Stanier Mogul.

[westonp]

Hello everyone,

 

I've recently acquired a OO gauge kit of the above and would like to fit it with

a sound decoder.

 

Does anyone know if I could get away with using a sound decoder for a "Crab",

with the addition of a Stanier whistle? If not, are there any other

alternatives?

 

I do now have a Lokprogrammer but haven't used it to build a sound project yet.

If I have to go to the Severn Valley Railway to record the real thing, which

equipment would be recommended, i.e. recorder, microphone, sound editing

software etc?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Paul.

[Lady_Ava_Hay]

In general sound decoder projects are constructed to be a complete performance. It is difficult/impossible to change individual sounds unless one owns or has in stock the complete original sound project.

 

Thus if you buy a crab RTR sound decoder it will be impossible to change the whistle yourself. There is no reason not to request the whistle you want from the RTR supplier unless it is a Bachmann or Hornby chip but even then it is quite easy to send the decoder away for a re-blow.

 

Constructing your own sound projects is not as easy at it first appears. Most of us using V3.5 Loksounds prior to a few years back have long since extracted the sounds or modified the whistles in the projects that came with the decoder software.

 

Recording your own sounds will require use of the locomotive for a whole day and a willing crew who will mix and match the cutoff settings and acceleration under load. The recording medium is irrelevant ( I use Sony Minidisc ) in relation to the microphone quality and the mounting of it. You also need to minimise background sounds like eager passengers and the crew bantering plus raindrops and sheep and barking dogs.......even your own breathing and the click of camera shutters! Wind roar is the biggest enemy.

 

Then once you have the sounds in stock you use a sound editor to prepare them for the decoder. Most of us use Audacity as it is free and well featured. There are others and some are equally free but most are trial versions which then pester you to upgrade.

 

One can learn to use some special effects but it is remarkable how a perfectly good sound in your recording becomes useless in the decoder.

 

Nevertheless, preparing a sound project is deeply satisfying and addictive.

[Lady_Ava_Hay]

In general sound decoder projects are constructed to be a complete performance. It is difficult/impossible to change individual sounds unless one owns or has in stock the complete original sound project.

 

Thus if you buy a crab RTR sound decoder it will be impossible to change the whistle yourself. There is no reason not to request the whistle you want from the RTR supplier unless it is a Bachmann or Hornby chip but even then it is quite easy to send the decoder away for a re-blow.

 

Constructing your own sound projects is not as easy at it first appears. Most of us using V3.5 Loksounds prior to a few years back have long since extracted the sounds or modified the whistles in the projects that came with the decoder software.

 

Recording your own sounds will require use of the locomotive for a whole day and a willing crew who will mix and match the cutoff settings and acceleration under load. The recording medium is irrelevant ( I use Sony Minidisc ) in relation to the microphone quality and the mounting of it. You also need to minimise background sounds like eager passengers and the crew bantering plus raindrops and sheep and barking dogs.......even your own breathing and the click of camera shutters! Wind roar is the biggest enemy.

 

Then once you have the sounds in stock you use a sound editor to prepare them for the decoder. Most of us use Audacity as it is free and well featured. There are others and some are equally free but most are trial versions which then pester you to upgrade.

 

One can learn to use some special effects but it is remarkable how a perfectly good sound in your recording becomes useless in the decoder.

 

Nevertheless, preparing a sound project is deeply satisfying and addictive.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Acoustically, I should be surprised if this loco sounds radically different from an 8F. Boiler pressure, valve chest and cylinder design, smokebox volume and layout of chimney all essentially the same, and these are the primary characteristics that lead to the exhaust sound. Probably also similar to the Black 5 for the same reasons. The 8F recording is more likely to be based around the sound of the loco being worked with a heavy freight load at lower speed, while the 5 may well represent running fast with a lighter load; so you may be able to pick a soundtrack for the duty the mogul is intended for.

[Carnforth]

Mornin'

Just to add that the first 30 used a midland whistle, only the last 10 of the class had stanier hooters.

So you could use a chip to suit your chosen number. As said above, a black 5 chip would suit the last 10.

HTH

Steve

[westonp]

Thank you for all your replies.

 

Having watched some You Tube footage, trawled through my "Carry on Clagging" DVDs and had a read on the Stanier Mogul website I think a Black 5 chip will be suitable. I've spoken to Bryan at Howes this morning and he told me he can add a Midland whistle to a Black 5 soundfile.

 

Thanks again,

 

Paul.