Z scale sound

J o e Feb 11, 2011

  1. J o e

    J o e TrainBoard Member

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    This may be more of a DCC topic, but I thought I'd start here since it's Z related

    I'm wanting to add sound to my layout and have narrowed down my options to two things which may work for me. The first option is an MRC sound station, the second is an N scale sound decoder (I run DCC). I was wondering if anyone has used an N scale sound decoder in a Z scale box car and modified a metal wheelset on the boxcar to be a resistive wheelset or added wheel wipers to power the sound decoder. I'm not even sure if this is a possiblity since sound decoders pull a lot of power and trying to power it off metal freight car wheels may not provide the power that is needed. Any feedback is apprecaited.

    Joe
     
  2. Z_thek

    Z_thek TrainBoard Member

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    David Lancaster (ZoCal) installed sound into the tender of his Challenger, and if I remember correctly, there is a thread about the tricks somewhere in this forum. It's true, it picks up some good juice, but still works fine.
     
  3. zscaler

    zscaler TrainBoard Member

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    Joe,
    I am putting a decoder and speaker into a trailing High Cube car. The engine is still picking up the power and the speaker has been working pretty good. I am using the ESU Loksound Micro 3.5 decoder which can work in N scale. The bigger the speaker the better. I put the speaker in diagonally and sealed the speaker to make the baffle. You need to have a back baffle to cancel out the sound coming off the back of the speaker. Increases the volume 2X and since the speaker is so small, you need all the volume you can.
    My next project is a F-7 A/B pair. Decoder and speakers in the B unit connected to the A unit for power. Just waiting for a milling job on the B unit.
    LokSound uses a 100 ohm speaker (the High Cube car) and two 50 ohm speakers for the B unit and my Challenger.
     
  4. zscaler

    zscaler TrainBoard Member

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  5. J o e

    J o e TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks David.

    I thought I recalled a previous post about this, but I searched "sound" in the Z scale forums which is why I didn't find it earlier. If I go the DCC route I'll more than likely be using a high cube as well. Good to know this will work. Thanks for the info.

    Joe
     
  6. newtoscale

    newtoscale Permanently dispatched

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    It's interesting that you should bring this topic up because I too am looking at adding sound to my layout as well, but I will be approaching this from a different perspective. My idea is getting a disc or two of railroad sounds, mainly diesel engines, bells, whistles, etc, and hooking up my CD player to my surround sound system which I haven't used in 5 years. I'm going to either place the small speakers inside my mountains at strategic points along my layout, or mount them under the modules again at strategic points. I am currently on the hunt for disc's with railroad sounds but I've come across several sites on the net that these sounds can be downloaded and burned on a disc for free. Problem is they aren't nearly long enough and I'd have to do several to make it worth while. I'm not sure if I can do that. I'll have to get my son involved.
     
  7. upguy

    upguy TrainBoard Member

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    My experience is in N scale, but I have both of the MRC sound stations and, frankly, I found them disappointing. I thought the recorded sound loops were far too short for some of the sounds. You quickly pick up on the repeating patterns. I do plug them in from time to time for kids to blow the whistles, sirens, etc., but a sound decoder in a locomotive is far superior to the fixed base sounds. IMHO
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 12, 2011
    SD68 likes this.
  8. Loren

    Loren TrainBoard Supporter

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    Ken,
    I've had the same goal for years now, but have not done it yet.
    I want speakers just inside my tunnel portals with reed switches mounted on the locos to trigger the sound effect so that as the locos exit the portals, the train blows its horns. I think that would be a neat feature to add interest to the scene.

    There's nothing quite like seeing a train emerge from a tunnel......
     
  9. Loren

    Loren TrainBoard Supporter

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    I might add that I have no idea how large a speaker would be the best or what system to use. Perhaps someone with that sort of knowledge could chime in here.

    Just gotta get off my butt and get er done.......before I grow too old to hear the sounds...... :eek:)
     
  10. kimvellore

    kimvellore TrainBoard Member

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    I had played with sound many years back when the only decoders available were huge and consumes a lot of juice available and only one type available.
    The problem with sound is if there is interruption of power the sound stops completely and takes a few seconds to start up again which make it real annoying. One has to have a cap bank or some form of temporary storage to pass through the power interruption or have a real good power pickup which can be achieved only with multi axle pickup.
    Here are some pictures of the gondola with the decoder.
    Page Title

    Kim
     
  11. J o e

    J o e TrainBoard Member

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    Kim,

    Nice link! I wouldn't have thought to add capacitors to provide uninterrupted power. Do you have any more details you can share in regard to how to hook up the capacitors. I have enough electrical background to be dangerous and mess stuff up :) I have no experience with capacitors (in regard to what size to choose, etc), so any knowledge you can share is appreciated. My dad is a retired CSX electrican so at least I have someone who can troubleshoot if I do mess something up.

