Douglas.
I only have one factory installed TS2 Athearn. I also have a couple TS2 aftermarket decoders. To me they are as different as night and day. The aftermarket decoders have several PM, Bells, horns, whistles, and more already installed. I'm not sure if the factory decoder has them also. I never really experimented with it.
The thing with the ESU decoders is the onboard memory doesn't need to be as large. I have a few LS nano decoders that are half the physical size of the other brands smallest decoder. I even put one in the ash pan of an 0-6-0 switcher. Putting it in there allowed me to install a small speaker and some extra weight in the boiler.
I also like the TCS WOW sound decoder. But they are huge in size and only use them in the larger tender locomotives.
I bought an ESU programmer way back in the late ninties. The fact that ESU still supports it after 20+ years speaks volumes to me. I know of no other company that supports it's customers like that. Because they support me I will support them. That is why I have more than thirty ESU decoders and will buy more.
Pete.
wrench567 On the ESU website under download. Under Decoder sounds V5 North American sound sets. Find the sound set for your locomotive. In the description there is a read more link. It expands to give you the individual sound slots and the CVs for volume. The complexity of the programming is finding the right information. The different Programming of the different sound sets makes it impossible to put everything in a single manual. For example I have decoders with coal shoveling in one sound slot and the next sound set may have boiler blow down in the same slot. Plus with the Programmer you can actually customize your sound set. The PRR S1 locomotives had a steam whistle and an air horn. With the programmer I can add a horn and map it to a function button. Pete.
On the ESU website under download. Under Decoder sounds V5 North American sound sets. Find the sound set for your locomotive. In the description there is a read more link. It expands to give you the individual sound slots and the CVs for volume.
The complexity of the programming is finding the right information. The different Programming of the different sound sets makes it impossible to put everything in a single manual. For example I have decoders with coal shoveling in one sound slot and the next sound set may have boiler blow down in the same slot. Plus with the Programmer you can actually customize your sound set. The PRR S1 locomotives had a steam whistle and an air horn. With the programmer I can add a horn and map it to a function button.
I'm understanding that the sound slots are a concept that is used when mapping an otherwise blank decoder. ESU has their products set up for the buyer to customize programming into a blank decoder, IMO, using their Lokprogrammer. All decoders are blank, and then you download, map, and program your decoder to your particular tastes.
I have been around DCC long enough to know that most discussions on the internet are talking from the perspective of a person installing one of these aftermarket decoders into a locomotive.
I buy OEM factory installed sound. The functions are already mapped.
The manual I downloaded from the manufacturer lists various individual sounds. It says that CV 259 is simply "sound on/off". I did not interpret that as being the Prime Mover, but that CV controls the PM sound. I guess I could have experimented but had many other things going on that led to confusion.
Thanks for your help.
Edit: I normally buy Tsunami 2 OEM installed into Athearn Genesis diesels. The manual that is downloaded from Soundtraxx pretty much mirros how Athearn has the CVs/ functions mapped, so there is no finding separate manuals for different sound files.
- Douglas
wrench567 Douglas. CV 259 is the PM. CV 451 is traction motor. CV 459 is starting delay sound. These are also indexed CVs 31-16, 32-1. Pete.
CV 259 is the PM. CV 451 is traction motor. CV 459 is starting delay sound. These are also indexed CVs 31-16, 32-1.
Yep. 259 adjusted the PM volume. Thanks.
Page 94 of the manual does not list the PM sound. None of the V5 manuals I downloaded lists the PM volume control. This is the root cause of the problem.
Doing a ctrl F find function for 259 has a bunch of other references, but not the PM volume CV.
I've tried at other times too. I often Google "Loksound CV list" to no success. I would think there would be an entire list of CVs in simple numerical order.
This manual calls out different CVs. Give it a try. It is the only manual that says LokSound 5 DCC, the decoder you most likely have.
https://www.ghbintl.com/DD-1_LokSound_5_DCC_User_%20Manual.pdf
Lee
The sound slots deal isn't that complicated. It's basically just working out which function button does what sound. So say function button one (F1) controls sound slot 3. You put the type of sound you want F1 to control in sound slot 3. For most North American modellers, it would be the bell. So you put the bell sound into slot 3, and when you press F1 it turns on the bell sound. You can have one function button control several sound slots.
Keep in mind ESU is a European company, and our standard function set up (F0 lights, F1 bell, F2 horn) isn't the same in Europe, so I think this allows ESU to set up decoders for both markets.
wrench567 Digging around the ESU website and found an Atlas EMD sound file. Try CV 31-16 CV32-1, CV275- what ever you like. Pete.
Digging around the ESU website and found an Atlas EMD sound file. Try CV 31-16 CV32-1, CV275- what ever you like.
That's it. Make sure that CV 31 is set to 16 first. I'm able to set both the OEM Atlas and OEM IM sound volumes with that sequence. Thanks. ( Seems like the sound slot information is irrelevant.)
Unfortunately, by goal is to lower the PM sound relative to some of the other sounds. The exhaust sounds are just too loud relative to the horn, IMO. Lowering the master volume lowers all sounds, and the individual sounds can only go as high as 128 while master volume can go up to 192. There is no individual PM sound to lower, as far as I read in the manual.
I can lower the PM by individual CVs on both my Tsunami2s (CV131) and older QSIs (CV 14 or is it 10, after indexing from CV 49). I hope there is a way with Loksound V5.
PRR8259I am frustrated with my NCE Powercab system in particular because apparently it does not offer the ability to read back the currently programmed CV values. I have since learned it is basically just an entry level dcc system, and of course if I wanted the better system they are basically impossible to find right now due to lack of chips.
