ESU announced the LokSound 4.0 earlier this year. The new version is supposed to have four times the sound memory and be physically smaller then the version 3.5 decoders.
Yeah, I want to put sound in a Spectrum 45 ton and the v4.0 Micro will be a little easier than using the v3.5 Micro. Four outputs will be nice for some users. I have a couple v3.5 Micros in a couple Spectrum 44 ton and size was not a problem. Rich
Hey, Rich. I'd be interested in how you make out with the v4.0 Loksound Micros. I had given up on Loksound because I had a Devil of a time getting adequate volume out of the Micro decoder for both steam and Diesel horns/whistles. We used to be able to extract the sound files and you could adjust the amplitude of the individual .wav files with software like Audacity. But, extraction is no longer possible. Lots of N Scale folks complained about this volume issue. I just wonder if ESU has made any changes. ....Tom
Tom, I'm curious about your comment concerning the LokSound micro and volume. Which speaker were you using? I have several Loksound micros installed and they're louder then my locomotives with Tsunamis.
I have two Spectrum 44 ton, one Spectrum 70 ton and a PCM A/B set from BLI and have the LokSound v3.5 and plenty of volume. The 44 ton and 70 ton have styrene baffles. The PCM set, the shells are a tight fit and very good baffle. All have the 100 ohm speakers for those who are not familiar with this particular decoder. Rich
I've used both the 16x25mm speaker that comes with the micro and the 13mm diameter speakers that are used as a pair in series. Both have good volume, the 16x25 is a little louder. The 16x25 has a sound baffle built in but the 13mm speakers don't. The other thing to be careful of is the 13mm speakers come in a pair that must be installed in series. You have to hook them up the way the diagram included by ESU shows or one cone is going out while the other is going in and the speakers dampen the sound from one another.
Markwr, I always used the 100 OHM speaker that came with the Micro. Because I'm in N Scale I couldn't add any enclosure/baffle and that might have been part of the problem. It's been several years since I installed a Loksound Micro so my memory is not that good, but I do remember downloading all the "old" sound projects so I could continue using the Extractor. I had good results with a Loksound Micro in the ConCor Burlington Express and a Doodlebug but lousy results installing a Micro in the tender of a Kato Mikado. I've also installed six or seven Micros in sound cars that run behind Diesels. Mixed results with horn volume. I've just had much better results with Tsunamis, 8 ohm speakers with enclosures and I love their Equalizer. Motor control, not so much. ....Tom
