N Scale sound in locos sound terrible to me

[DKS]

However, ambient sound effects may be very effective on a layout based sound system with much more capable speakers.

Assuming I can build my last layout, it will have sound... crickets, babbling brooks, birds, perhaps some very distant street noise--natural environmental sounds, all at low volume. It's been proven to be quite relaxing in addition to being surprisingly effective.

/rant

 

[Kentuckian]

You could hear the train most of the time before you saw it where I grew up in Eastern Kentucky. Sound is a big part of the experience for me. I can understand why it might get annoying after a few minutes, but I do think it’s fun for a while.

[peteski]

While I like sound in my models, I can also be annoyed by it if the volume is not adjusted properly (low enough not to be annoying).    Plus, the relief (F8 or mute) is only one key-press away.    What's nice about some decoders (like ESU) is that F8 doesn't mute horn or bell.

[tehachapifan]

Someone used the comparison of insects buzzing. That's definitely not what my locos are sounding like. That said, if someone expects it to sound as if a 1:1 loco is right there in the train room with them, then they're probably going to be disappointed.

[Cajonpassfan]

That was my impression, too, when programming a friend's T-1. What especially hit me as most unsatisfying was the speaker location, "Hey, the locomotive is UP HERE, you yayhoos!", so why is the sound coming from the far rear of the long tender? 

Lol, right on; let's put the speaker as far away from the engine as possible
Otto K.

[CodyO]

Idk, I love Sound it adds so much to operations and running trains. I still like listening to music while working on my layout but when running trains I like to hear the engines working and metal wheels clang across the frog or random joint.

Sure it's not perfect, but nothing ever is and I'm happy with what I have to run on my layout.

 

[Mark5]

Some sound in N scale is VERY bad (ahem MRC), but Loksound finally pushed me over the edge to where I can appreciate it.

For me, the wrong sounds are worse than no sound.

Mark

[Jim Starbuck]

I see videos of sound installed that I like, but all the work to get there is just crazy.

This is actually part of the hobby that I really enjoy. Inventioneering techniques to get all the components to fit and run well results in something unique at the end.
It may seem odd to spend hours wrenching tuning and tweaking on a mechanism until it runs smooth and almost silently and then install sound in it.

Jim

[Curtis Kyger]

A model railroader I know has a very large layout.  He wasn't sure whether sound in his diesel locomotives would be a good thing.  He was concerned about having a cacophony of sounds making a sonic mess of his basement to the point of detracting from operations.  He decided to test the issue by putting a few sound equipped switchers and non-sound switchers at his large yard and leaving the choice of which unit to operate to the individuals running the yard.  Then he stepped back and watched and realized that every time, the guys were choosing the sound locomotives.  The first time maybe to experience the sound quality and make the determination themselves whether they liked it or not; so he withheld judgement until an operators second visit.  But when they returned for the next ops session they would chose the sound units again.  The "vote" of his operators, as determined by the which locomotives they chose to run, was a resounding vote in favor of sound.

[wazzou]

A model railroader I know has a very large layout.  He wasn't sure whether sound in his diesel locomotives would be a good thing.  He was concerned about having a cacophony of sounds making a sonic mess of his basement to the point of detracting from operations.  He decided to test the issue by putting a few sound equipped switchers and non-sound switchers at his large yard and leaving the choice of which unit to operate to the individuals running the yard.  Then he stepped back and watched and realized that every time, the guys were choosing the sound locomotives.  The first time maybe to experience the sound quality and make the determination themselves whether they liked it or not; so he withheld judgement until an operators second visit.  But when they returned for the next ops session they would chose the sound units again.  The "vote" of his operators, as determined by the which locomotives they chose to run, was a resounding vote in favor of sound.

I know that guy and have had the same experience. 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I go back and forth.

For me, the inclusion of sound in N is MOSTLY for the operational effects: ringing the bell, blowing for crossings, etc... Those are things that are important when "operating" a locomotive.

