Loksound Select Direct Micro 73100 availability?

[jdcolombo]

Except I doubt that the American manufactured HO decoders are equal to the European HO decoders either. ESU & Lenz have more linear motor control than any of the American decoders based on the speed profiles I’ve seen on other sites.

I think the Tsunami-2's motor control is the equal of ESU's once you fine-tune the BEMF parameters, which you often need to do to extract maximum performance from ESU's decoders as well.  I haven't tried the latest versions of Digitrax or TCS decoders, so I can't really comment on them, except to say that as of 2013, when I started my ESU installs, ESU beat the stuffing out of both of them on the motor control front.

John C

[peteski]

I was under the impression that the major US decoder manufacturers make em in the USA ... (I know Soundtraxx is made in Durango)

I think few years back Digitrax farmed out manufacturing to China (but don't quote me on that).  TCS proudly makes theirs in USA, and the price reflects that (compared to Digitrax).  Not sure about others, but I suspect that Soundtraxx and MRC make theirs in China.

[railnerd]

I don't know about MRC or NCE.

NCE manufacturers in Webster, NY.

-Dave

[peteski]

NCE manufacturers in Webster, NY.

-Dave

Now that you mentioned that, I remember that yes, they do their manufacturing in house.  I just don't own anyt NCE decoders, so I havent' done much research about them.  I do own the NCE Power Cab (that is my portable DCC system).

[railnerd]

If you model in HO scale, the Soundtraxx Tsunami-2 and the TCS WOW are terrific decoders.  You just can't fit them in N-scale hood diesels.
So ESU dominated the market, having the foresight to add US-prototype sound files to their "system."  Zimo could have been a successful competitor in this market, but they never brought the breadth of US-prototype sound files that ESU did.  And by the time Zimo got more serious about the US sound decoder market, ESU already had inked contracts with multiple manufacturers for OEM sound units.

SoundTraxx just released their Tsunami2 KN1 "F-unit/PA/FP40PH/P42" decoder.  There a rumors they are doing a narrow hood version as well.

Mine just arrived, as my local shop had them at a very good price.

-Dave

[Mark5]

Not sure about others, but I suspect that Soundtraxx and MRC make theirs in China.

Ok, here we go again: "We manufacture all of our Digital Sound Decoders in the USA, right here in Durango, Colorado."

https://soundtraxx.com

 

[Mark5]

If you model in HO scale, the Soundtraxx Tsunami-2 and the TCS WOW are terrific decoders.  You just can't fit them in N-scale hood diesels.

John C.

That's good to know, as I have a few steamers where ESU seems to be lagging in terms of the steam library, and I was looking into the size of the Soundtraxx decoders compared to the available space in the tenders.

[EL3632]

Bringing this back on topic (welcome to the Railwire!), I asked at work today if they heard anything from ESU about this, they said no, other than the 73100/199 were not being made at the moment. No info on if this is for a V5 upgrade or anything else. Also no idea when/if they will be back in stock. I cannot see ESU discontinuing this board type permanently, so the "if" is more so for the Select version rather than this decoder type period.
I suppose we should just watch and wait at this point. Unfortunate, as I was planning to start putting sound in some DCC ready, not sound ready, mechanisms (I was going to start with the Atlas U25B), but that is no longer an option.
I will go with other engines in the meantime, I want to upgrade my BLI PAs and swap over another LL 0-8-0, so those are first.

[EL3632]

That's good to know, as I have a few steamers where ESU seems to be lagging in terms of the steam library, and I was looking into the size of the Soundtraxx decoders compared to the available space in the tenders.

Having logged all the Tsunami 2 decoders we carry (which is practically all of them), I can say there are a few that will fit in an N scale tender, but I do not remember the numbers or what they look like. Just make sure you get the right decoder, they are preloaded with sounds unlike ESU where you load the sounds in. I want to say steam sounds are 884xxx item numbers for Tsunami 2, but don't quote me on that.

[peteski]

Ok, here we go again: "We manufacture all of our Digital Sound Decoders in the USA, right here in Durango, Colorado."

https://soundtraxx.com

 

Thanks for the info. I specifically stated "I suspect".  I sit corrected.

[peteski]

Bringing this back on topic (welcome to the Railwire!), I asked at work today if they heard anything from ESU about this, they said no, other than the 73100/199 were not being made at the moment. No info on if this is for a V5 upgrade or anything else. Also no idea when/if they will be back in stock. I cannot see ESU discontinuing this board type permanently, so the "if" is more so for the Select version rather than this decoder type period.
I suppose we should just watch and wait at this point. Unfortunate, as I was planning to start putting sound in some DCC ready, not sound ready, mechanisms (I was going to start with the Atlas U25B), but that is no longer an option.
I will go with other engines in the meantime, I want to upgrade my BLI PAs and swap over another LL 0-8-0, so those are first.

If you check reply #24 in this thread, there is some news from ESU - new stuff is coming.
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=51181.msg693770#msg693770

[peteski]

SoundTraxx just released their Tsunami2 KN1 "F-unit/PA/FP40PH/P42" decoder.  There a rumors they are doing a narrow hood version as well.

Mine just arrived, as my local shop had them at a very good price.

-Dave

Meh.  It seems that others on TRW did not find that news all that exciting either.
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=50898.0

[reinhardtjh]

That's good to know, as I have a few steamers where ESU seems to be lagging in terms of the steam library, and I was looking into the size of the Soundtraxx decoders compared to the available space in the tenders.

If you can, you might want to hold off.  According to Matt Hermon on the ESU Facebook group page they are working on a new release of the sound template pak. Not so much because of the whistles mentioned (although that has to be good), but the other sounds should be updated as well.  The previous sound template was geared towards the V4 decoders which used a lower sample rate and this new template pak will be aimed at the "Hi Fidelity" LokSound 5 capabilities.  So hopefully the steam sounds in general will be better.

We're working on about 30 new steam whistles right now, once these are completed with a few new files it will be compiled into a template. Early in the New Year is our goal.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/1845287662452221/permalink/2681820322132280

[jdcolombo]

FWIW, I switched to ESU from Soundtraxx Tsunami for my steam locos for the following reasons:

1.  It's just a lot easier to deal with programming only one kind of decoder;
2.  The electronic chuff-matching circuitry of ESU's Loksound is far superior to even that in the Tsunami-2;
3.  I realized that when it comes to steam, it's really all about the whistle.  Steam hiss is steam hiss; a cross-compound air pump sounds the same no matter what the engine (the unique air pump of the SP cab forward is an exception here); injectors, pop-off valves, etc. are all similar.  Even chuffs sound all about the same within given classes of steam - so for example, the ESU SP GS4 sound file has an excellent "bark" for the chuffs that is pretty much the same for any super-power steam loco; the chuffs in the Soo Line 2-8-2 file sound pretty much like any other medium-power steamer from the 1920's; and so forth.  So what really matters is the whistle.  For my purposes, the SP and Soo Line whistles worked fine, at least until ESU inserts a recording of the actual whistle from NKP 765.
4.  When Matt Herman DOES get a recording of 765, I can easily update the sound files in my Berks accordingly.

So based on this, I converted all my Tsunami (first generation) steam installs to LokSound.

John C.