Here's a little food for thought. In listening to various sound decoders it seems to me that the original recordings may have been made in very close proximity to the locomotive. This seems especially true for startup sounds and the bell and horn. Sometimes the startup seems like it might have been recorded inside the loco itself and the bell often includes the sound of the actuator. Horns seem flat.
To me, this is unnatural as it is replicated in the model. Because when observing our models we are standing maybe 200 scale feet away from the sound source at a minimum. When hearing a bell on a prototype loco, all I ever hear is a bell sound, not the actuator. When hearing a horn or whistle I usually hear some ambiance or echos. In the model the horns and bells don't usually have much character.
So the question is, am I right about the original recording technique and if so, why not backoff some distance when making the recording?
George
Any of the better sound decoders can play multiple different tracks. As such, when they record these things, they don;t just stick a microphone up by the stack and runt he loco through a load test, or keep it in the cab - they do it from multiple locations, over and over, or else place multiple recorders in each place and collect them all with one run through. That allows eash cound to be distinct, whcih then when compiled into the decoder, allows you to set your preferences by adjusting the individual volume levels.
Part of my problem with Tsunami decoders was that the horns were weak - any real loco I've been around or on, the horn is the LOUDEST thing.
If they simply set the microphones a good distance away from the loco, all you'd get would be some indistinct sounds, there would be little point in recording specific locos to get different sounds. I live a few blocks up a hill from a fairly busy rail route. I can usually hear trains pulling through, but from this distance, telling a GE from an EMD is nearly impossible. If I go trackside - it's pretty obvious.
I'd rather the counds be recorded as acurately as possible, and leave me the option to disl them in as I see fit. I always turn down the master volume first thing, nearly every sound decoder comes set way too loud - it's good to have the ability to turn it up when I run a loco at the club shows in large open venues with lots of people milling about and talking - it tends to drown out the sound. But at home - the other side of the aisle is supposed to be miles away, I shouldn;t hear that loco. Around here, there are too many obstacles to really hear trains from miles and miles away, it's not a great flat wide open praire here where you can see all the way to the horizon. Neither is the territory my models run through. So I cut the volume for a more realistic effect.
--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 have noticed that sound decoders do often sound very different from the real thing, but not always. The newer decoders appear to be getting much, much better! That said I have no idea if it is the decoders, or the speakers, or new speaker enclosures, or what. I think that it's not just the decoder that makes it sound good but also the speaker and where the speaker is. If this where not so, why would folks spend so much time changing out speakers and making good enclosures.
It's is interesting how sound decoders have progressed over time! Ten years ago, when I first started running my grandpa's trains, sound encoders where a novelty, and my grandpa only had two of them. Now every engine he has that he regular runs has sound and I must say two or three engines with sound running together sounds awesome.
That said I actually still use straight DC on my own trains, but that's because I don't want to put the money needed for a DCC system and sound equipped equipment right now, I'm still in high school and that doesn't seem like a great use of my limited funds!
Regards, Isaac
I model my railroad and you model yours! I model my way and you model yours!
[quote user="RR_Mel"]
So Mel, on your cab-forwards are you using a SoundTraxx or the TCS WOW ? Was unclear to me on you post.
[quote user="woodone"]
RR_Mel So Mel, on your cab-forwards are you using a SoundTraxx or the TCS WOW ? Was unclear to me on you post.
rrinkerI always turn down the master volume first thing, nearly every sound decoder comes set way too loud
I'm with you on that! And I always turn the prime mover sound way down and leave the horn way loud because that's the way I perceive it in real life.