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Offline Melbourne marklin  
#1 Posted : 12 February 2019 09:42:09(UTC)
Melbourne marklin

Australia   
Joined: 04/11/2018(UTC)
Posts: 57
Location: Victoria, Melbourne
Hi all just posing a general question with no right or wrong answer, for those of you with digital trains, who uses all the sounds? For me I find especially with only a MS 2 I only use the main running sounds and the whistle. The rest are good to have but rarely use them...
A newbie to this hobby, All Marklin HO, Swiss only, across all eras, largeish 5m x 4m layout in planning, small table top training table in operation.
Offline H0  
#2 Posted : 12 February 2019 10:49:10(UTC)
H0


Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,254
Location: DE-NW
Hi!
With the MS2 you cannot use all the sounds, at least not for some locos.

Hardly anybody will use all sounds, instead they will use their individual subset of the sounds - like you do.

When using a train for passenger service, people will likely use whistle and station announcements. When used for freight service, you may use the sounds of the couplers and maybe the shunting announcements.

Many sounds will rarely be used: during the function test after unboxing and maybe later to impress visitors.
Five sounds or fifty, it will be the same sound decoder and the same costs in hardware. Pick your favourites.
Regards
Tom
---
"In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS
UserPostedImage
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Offline RayF  
#3 Posted : 12 February 2019 11:14:34(UTC)
RayF

Gibraltar   
Joined: 14/03/2005(UTC)
Posts: 15,838
Location: Gibraltar, Europe
My most used sound is the whistle or horn. If the loco is so equipped I might occasionally use the bell sounds, and sometimes but rarely the voice announcements, though I can never understand what they say!

The loco operating sounds I use depending on what type of loco. I use the steam chuff sounds on steamers for a couple of laps until I tire of it, and sometimes diesel motor sounds, but hardly ever the electric operating sounds, as I don't see the point. I never run more than one loco with operating sounds at the same time as the cacophony offends my ears! BigGrin

Truthfully, I don't miss sound on my "silent" locos and very often run my sound locos with the sounds off.

Ray
Mostly Marklin.Selection of different eras and European railways
Small C track layout, control by MS2, 100+ trains but run 4-5 at a time.
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Offline PeFu  
#4 Posted : 12 February 2019 11:28:41(UTC)
PeFu

Sweden   
Joined: 30/08/2002(UTC)
Posts: 1,208
Using a PC software package, you can automise e.g. the ”startup procedure” before a train leaves the station, having a line of sounds. Also, certain contact tracks and other events can trigger sounds when the train is running. This makes it ofcourse easier to utilise the library of sound effects. However, I must admit I find some sounds very strange, and those I never use...

Cool
Andreasburg-Mattiasberg Bahn is inspired by Swiss railways |Forum Thread |Track Plan |Youtube | C and K track | CS2 | TrainController Gold V10
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Offline utkan  
#5 Posted : 12 February 2019 12:34:42(UTC)
utkan

Turkey   
Joined: 14/07/2009(UTC)
Posts: 19,116
Location: Istanbul,
I do....Laugh there isn't another alternative on M-Tracks and in old school of analog...RollEyes
Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you...
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Offline petestra  
#6 Posted : 12 February 2019 12:54:43(UTC)
petestra

United States   
Joined: 27/07/2009(UTC)
Posts: 5,824
Location: Leesburg,VA.USA
Since I was all analog until 2013 I use the sounds often. They're still a novelty for me. Mind you, it makes for a noisy operation when I'm

really focused when running 8 trains but this really adds to the excitement of it all. Peter. Cool
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Offline Rwill  
#7 Posted : 12 February 2019 13:34:02(UTC)
Rwill

United Kingdom   
Joined: 04/05/2015(UTC)
Posts: 777
Location: England, London
Me – I’m deaf -mentioned it many times before- that’s life. My deafness has got progressively worse but started with complete loss of higher frequencies. We have debates on here about squealing brakes on/off -I have never heard any of it. I can usually hear steam chuffing but what I hear may be actually not the same as you and I’m with Ray why listen to an electric lok and I can hear some of the whistles. I don’t want to hear the loo flushing in the guard’s van or for that matter “station announcements”. The only lok I can hear everything is my class 99 LGB – I think you would have to be dead not to and we get complaints from the neighbours if I play too much! I do like my non-sound functions lights, telex, switching manoeuvre, smoke etc.

