Scenic sound modules

[russ p]

I have a gaugemaster rural scenics sound module and it's really good. None of the others are really suitable for a 60s mainline.  Do any other companies do them?

[ITG]

I recently discovered on this forum that you can download BBC sound effects free of charge. For example, there are numerous railway /station sounds, some running for several minutes. I’m sure there will be virtually anything you want on there as well. Download as mp3 files, use free online software to mix them into one continuous loop, and all you need is a playing capability (phone?) in the railway room.

If interested, just Google BBC sound effects.

[Nigelcliffe]

And, if you have a Raspberry PI lying around, there are numerous music software tools available which will create a "sound mixer".   Use that with the sound effects library, and it gives a tool which will play multiple sounds, at different levels, fading them in/out as you require.   Add a few buttons to the PI to control  it all.  

 

If it sounds complicated,  its all described in quick school projects;  something any school age kids should be able to do.     

[Steven B]

As you've posted in the DCC section, I'm assuming you use DCC.

 

In which case, Hornby's ventilated van (R6888TTS & R6925TTS) might be of interest.

 

 

Steven B

 

[JST]

+1 on what ITG said. I have downloaded BBC sounds and run them through iTrain on my computer speakers. Works brilliantly!

[wombatofludham]

There's a site called "Freesound" where sound recording enthusiasts upload real world sound recordings for people to use freely.  I used some ambient sound recordings of people chatting outdoors, sounds of traffic, birds, aircraft flying overhead and sounds of people walking, mixed together using the free sound mixing software "Audacity", mixed together onto a long loop, and uploaded it to a small MP3 player which I hid on "King's Oak" to add background noise to the DCC sound fitted rolling stock.  It was subtle but worked.  I intend to get a bluetooth speaker for the new shed layout, and using a now redundant mobile phone use it to set up a "playlist" of sound effects to play in the background, and as Wedensford covers 1968 to 1993, I'll be varying the sound effects to include more heavy industry, and propeller aircraft for the earlier years and less heavy industrial sound, more traffic and modern jet aircraft for the later years.  There again, I'm a bit obsessive like that and do enjoy editing soundfiles!

Oh, and if you want to do station announcements, there are a number of text to speech readers with natural sounding voices you can use free of charge.  Acapella Box is one, and using "Audacity" you should be able to record them as a play list onto a spare mobile handset, or MP3 player.  There is one text to speech reader site that has a "Queen" soundy liky which I've used to make an answerphone message, should you wish to give your station a regal announcer.

[WIMorrison]

I have one of these 

 

EasySound maxi | Sound Module - Tams Elektronik (tams-online.de)

 

which you can only pick-up second hand now as they seem to have stopped making them but if you can get one they are very useful and fully controllable - especially when using computer control  

 

 

[russ p]

Cheers folks, that bbc sounds Archive is fantastic.  A few of those files loaded into a mp3 player on random should do the trick especially the signalbox and station sounds 

[russ p]

Thanks for the suggestions 

To get a taste of what I would like to do I've ordered some mini speakers and will download some bbc sounds onto old phones and play a selection at the desired locations on random on 5he mp3 player