DC sound ??

[Simon Moore]

Hi all 

 

I've been thinking recently about the possibility of fitting a few sounds to a dc layout. I'd like to add some station announcements & the odd other sound.

 

Is there any kind of device that could be loaded with a few sounds & triggered by individual push buttons for each sound?

 

 

[Lastgaspandy]

I've been thinking about this myself. 

 

The only idea i've come up with, but yet to be tested, is to load some sounds onto old phone, then connect this to bluetooth speaker hidden somewhere behind or under the layout. You could then use a music app on the phone to select the appropriate sounds as and when. required. Personally i was thinking of a background country sound/weather sound and have this play on repeat. I can't remember where now but i did find online a site where these sorts of sounds could be downloaded for free, something tells me it was the BBC sound effect department.

Edited September 27, 2019 by Lastgaspandy

[JohnR]

This might be what you are looking for:

 

http://www.gaugemaster.com/news/Introducing-Scenic-Sounds

 

[Chris M]

For some years I have used a Bluetooth speaker paired to my smartphone. Using my normal phone is convenient because it is always in my pocket. I pick up sounds from all sorts of places. I use the recorder on my phone, or I can use my pc to record the sound from my videos or even YouTube videos. I use the free download Audacity to record the sound . I can then use this app to edit the sound to exactly what I want. I save it as an MP3 file which I then download to my phone. Rather than use the music player it is better to use a sound player. I use soundpad. This is a good app. You can colour code the sounds, adjust the volume for each individual sound and play as many sounds as you like at the same time. All you need to buy is a Bluetooth speaker if you don't already have one. I recommend getting a reasonably good one. 

 

Soundpad looks like this.

Edited September 27, 2019 by Chris M

[Simon Moore]

42 minutes ago, Chris M said:

For some years I have used a Bluetooth speaker paired to my smartphone. Using my normal phone is convenient because it is always in my pocket. I pick up sounds from all sorts of places. I use the recorder on my phone, or I can use my pc to record the sound from my videos or even YouTube videos. I use the free download Audacity to record the sound . I can then use this app to edit the sound to exactly what I want. I save it as an MP3 file which I then download to my phone. Rather than use the music player it is better to use a sound player. I use soundpad. This is a good app. You can colour code the sounds, adjust the volume for each individual sound and play as many sounds as you like at the same time. All you need to buy is a Bluetooth speaker if you don't already have one. I recommend getting a reasonably good one. 

 

Soundpad looks like this.

 

 

I might have a bash at this looks like it might be easy enough for me to use. I do a lot of music production so have editing software to create what I want.

 

Thanks for the tips 

[PatB]

A few years ago, for one of MrsB's art installations, I found a cheap electronic kit that allowed the user to record a short (can't remember how long;maybe 30 seconds or so) audio piece to a solid state memory chipand then play it back. As designed the playback was triggered by a push-to-make button, but I rigged it to be set off by the detector gubbins from an equally cheap, IR motion sensing nightlight. Other trigger mechanisms would be easy enough to devise to taste. Once triggered, IIRC, the recording would run to its end, or restart if retriggered before getting there.

 

It wasn't exactly hi-fi, but would have been perfectly OK for, say, station announcements and things. I've no doubt that it could have been improved with a better microphone and speaker. 

 

Whilst you'd require a separate unit for each different sound you wanted, ISTR the kit being so cheap that this needn't be a major problem. 

 

Unfortunately I can't seem to find where I bought it, having checked the websites of my favourite suppliers of such things and not found it. 

[RobjUK]

4 hours ago, PatB said:

Unfortunately I can't seem to find where I bought it, having checked the websites of my favourite suppliers of such things and not found it. 

 

Just search "Sound recorder module" on ebay - example:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ISD1820-Sound-Voice-Recording-Playback-Module-Arduino-PI-0-5W-Loudspeaker-UK/312517762051

 

Full data sheet for a generic module using the same IC, here: https://www.allelectronics.com/mas_assets/media/allelectronics2018/spec/ME-63.pdf

 

You can easily wire remote triggers across the "play" buttons, though you may then need to add a resistor (10k?) from the play input to the circuit ground, to prevent false triggering.

