Have you seen this ? ?

[delamaize]

Well, I was going to chime in, but yous guys covered it.

[tehachapifan]

Ha! Same issue/philosophy when populating layouts with vehicles and figures. That they are not moving in locations or postures where they should be is incongruous. Why is it that only the trains move? That's why any cars or people on my layouts will be in positions that make sense that they are still - vehicles parked or stopped at stop signs, people sitting, leaning or laying down.

I'm totally with you on people being in frozen poses that actually make sense. Nothing sillier or less realistic than figures, animals, etc., that are frozen in a position of extreme action. To me, this conveys total lack of movement whereas a figure in a naturally still position conveys impending movement.

[up1950s]

 I wonder what 4 cars would sound like . That would also , if all were out of sync and spaced apart , give a unique stereo effect . If one wants to be more correct the most squeaks and squeals happen while on sharp curves and turnout tangents .

 So what would be better is a photo-cell triggered loop longer than the train time of the actual passage of a train . The loop should not reset itself at the beginning for the next event as that would be too identifiable after a few trains . This unit could be mounted in a structure , sidelined railroad car , or the scenery itself . It should have a volume control . Base , and treble would also be helpful . Super cool would be an automatic speed rate triggered by a pair of separated photo cells which the elapsed time between each triggered would calculate the speed at which the loop would run . Mount at a yard throat and you don't hear it wherever the train roams .     

[sirenwerks]

The added cost and work this new Soundtraxx product presents makes my idea of a sound system that features a single, quality throttle-based speaker(s) rather than multiple equipment-based, tinny speakers and decoders more sensible.

[mecgp7]

I like the sound, but putting it in a car doesn't make sense. When I watch a train I am in one position and I hear each car hit the same section of track. That is where you could forgive some of the duplicate sounds. It seems to me that the sound should be stationary and the train goes by. Place a couple around the layout triggered by each train. No need for DCC.

[Nato]

             The 2014 Lionel Catalog features a three car set of PFE 1950's steel reefers one of which features operator triggered sounds as shown in the You Tube clip, brake squeal ,coupler clash etc. The car can apparently also be set to just run the sounds. Of course this is O Gauge (scale) from the company who is going to be offering a Big Boy with three speakers, steam that exhausts from blow off valves, different sounds from different parts of the locomotive when operating, and a coal load in the tender that slowly depletes as the locomotive operates. Yes car sound would be ok of done correctly, but as DKS points out if someone wants to equip ever car in his hundred car fleet then forget it. I have a very very early steam sound car (or attempt at steam sound). A Rio Grande live stock car was fitted with a small speaker a reed switch  circuit connected to a cam on one axel powered by an N cel battery the circuit opened and closed as the wheel axel turned opening and closing the circuit producing a "Ting Ting" or "Ching Ching" sound that kind of sounded like a small steam locomotive.  the sound I really want is of some Yahoo starting up his noisy Dodge Ram Diesel Pickup in the parking lot.       Nate Goodman (Nato).

[DKS]

It seems to me that the sound should be stationary and the train goes by.

For joint clicks, perhaps. But many of the other sounds simulated by the cars--wheel squeals, flat spots, brake rigging, etc.--should travel with them.

This is not to suggest in any way that I endorse such effects...

[Roger Holmes]

I like sound but have a large enough layout that passes between two rooms so that the sound goes away with the trains.  Even then I turn it off at times.

The soundcar units are interesting to me but the issue will be power pick-up.  Before onboard sound in loco decoders I built several sound cars in baggage cars and boxcars.  Cobbling up a power pickup was the biggest problem and in each case I hardwired a second car with electrical pickups to the soundcar for more dependable pickup.  Putting them in my Metra cab cars used in push-pull commuter service should be easy because Kato has already provided power from the rail to the lights.  It's the boxcars that will be tougher.

Is anybody aware of a good off-the-shelf pickup kit for a freight car truck?  I'm running out of old Atlas smoothside passenger car pickups which is what I have been using.

[robert3985]

This is not to suggest in any way that I endorse such effects...

Whew!!  I was gettin' worried there for a minute! 

[arbomambo]

I'm really not the 'sound' type modeler (yet)...but this really intrigues me as background-style sound.
~Bruce

[sirenwerks]

But many of the other sounds simulated by the cars--wheel squeals, flat spots, brake rigging, etc.--should travel with them.

Again, speaker in the throttle's the way to go.  Operator travels with train, holds trottle = sound traveling with train.  Although, sounds like brake squeals con curves would probably be best served by using location sensors timing stationary sounds that fade with the coming and passing of a train at specific locations.

[EspeeGoldenState]

I'm interested in it, but N scale sounds like many have said dont scale. How is that 3 inch car making a sound that loud?

One thing that would definitely be nice, and wasnt showing was the hiss of a FRED.

Though I laugh about sound in N and put it up right next to people that put the Kato lights in every one of their passenger cars, but no people, window shades, or even window tint. I just don't understand why put lights in there if you aren't but just showing off molded plastic interior.

Chris

[arbomambo]

I'm interested in it, but N scale sounds like many have said dont scale. How is that 3 inch car making a sound that loud?

One thing that would definitely be nice, and wasnt showing was the hiss of a FRED.

Though I laugh about sound in N and put it up right next to people that put the Kato lights in every one of their passenger cars, but no people, window shades, or even window tint. I just don't understand why put lights in there if you aren't but just showing off molded plastic interior.

Chris

I'm in complete agreement with the 'sound doesn't scale'....
but...
I'll watch a train video with outrageous sound...fully understanding that the sound isn't scaling with the fact that the units on the monitor aren't actual size...
I'm just immersed in the sound...that's why, for ME, onboard sound doesn't 'float my boat'; I'm more a proponent of under the layout BIG sound, with subwoofer rumbles, notch 8 straining, brake squealing, etc...I detail the heck out of my tiny N scale engines and rolling stock, but I love the BIG sound....
~Bruce

[unittrain]

Get a powerful microphone a mixer and a stack of marshalls, place the mic under the N scale tracks

[wcfn100]

A speaker under the table sound just like that.  Maybe if you're partially deaf in one ear or something, you can convince your brain that the sound is coming from the locomotive. I can't.  Having the sound come from somewhere other than the locomotive is just a distraction.  I'll take scaled down tinny sound from the locomotive every time.

Honestly, I can give or take sound, but my sons go crazy for it.  If we want to pass this all along to the next generation, we have to embrace sound as an important part of the future.

Jason