that distance about all else I can hear is a bit of hiss and the turbo-generator's whine. So, at idle, all my steam just makes the occasional thump-sheeesh, thump of the air pumps and the incessant turbo-generator whine.
Gary, are you aware that you can adjust the overall, or master, volume on your decoder? I routinely turn the Master Volume CV down to about 60% of its maximum value. From there, you can easily adjust the most annoying sounds right down to a tolerable level. I have heard the air pumps thumping and whishing from 50 feet away, but at that distance about all else I can hear is a bit of hiss and the turbo-generator's whine. So, at idle, all my steam just makes the occasional thump-sheeesh, thump of the air pumps and the incessant turbo-generator whine.
Yes CV133. I entered a value of 80. Got to play with it more. So I understand, If CV 133 is at 80 does that mean all sounds are starting at that value even when set to factory default?
Then, when I change the value to anything less than the default on any sound CV I'm essentially entering a value lower than 80?
For example the CV143 (Air Pump) default is 128, if I set it to 118 with CV133 set to 80 is that the same as setting it to 70 with CV133 set at 128? OR do I still need to set it to 70?
Yes trying to find the sweet spot. almost there. Also playing with the Rolling Thunder and the loco transmit CV's so that the rolling thunder only comes on as the loco approaches the front of the layout and winds down as it leaves.
Oh I always turn them down. If your railroad is supposed to represent miles of real railroad, on the far side of the room you shouldn't be hearing them as if they were right next to you.
Agreed! The horn is always louder than the engine. wounded if that was so with steam?
The BLI decoder is very loud at factory settings. Run 3 or 4 locos at teh factory setting and it's really loud. I reduced the horn to 80, bell and all other loco sounds to 60. Now when i have 4 locos running I can hear each individually and still have a conversation.
It's kinda supposed to be louder. One of the reason I dislike Tsunamis so much is that on their diesel decoders, the horns are weak - no matter how much you turn them up, they aren't heard over the prime mover. I live about a half mile from the tracks - I SOMETIMES hear prime movers as the trains roll through - I ALWAYS hear the horns.
Thanks Randy, That was the first thing I tried but that knocking sound remains much louder than other CV sounds reduced to the same Value. so much so that I thought it was a separate sound. Guess i need to make it much lower.
Should be in the manual. And it is - Page 8 for paragon 2, Page 9 for Paragon 3. CV143 - Air Pump Volume. Default 128, middle. Can be 0-255. The air pumps are usually pretty loud - pretty much the loudest thing you'll hear when the loco is just sitting there simmering, unless the engineer blows the whistle.
Seen it startle people at Strasburg walking past the engine and the compressor kicks in. Also have seen people standing right by the cylinders as they pull out - cylinder cocks open to drain the water, huge cloud of steam, of course. Which isn't just pure steam, it has oil in it.
Thank you Gary for asking this, I have been trying to do this as well.
Ive got all my Decoder sounds at the level I want them except that the air compressor valve knocking is still loud. Is there a BLI CV for that sound?