 

[PatB]

4 hours ago, RobjUK said:

 

Just search "Sound recorder module" on ebay - example:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ISD1820-Sound-Voice-Recording-Playback-Module-Arduino-PI-0-5W-Loudspeaker-UK/312517762051

 

Full data sheet for a generic module using the same IC, here: https://www.allelectronics.com/mas_assets/media/allelectronics2018/spec/ME-63.pdf

 

You can easily wire remote triggers across the "play" buttons, though you may then need to add a resistor (10k?) from the play input to the circuit ground, to prevent false triggering.

 

Not the actual beastie I used, but looks to do much the same thing with much the same components. And cheaper. I can't remember exactly what I paid for the kit but I suspect it was more than the equivalent of 3 quid. 

 

You could build quite an extensive sound system, using an Arduino to sort out the various trigger signals and send them to the appropriate module(s). 

[Ron Ron Ron]

19 hours ago, Rhb Simon said:

..........Is there any kind of device that could be loaded with a few sounds & triggered by individual push buttons for each sound?

 

 

 

There have been sound devices available specifically for model railway applications, for years.

Some of these are pre-loaded with railway related sounds, or environmental background sounds (country, city, industrial, road traffic etc, etc,).

Because of what I assume has been poor take-up by modellers, some of these are no longer offered for sale at the UK retailers who previously sold them.

 

Pricom's Dream Player system, is one of the better products; consisting of several modules that can expand the basic unit's capability.

Also, Faller and Noch have produced a number of different types of sound module over the years.

 

Alternatively, simple, cheap recording modules can be purchased from across the internet.

Put your own sounds on them and have those sounds triggered either manually, or from track located switches or detectors.

 

.

.

[WIMorrison]

23 hours ago, Rhb Simon said:

Hi all 

 

I've been thinking recently about the possibility of fitting a few sounds to a dc layout. I'd like to add some station announcements & the odd other sound.

 

Is there any kind of device that could be loaded with a few sounds & triggered by individual push buttons for each sound?

 

 

 

here you go;

 

https://www.mouser.co.uk/new/adafruit/adafruit-audio-fx-sound-board/

 

offers flexibilty at a cheap prices - you get the sounds from Youtube videos and if you search around you can find prebuilt versions 

 

 

[Pete the Elaner]

15 hours ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

 

There have been sound devices available specifically for model railway applications, for years.

Some of these are pre-loaded with railway related sounds, or environmental background sounds (country, city, industrial, road traffic etc, etc,).

Because of what I assume has been poor take-up by modellers, some of these are no longer offered for sale at the UK retailers who previously sold them.

 

.

How much would one of these cost?

It would need to have some sort of amplifier & speaker. You can buy a bluetooth speaker fairly cheaply & stream sounds to it from your phone. How good it will sound becomes a choice, which is not the case with a dedicated sound device.

You can also use it for playing music while you build kits etc, which a dedicated device would not do.

 

I have gone a bit further than that.

I already have a PC in the room which is connected to a hifi amp & speakers so I can play music while I work. All I need is an mp3 of ambient sounds.

[brian777999]

There are some good DC sound units about like this :

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MODEL-RAILWAY-STEAM-DIESEL-TRAIN-8-EASY-INSTALL-QUALITY-SOUNDS-FX-BOARD-LOUD/264600626487?hash=item3d9b6d2537:g:JHQAAOSwzG9eTsZJ

 

But I am after something that will connect to the train controller so that the sound of the loco will be reasonably matched to the speed setting on the controller. When the controller is set at zero then the sound would be the engine at idle. Does anybody make something like that ? It does not have to be mounted in or on the train/loco. I would be quite happy to have something mounted under or at the rear of the baseboard.

Edited June 23, 2020 by brian777999