    Joe
     
  12. newtoscale

    newtoscale Permanently dispatched

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    Hey Loren,

    I'm going to use the four 6" speakers that came with my sound system and the 10 inch base, I'm going to either place on the floor, or suspend from the center module of my layout. I think I may also add maybe 2 or 3 more 6 inchers. I was thinking of using computer speakers because many of them are quite small, but my son says they will only work with computers and not with regular sound systems. Just a thought.
     
  13. Doug A.

    Doug A. TrainBoard Supporter

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    There are a couple of other options for Z sound.
    1. Surroundtraxx- This is a hybrid of stationary speakers and locomotive specific directional sound. Requires a Digitrax decoder with transponding. (or one with Digitrax transponding function, if there are any others with that feature. There are also transpondig piggyback boards but probably no more practical than an actual sound decoder in Z.) Also requires a significant underlying infrastructure with Digitrax detection and transponding electronics, etc as well as the Surroundtraxx unit itself and speakers. But, a very legit alternative especially for Z.
    2. Second is a "po-man's Surroundtraxx" that doesn't have location information for the various speakers, but instead uses a mobile N or HO sound decoder installed in a stationary manner under the layout. You would need one decoder for each locomotive (or at least locomotive type in use simultaneously) that you plan to run. Idea is to consist the stationary sound decoder with the loco's decoder. To me this would be the most attractive as it can be implemented with minimal hassle and no real underlying infrastructure except for some kind of speakers. (suppose you could even use a line-level converter and run all the sound decoders into a mixer and a high-end sound system to really get the full effect.)
     
  14. K.P.E.V.

    K.P.E.V. TrainBoard Member

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    I am just thinking about mounting a 5 chime Leslie horn under the table with an airtank and a some kind of relay to turn on the air, hooked up to a big red button, next to a sign that says PUSH ME. ..They have plans on line for 10 bucks to show how to make them out of PVC pipefittings, funnels and soda cans. Be cool to mount this under a small pizzia type layout. Be louder than a little 8 ohm speaker anyways.
     
  15. Svein-Martin Holt

    Svein-Martin Holt TrainBoard Member

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    Fantasonics Engineering and Scale Sound

    One very interesting vendor for layout sound is Fantasonics Engineering. They deliver a standalone player and a lot of different sound CD's, each creating a different scene.
    The really interesting thing with this site is their "Scale Sound" concept, where they use a stereo mp3 file mixed so it make a better sound experience compared to traditional stereo soundtracks. If you download their manual you can read about this very exciting concept.
    I have bought 2 different CD's, one for my cityscene and one for the forestpart of the layout. So on my very small layout, I plan to have at least 2 players, with 2 speakers each, to create the sound. And it looks(or hears) very good.
    Another group about layousound is this Yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LayoutSound/
    Here you can ask any question about layoutsound.
     
  16. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    I have added a sound decoder to a boxcar, but all I can really discern is an annoying hiss, as there is no bass.

    I have an MRC diesel sound box under one module, and if I give a loco the same address, the sound is pretty good, but not directional. Still it sounds better than an onboard decoder.

    I also have just added waterfront sounds and sawmill sounds to a custom mix I made with Audacity freeware software, and placed an MP3 player under the module feeding 2 speakers. I followed the methods talked about on the layoutsound yahoo group, and I have purchased a couple Fantasonics soundtrack CD's to play with.

    I really wanted the surroundtraxx system, but I'm all about NCE, and really hate the Digitrax system, so I will play with the free Soundpro in JMRI instead.
     
  17. Don A

    Don A TrainBoard Supporter

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    Try a full size bass speaker under the layout. The human ear can't tell where the low frequency sound is coming from anyway. If you raise / lower the volume as the train moves around it will sound quite realistic.

    ...don
     
  18. CSX Robert

    CSX Robert TrainBoard Member

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    The Surroundtraxx system is designed to work with any DCC control system. It does need Digitrax decoders and Transponding detectors, but it does not need to be controlled by Digitrax. The bad thing about Surroundtraxx is it has been talked about on and off for several years and still is not available.
     
  19. Garth-H

    Garth-H TrainBoard Supporter

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    With a leslie under the table you are going to need a defibrillator on the wall and a shovel for those who push the red button. I used to sell airhorns for ships and trains and those babies will certainly make them jump. You have no idea how loud those things are at a range of 6 foot range. even ear protectors are of little protection.
     
  20. K.P.E.V.

    K.P.E.V. TrainBoard Member

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    Perhaps I could get away with an authentic RR crossing bell...
     

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