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How important is sound to the realism of your layout.

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  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 13, 2004 8:29 PM
you are very correct on the realism of the motor sounds I think once the Bli revaloution wares down a little manf will be forced to create more realistic sounds and accurate to the prototype to obtain the market share.The one great thing about the whole ho sound deal is new products usually inspire others to try and take them to the next level and make it better.And hopefully we the customers will all benifit from this.
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Whitby, ON
  • 2,594 posts
Posted by CP5415 on Monday, December 13, 2004 9:20 PM
The only sounds I like to here is the motor on my Athearn BB growl as they try to climb the grades on my layout.

That may change if I get around to installing a sound system.
So to answer the question, no it's not important right now.

Gordon

Brought to you by the letters C.P.R. as well as D&H!

 K1a - all the way

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Northern Indiana
  • 1,000 posts
Posted by PennsyHoosier on Monday, December 13, 2004 9:25 PM
A vigorous Hoosier YES to sound. I'm working out the plan to upgrade my older locos.
Lawrence, The Pennsy Hoosier
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 4:10 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by PennsyHoosier

A vigorous Hoosier YES to sound. I'm working out the plan to upgrade my older locos.
Did you get the bli k4 yet,how does it run and pull,and oh yea how does it sound? I have been watching the posts and I haven't seen any mention of it yet I figured you would have one allready or at least by chritmas.Iplan on getting one just waiting on some reviews.
  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: PtTownsendWA
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Posted by johncolley on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 10:14 PM
Chuck Clark, I have not heard any of the locomotive sound systems that included the clickety-clack of the wheels on the track. What are you referring to?
jc5729
  • Member since
    April 2003
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 12:19 AM
Edited sound. There are a lot of baffels In the real world for a listener at ground level. There is a cacophony when you get above the baffels (buildings, topography, plants, automotive traffic) much like a hot air balloon flight. Having a mix of sound equiped and mute engines will probably reflect more of what you see/hear in the real world.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 1:05 AM
Originally posted by EZamora

I think the important thing here is 'what ever satifies you'! I don't have any sound locomotives. Just seeing them run by the scenery makes me happy. I did make a trip to Denver this year to Caboose Hobbies and this great salesman showed me the BLI E-7 SP in daylight colors and once he ran it on the test track, AHH, I was impressed!! But when I saw the price..you guest it ...sticker shock!!!! I can't afford it! And I could live without it for now! I'm satified on what I have!

How true/ as with anything and everything its your layout and what ever you like to what ever detail is great.I think volume levels has alot to do with the enjoyment of this pirticular question.When i am running at home I usually run by myself or with a few of the kids in the nieberhood so there is never that many trains on the layout at one time,i have noticed that the factory settings on qsi systems seem to be set at a high volume level.I usually adj the volume right after the initial run.The post so far has seemed to lean toward sound and the realism it creates,but I would like to thank everyone on either side of the question for all the replies.Merry Chritmas to all ,may you get many hours of enjoyment out of your favorite loco,weather you can hear it or not.
  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Colorful Colorado
  • 8,639 posts
Posted by Texas Zepher on Sunday, December 19, 2004 7:50 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by johncolley

Chuck Clark, I have not heard any of the locomotive sound systems that included the clickety-clack of the wheels on the track. What are you referring to?

I don't know which modern system he was talking about but my both my PFM Sound System II had it (on tape 3 I believe). Frankly it was a sound I never used. It, like the engine sound, needs to be syncronized with the speed. Track voltage variation doesn't quite hack it. The PFM system had the engine sound down but no sensor for the wheel sound and it never seemed to be right.
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • 1,138 posts
Posted by MidlandPacific on Monday, December 20, 2004 11:22 AM
I've always been a bit of an agnostic on sound, for a couple of reasons: one is that my wife's first intro to sound was an MTH layout with five trains blaring at once; I had, with my BLI 2-8-2 in mind, to reassure her that, "no, honey, you won't have anything like this racket emanting from OUR basement," and I'd like to stick with it. I also tend to think that, since an HO train always appears for reasons of size and scale to be fairly distant, most sound systems would destroy or mar that sense.

Having said that, I saw Howard Zane's layout last week and had the model railroading equivalent of an epiphany. Howard had run a few trains and left the power on as we chatted. We had just come to a natural pause in conversation when the sound of a safety valve lifting made me turn my head: a stationary Shay had just "popped off." The volume and the effect were both perfect!

http://mprailway.blogspot.com

"The first transition era - wood to steel!"

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