Marklin do have an interesting example of price of these things with 39550 vs 39551 and 39552 and 53 The difference appears to me to be 10 sound functions and one has mfx plus. Being a complete non-fan of “world of operation” the price difference of 80 Euros makes it to me a no brainer – I could buy a little 30000 with the change

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Offline river6109  
#8 Posted : 12 February 2019 14:06:00(UTC)
river6109

Australia   
Joined: 22/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 14,636
Location: On 1965 Märklin Boulevard just around from Roco Square
I'm here to admit Ido like sounds and most of my locos have a sound decoder, do I use all the sound slots available, I may do if I get time but so far I haven't had the time making sure 4 trains are running with out any hick ups. so with these electrics you only hear the engine sound and what PeFu demonstrated with a computer software this would be my kind of using sounds more often and therefore it would be more likely using more sound slots as usual. ESU new sound decoders have the ability to play 10 sound slots at the same time and this would be interesting to hear and my question would be what would you actually hear with 10 sound slots activated., I don;t mind several noises or even several station announcements so long your layout or room can take the volume of different sounds and your acoustic can handle it, which is ok in my garage., when my locos will enter and leave a station, the engine sounds will be something that is worth listening to. and having station announcement via a pulse activation (opto couplers) via a computer program would also very much interest me., suppose with a computer program the options are limitless.

John
https://www.youtube.com/river6109
https://www.youtube.com/6109river
5 years in Destruction mode
50 years in Repairing mode
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Offline klarinettmeister  
#9 Posted : 12 February 2019 15:22:52(UTC)
klarinettmeister

Sweden   
Joined: 13/02/2008(UTC)
Posts: 798
Location: Kirseberg
I love sounds in locos though I mainly use operating sounds as I think the sound gives the Loco a personality. I don't use all sounds when driving but it's good to have the possibility to use the sounds.
The horns I always use.
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Offline dickinsonj  
#10 Posted : 12 February 2019 15:31:50(UTC)
dickinsonj

United States   
Joined: 05/12/2008(UTC)
Posts: 1,676
Location: Crozet, Virginia
I love the sounds and they have added a whole new dimension to my trains, but in general I only use a few of them on most runs. My steamers almost always chuff and whistle and sometimes I use the other operating sounds when starting up but I am less likely to use these sounds on diesels and electrics. I often start my diesels with sound and then once they are up to speed cut it off. I agree that the operating sounds on electrics are more of a distraction than a feature, with the exception of the horn or whistle.

I find the rail joint sound to be a nice way to have some sound from a loco without it all becoming too much. I think that a lot of the sounds are there just to fill up all of the newly available sound slots, without really supplying a lot of play value.

I often only run one loco with operating sounds at once as Ray suggests, because otherwise it is just a lot of noise in my opinion. But each time I run one of my locos that lack sound I think - I need to get that one a new sound decoder one of these days, especially if it is a steamer. ThumpUp
Regards,
Jim

I have almost all Märklin and mostly HO, although I do have a small number of Z gauge trains!
So many trains and so little time.
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Offline skeeterbuck  
#11 Posted : 12 February 2019 17:51:46(UTC)
skeeterbuck

United States   
Joined: 15/12/2015(UTC)
Posts: 523
Location: Maryland, Baltimore
I mainly operate only steam engines. I will use the chuff, whistle , bell, and station announcements. The others like "shoveling coal" etc. I usually only test went I first install the decoder or for visitors to show them the capabilities of the decoders. I was using only Märklin sound decoders, but recently started using ESU Loksound for their variety. To my ear some of the Märklin decoders start to sound generic. I also have one loco that has a Zimo in it that sound rather good. I'm currently using a MS2 so I sometimes don't have access to all the sounds available, but usually there ones I wouldn't use anyway.

Chuck
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Offline JohnjeanB  
#12 Posted : 12 February 2019 21:56:08(UTC)
JohnjeanB

France   
Joined: 04/02/2011(UTC)
Posts: 3,084
Location: Paris, France
Hi

Like most of my fellow train enthousiasts I don't use all of them.
The way to increase usage is to use a train s/w like Rocrail or others: you add removing ashes when on the pitt or a short whistle when uncoupling, whistle when entering a tunnel or a level crossing.
You are very right, 32 functions of which 28 are sounds is not practically usable (unless you have only one loco.
You may ask a similar question about the "Spielewelt" functionality : how many of us are using it regularly and how many are complaining about brand new locos crawling because.... no more coal, water or sand.

