Model Railroading > Fade Function For Sound Decoders.

I've been kicking around the idea of a fade function for sound decoders lately. Sound doesn't scale much in our layout rooms and the idea of hearing the power at the same or near same volume long after the train has passed can be slightly annoying, particularly on smaller layouts like mine.

If you had the option of a fade function so the you could hit F whatever as the power passed, and the volume dropped to a percentage you determined in a time frame you decided, would you find that useful? For example, power passes, you hit Fx and volume level drops evenly to 25% over 30 seconds. Hit Fx again and sound ramps up to your standard level in the same time frame. Volume and duration would be determined by layout size, room acoustics, compression percentages and personal taste. Sure would be great for videos.

I would use the heck out of that feature. Anybody else?

 

If I am understanding this correctly, this "fade" capability already exists on ESU decoders.   I have it on F31 on my Atlas S2 that has an ESU Loksound 5 decoder factory installed. I'll need to remap that to a lower function number more accessible from most throttles however.

Cheers,
Harry



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/25/23 19:58 by tracktime.

I want to automate it a bit so that the sound fades to nothing as you enter staging. And ramps up as you come out of staging onto the main layout.

Nathan

Posted from iPhone

It's not related to a Fade Function but I'd like to automate speakers under the layout for ONLY train horn sounds at crossings (my pet peeve of the sound being pathetic straight from the model locomotive.)

Victor Baird


atsf121 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I want to automate it a bit so that the sound
> fades to nothing as you enter staging. And ramps
> up as you come out of staging onto the main
> layout.
>
> Nathan
>
> Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/25/23 21:29 by wabash2800.

tracktime Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If I am understanding this correctly, this "fade"
> capability already exists on ESU decoders. 

You are correct sir!
My ESU have F8 set for "fade" rather than "startup".  Set all of your loco faders to the same percentage and it'll do what you're asking.

Thanks for posting your question Chris and thanks for your replies, all. I can use that as my trains disappear behind the backdrop or run up and down a helix  in several locations on my layout in progress.

Victor Baird

KA7008 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> tracktime Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > If I am understanding this correctly, this
> "fade"
> > capability already exists on ESU decoders. 
>
> You are correct sir!
> My ESU have F8 set for "fade" rather than
> "startup".  Set all of your loco faders to the
> same percentage and it'll do what you're asking.

I'll have to look into that.  Is this a feature that I need a Lokprogrammer or DecoderPro to find?

Found this. Haven't found a duration CV yet.

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