The prime mover sounds I can almost do without. Especially turbocharged EMDs! I love me some SD40-2s but oh that turbo whine...

[nickelplate759]

My 2 cents - based on a lot of experience with sound in other domains (not model railroading).

Badly done sound is easy to do but worse than no sound.
Good sound can be a great enhancement, but is hard to do.

Unless the sound is primary aspect of the experience (like music), it should be subtle. It's function is to enhance, and most of the time it should be barely noticeable except when there is something to emphasize. 

This speaks to John Colombo's comments earlier about the relative levels of different effects - prime-mover noises, air pumps, etc. should barely be noticeable - horns and bells should be more prominent.

I have several engines with sound, of varying quality.   I haven't tinkered with any of them yet, but even the really good ones can be annoying when out of balance.   I think the best I have is the amazing Rapido Turbo, and while I enjoy all the sounds, after a while the wound of screaming turbines is just plain annoying and I turn it off.  Yes, that's true in real life as well, but some how in real life it doesn't draw as much attention. 

[Brian M]

I operate on a few different layouts on a regular basis.  While they are all HO, I miss the sound if I end up running a locomotive that lacks it.  So far, one of my most enjoyable memories from an ops session came when I was waiting in a siding for another train to pass.  I was in a corner of the room where I was the only person at that location at the moment, so the only sound I could hear was of my steam engine hissing away in the siding and then the sound of the steam engine coming towards me.  The sound volume gradually increased and then slightly faded as the engine went around a curve, and then increased again as it got closer.  It was as close to the real sound dynamics as you could get in a basement/miniaturized form.  And it totally blew me away.  So, yeah, without sound, I feel like something is missing.

But as it keeps getting pointed out, the sound levels need to be correct for the environment.

Assuming I can build my last layout, it will have sound... crickets, babbling brooks, birds, perhaps some very distant street noise--natural environmental sounds, all at low volume. It's been proven to be quite relaxing in addition to being surprisingly effective.

/rant

This.  At some point, when I'm back east during the right time of year, I fully intend to record sounds along the Hudson River in NY so that I can play them back at a low volume in my basement in CO.  I'd like to be able to fully immerse myself in my recreation of something that I don't get to see in person nearly enough....

-Brian.

[jdcolombo]

I go back and forth.

For me, the inclusion of sound in N is MOSTLY for the operational effects: ringing the bell, blowing for crossings, etc... Those are things that are important when "operating" a locomotive.

The prime mover sounds I can almost do without. Especially turbocharged EMDs! I love me some SD40-2s but oh that turbo whine...

Yeah, the EMD turbo whine is really annoying, particularly because in N scale (or even HO) it isn't properly balanced by a low-end "thrum".  I really wish ESU would filter out the turbo and put it in a separate sound slot so you could adjust its volume to better match what "low end" we get in N.  Given the frequency difference between the turbo and the rest of the prime mover's main sound, digitally filtering a recording to separate the turbo would be possible.  Fortunately, my modeling era pretty much ends before the EMD turbo whine and I solved the problem with my GP30's by just putting in the 567C (Roots blown), instead of 567D (turbo), sound file.  Not technically correct, but much more pleasant to my ears!

John C.

[peteski]

I think the best I have is the amazing Rapido Turbo, and while I enjoy all the sounds, after a while the wound of screaming turbines is just plain annoying and I turn it off.  Yes, that's true in real life as well, but some how in real life it doesn't draw as much attention.

Sound like the turbine in a Turbo Train doesn't draw as much attention in real life because the loud sound lasts only about a minute (or less) as the train passes by you. But when you are operating the Turbo Train on a layout, you are constantly hovering above it, continuously being exposed to the full volume of the whine.  Taking it even further, in a layout setting, you will be exposed to the whine in the entire room,  even if you aren't operating the train. Unlike in real life, the sound doesn't fade to silence once the train passes.