In my opinion a much better functionality would be for a loco to transmit its location (OK it already exists -Railcom, etc- but not to the full extent) and for a signal to send a digital order to stop (instead of this ancient way of cutting all power)
Cheers

Jean
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Offline kiwiAlan  
#13 Posted : 12 February 2019 23:32:55(UTC)
kiwiAlan

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8,082
Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
Originally Posted by: JohnjeanB Go to Quoted Post

In my opinion a much better functionality would be for a loco to transmit its location (OK it already exists -Railcom, etc- but not to the full extent)


Well, mfx should be able to do this as well, but it seems Marklin hasn't implemented this functionality because of the Railcom patent. Otherwise all the required detection capability exists in the cs2/3 and boosters.

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Offline mbarreto  
#14 Posted : 13 February 2019 00:24:57(UTC)
mbarreto

Portugal   
Joined: 18/02/2008(UTC)
Posts: 1,257

I also only use the sound of one single locomotive at a time when they are running.
When I have few doing some manouvers I usually use the sound of 2.
I would like to have volume control for a loco like we have speed control, just not a physical knob but a virtual one in the screen. I think mfx and railcom allows this althugh it can't work as a normal function even it looks like a "progressive" function.

About Railcom and specially Railcom+ is a pitty Märklin isnt using it. I saw some youtube videos of an Ecos registering a Railcom+ loco and its a snap compared to mfx. Probably with Railcom+ in the CSs Märklin would have a broader market for the CS3/CS3+.

Best regards,
Miguel
Mostly Märklin H0.


Offline mike c  
#15 Posted : 13 February 2019 04:48:01(UTC)
mike c

Canada   
Joined: 28/11/2007(UTC)
Posts: 7,880
Location: Montreal, QC
I have the TEE/IC Restaurant coach with sounds. After the first kitchen fire, I assumed that it was an accident.Blink After the second one, I ordered an investigation of the kitchen equipment in that dining car. After the third, the investigation was expanded to include all of my restaurant coaches. After the fourth such incident, I came to the conclusion that it was the cook Cursing and he was dismissed.BigGrin

Some locomotives have very realistic operating sounds. Others have very generic sounds that do not really remind me of the real thing. I like the station announcements, although I think that arrival or through train announcements sound don't really work because a) the announcement is heard before the train arrives and b) the zugdurchfahrt is also usually heard before the train enters the station and does not come from the locomotive. The announcements that can be heard when a train is stopped are usually pretty cool.

I wonder if somebody will release a function decoder and speaker for stations that has many announcements and allows you to select track number for each sound?

The Roco Taurus, Vectron and ICN are my favorite sound loks. All have Zimo. A MU consist with sounds is cool, especially when the sounds start to phase.

Regards

Mike C
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Offline White Buffalo  
#16 Posted : 13 February 2019 05:56:15(UTC)
White Buffalo

United States   
Joined: 29/12/2016(UTC)
Posts: 414
Location: South Dakota
Over the last two years I have converted some Märklin locomotives over to the new ESU decoder and some of those Scott at Helmuts hobbies has modified with an iPhone speaker. It’s a very nice improvement and the sound seems crisper and clearer. Especially with the station announcements, horns and whistles. My favorite Locomotives lately have been the V200 Diesel and the BR 50 Steam Locomotives. I love the start up sound sequence.

At most I use 5 or 6 sounds, but I do like the capability of the ESU decoders. I can modify the sound functions to automatically play with auxiliary functions.

For example (z.b.) the coupler Sound to automatically play when operating the TELEX coupler or the Generator & Fans to come on when operating the lights.

Im in a similar situation with my digital layout. Currently testing some track plans on the table tennis table before making the final choice.

Märklin BR 50 with ESU Decoder and Apple iPhone speaker

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Online PJMärklin  
#17 Posted : 13 February 2019 07:56:55(UTC)
PJMärklin

Australia   
Joined: 04/12/2013(UTC)
Posts: 2,206
Location: Hobart, Australia
Originally Posted by: mike c Go to Quoted Post
I have the TEE/IC Restaurant coach with sounds. After the first kitchen fire, I assumed that it was an accident.Blink After the second one, I ordered an investigation of the kitchen equipment in that dining car. After the third, the investigation was expanded to include all of my restaurant coaches. After the fourth such incident, I came to the conclusion that it was the cook Cursing and he was dismissed.BigGrin



LOL ThumpUp
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