I have that system and it reads back CVs just fine. I read CVs frequently. You have to use the Programming Track option, which is accessed by pressing PROG/ESC 4 times. The loco doesn't have to actually be on a separate track.
wrench567 Are you setting CV31 =0 CV 32=1 CV275 = what you want 0 - 128? It could be that the horn is in another sound slot. What is the locomotive make and model? Pete.
Are you setting CV31 =0 CV 32=1 CV275 = what you want 0 - 128? It could be that the horn is in another sound slot. What is the locomotive make and model?
I did a test on three locos total and here is what I have. Its a collection of V5s from different sources.
Intermountain GP10. Sent loco to IM to upgrade from a OEM Select to V5. The representative said that he programmed the V5 to how the new V5s would be programmed (this was done about 18 months ago). CV 31=0, 32 = 1, 275 at 0 and stays at 0 no matter what. Sounds like the horn is at full 128 value volume. CV 63 works normally (master volume) and can be set as high as 192.
Atlas OEM B23-7 V5. Same as GP10.
Atlas MP15 upgraded to V5 decoder from Tony's Trains. 31= default 16, 32 = 1, 275 can be set to anything 128 and below (which I believe is how its supposed to work). CV 63 works normally and can be set as high as 192.
Even if I can program the other two locos, I want the horn to be louder than the PM (which seems to only be controlled via master volume since I can't locate individual PM sound CV from the list on page 93), so I'm not sure this project is going anywhere if I can't lower the PM sound relative to the horn (or all other sounds).
BTW, for the IM and the Atlas that have this issue, none of the individual sound volume CVs listed on page 93 of the manual can be set to anything but the 0 it came with (I checked all of the default values). Not just CV 275.
Its seems that the aftermarket V5 that Tony's Trains mapped and downloaded the sound file to programs normally. The factory/OEM programming seems different or unique.
PRR8259 I am frustrated with my NCE Powercab system in particular because apparently it does not offer the ability to read back the currently programmed CV values. I have since learned it is basically just an entry level dcc system, and of course if I wanted the better system they are basically impossible to find right now due to lack of chips. I also have been greatly frustrated with Loksound's instructions, or rather the lack thereof (of what would seem to be sensible instructions). That means I pretty much run my Loksound equipped engines, of which now there are several, straight up the way they come out of the box, with only changes to max volume (for Alco sounds I sometimes turn it up) and minor changes to acceleration/deceleration. Otherwise I don't mess because it has gotten me nowhere in the past. Most of the Bowser factory settings can work just fine for me; I have more issues with other manufacturer's Loksound decoders (that may not be Loksound 5). John
I am frustrated with my NCE Powercab system in particular because apparently it does not offer the ability to read back the currently programmed CV values. I have since learned it is basically just an entry level dcc system, and of course if I wanted the better system they are basically impossible to find right now due to lack of chips.
I also have been greatly frustrated with Loksound's instructions, or rather the lack thereof (of what would seem to be sensible instructions).
That means I pretty much run my Loksound equipped engines, of which now there are several, straight up the way they come out of the box, with only changes to max volume (for Alco sounds I sometimes turn it up) and minor changes to acceleration/deceleration. Otherwise I don't mess because it has gotten me nowhere in the past.
Most of the Bowser factory settings can work just fine for me; I have more issues with other manufacturer's Loksound decoders (that may not be Loksound 5).
John
John.
I've had the Power Cab since it first came out. There has not been any decoder it has read and programmed. If you're using a program track booster, eliminate it. Try just a piece of track straight out of the Power Cab panel. There should be zero issues reading ESU decoders. Even with keep alives, there is enough to overcome the current.
Interestingly, some of the Loksound settings (before 5?) allow a CV 63 setting of 192, and for some Atlas engines they sound good ie better than out of the box at 192 without distortion at least to my ears.
As a test I grabbed a different OEM installed Loksound 5 loco and changed the horn volume just fine. CV32 to 1 then CV 275 to 10 to see if it got quieter. CV read the default value of 128 beforehand, then I change it back.
I actually want to turn it up louder but it doesn't not accept a value higher than 128, I guess that's the max.
The OEM V5 decoder in question seems to have those individual volume CVs locked. They all read as 0 and will not change via the simple indexing access. Obviously they have values stored in the CVs since the sound works just fine.
Maybe I'll have to try that ESU software download.
You can download the ESU programmer software for windows computer for free and use it without the programmer. Download the sound file of your locomotive. Under sound slot settings adjust the volume. Then under the tools tab click on CHANGED CVs. Then you can change the highlighted CVs on your program track using your DCC system.
There are few standard sound slots. Each sound file is different.
If it was only that simple. I understand the indexing CV and I tried that before. The sound volumes all read 0, the input of my value doesn't take and they remain 0. I think the sound slot thingy must be important, and I don't get it.
This is an OEM V5 factory install but I assume the sound CVs should work the same way.
It's easier with a LokProgrammer - and then it's not all that easy. I think the only sound CV you can easily access on a regular programming track is master volume, CV63. For the others, you have to do a kind of "gear shift"...so to change the whistle volume for a steam sound set, you first adjust CV32 to "1", then change CV275 to the number you want (volume range is 1 to 128).
It's covered on page 93 of the LokSound 5 manual on the ESU website.
https://www.esu.eu/en/downloads/instruction-manuals/digital-decoders/
Searched the internet to find this thread, which gave the most straightforward answers.
https://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/280373.aspx
It refers to the V5 manual pages 87 -89. However the manual indicates individual volumes also involve sound slots, and that more information is available on ESU website about sound slots.
So the manual really doesn't say how to do what I would think would be a fairly common thing most would want to do.
Does anybody know the actual CV command sequence to change individual sound volumes, like the horn volume for example? Thanks.