Model Railroading > DCC, transponding & sound

So is the future of layout sound decoders and sound generators on each locomotive like the soundtraxx system or is it more layout based?

For example, each locomotive has a DCC decoder with transponding capabilities. You tell your DCC controller or a central sound generator what type of loco you have control of, i.e. single or consist (2 SD45s with dynamic braking, 1 U33C with dynamic braking and an FM H-24-66 out of the commute pool, the lead unit with a 3 chime pyle). You have the layout wired with small speakers like the little Bose cubes with built in amplifiers. The speakers are about every 3-5 feet and use current sensors on the track feeds to sense block occupancy like your signal system does. Now as the train goes around the layout, the sound travels with it with a speaker that can do justice to the sound of the 645 and FDL prime movers.

So what are your ideas of which way sound will go in the future? It seems the later system with loco transponders would give better sound, be cheaper in the long run and bring the layout alive since other sounds could be brought up in various scenes. Crossing signals could have sound, farm animals could \'speak\' at the farm and even change their sound when trains go by.

I\'m betting on the Soundtraxx type. No time lag for the sound feedback and fewer signals being transmitted back and forth. Speakers aren\'t as big of course, but I think we\'ll see that problem surmounted with some new techniques. I\'m not sure why a Heil air motion transformer or similar very small accordion-type speaker couldn\'t be used to produce very good sound from a very small place without the problem of paper speaker cones.

This means that each decoder will have to have either a plug-in sound module or a unique sound file for each unit. But units produced with sound already installed will have unique, accurate sound tracks.

Now if I can just get that money tree to come up in the back yard.

Even if one purchases the LC (low cost) sound decoders at street price, it is gonna at least double the cost of the locomotive to install a sound decoder in it. If one has 30 engines, that is a chunk of change. This means fewer locomotives, or money being pumped into sound decoders instead of rolling stock, scenery, signals, etc. This also means major surgery to install a decent sounding speaker. Bass has always been a problem with smaller on-board speakers. Space for a speaker is a problem in the smaller scales.

I am drawn to the idea of using transponders to give the location of each locomotive, which lets a central sound generator know what kind of sound to generate for each locomotive. Speakers at various points along the route will produce the necessary variety of sounds (EMD turbo-charged, GE tug-boat, etc.) at the locomotives\' locations. The purchase of a new locomotive for your roster merely requires a new entry in that specific consist in central sound system (vs. the installation of yet another sound card). I\'ve heard someone (Soundtraxx?) is working on this type of system.

Maybe another idea would be to have a sound decoder address that matches your loco, but stationary, that is connected to a transmitter. The signal would then go to a radio and headphones that the engineer would wear. Provides nice sound, even could have a "mix" with radio traffic....

Better sound out of headphones than a small speaker on the loco, and keeps the layout room quiet....

Just an idea, the transmitter and radio are relatively cheap....

Randy
Virginia Southern

tmotor,

I can see Soundtraxx keeping both systems in production. They have already done the engineering for the current system and some will likely prefer the speaker in the loco version and it may be the preferred system for the larger scales and smaller loco fleets. Much of the sound generating technology could be transferred to the transponder system. I can\'t see the additional cost of the locomotive sound cards when 50+ units are in question.

Time will tell and there are lots of new technologies to explore.