oily Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 I've built a London Transport/Metropolitan Electric Loco "Sarah Siddons" and have it set up with DCC and it runs really well, but is a bit too quiet for realism. I would like to convert it to sound. I doubt there will ever be a sound card made specifically for this loco but I have found about 15 available electric locomotive sound decoders at http://www.esu.eu/en/downloads/sounds/generation-3/loksound-xl-v35/electric/ You can even listen to the sounds by clicking on the little triangular symbol next to each. Problem is which to use, would anybody be prepared to give an opinion on which one sounds most like an LT "Growler" Many thanks Oli Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted October 14, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 14, 2012 LT/Met electrics are not without an enthusiast following. Sarah Siddons continues to perform from time to time. I'd put money on an enthusiast somewhere having made some sort of soundfile - and with an ESU programmer you could get this loaded so you'd have the real thing. Before you accept a generic file, I'd do a bit of research within the LT fan community and see what might be on offer already. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 I listen to the sounds and I do not thiumk ant of them stand out as good match - Maybe a custom sound chip could be made next time Sarah Siddons is out and about however i am not sure how big the market is for thiis. If it is the Radley 4mm model there is not a lot of room for a speaker. XF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oily Posted October 14, 2012 Author Share Posted October 14, 2012 I listen to the sounds and I do not thiumk ant of them stand out as good match - Maybe a custom sound chip could be made next time Sarah Siddons is out and about however i am not sure how big the market is for thiis. If it is the Radley 4mm model there is not a lot of room for a speaker. XF No it's a 7mm model in etched brass that has plenty of room probably enough for a for a bank of speakers!! I'm not sure though that I'd have the skill to use a programmer even if I had one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
legomanbiffo Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 I'd be happy to record the real one if someone can arrange access, or produce a chip if someone can provide suitable recordings. Bif Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oily Posted October 15, 2012 Author Share Posted October 15, 2012 I'd be happy to record the real one if someone can arrange access, or produce a chip if someone can provide suitable recordings. Bif Bif It depend what you mean by suitable recordings. I had (if I can still find them) a collection of sound "pieces" taken from old recordings made many years ago on old portable hand wire and tape machines from the 60's. Long ago I transferred them to a CD and computer when the machines themselves were scrapped or ceased working. But I was told they were no good as they are what I was told were digital files and what was needed was "proper" original analogue files. But I could send you them if you think they'd be any use. Oli Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 Here is Sarah Siddons running through Chorleywood - not a very distinctive sound! XF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oily Posted October 15, 2012 Author Share Posted October 15, 2012 I'd be happy to record the real one if someone can arrange access, or produce a chip if someone can provide suitable recordings. Bif Sounds like one needs a "programmer" for making your own suitable sound decoders where a commercial one is not available. Can anyone recommend something easy to use. Doing a search suggests there are a number on the market such as ESU, Digitrax, Sprog, Lok etc. Does anyone who is not already a computer wizz have experience enough to recommend one that would be reasonably easy to use. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted October 15, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 15, 2012 Sounds like one needs a "programmer" for making your own suitable sound decoders where a commercial one is not available. Can anyone recommend something easy to use. Doing a search suggests there are a number on the market such as ESU, Digitrax, Sprog, Lok etc. Does anyone who is not already a computer wizz have experience enough to recommend one that would be reasonably easy to use. I'm not sure that these pieces of kit are as simple as that - each (not Sprog) being dedicated to the same manufacturer's decoder. It is complicated when you are starting from scratch, rather than just uploading an existing file. I think you'll find legomanbiffo has all the kit and the experience to do the job - but needs access to sounds as he suggests. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oily Posted October 15, 2012 Author Share Posted October 15, 2012 I'm not sure that these pieces of kit are as simple as that - each (not Sprog) being dedicated to the same manufacturer's decoder. It is complicated when you are starting from scratch, rather than just uploading an existing file. I think you'll find legomanbiffo has all the kit and the experience to do the job - but needs access to sounds as he suggests. That's good to know, I've no need to worry about it being essential to have then! As far as legomanbiffo's earlier offer I can say to him now that I have found all 29 sound clips of various of these LT locos including moving off, running freely under power, coasting, arriving and stopping, long and short whistles and so on. But they are not as I thought .wav files but mostly mp3 files so I don't know if they are of any use. They amount to 9.6MB so I could send them in say two tranches to an e-mail address if he thinks he could do something with them. Indeed if he could that would be great and I'd be happy to let anyone else share a copy. Oli Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay Singpoint Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 I have a pair of the Ken DeGroome kits so I will be interested to see how this sound topic develops. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoingUnderground Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 Sarah Siddons is still officially an LU service Stock loco. She's never been retired. I would have thought that there may be an opportunity for good recordings to be made next year, as she may be out and about during the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Underground, i.e. the opening of ther Met line between Paddington and Farringdon. Failing that there might be another opportunity next September if there is another Amersham festival. There would probably need to be a formal approach to LU, but it might be possible to do that via the LT Museum Friends. Personally I would be very interested in a Loksound poject file for the Bo-Bos. If there's a list of possible buyers, please put me on it. But it would be good if some of the proceeds could go to the LT Museum or to a charity. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
legomanbiffo Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 I've sent a PM to Oily. I'll have a listen to his recordings and see if I can do anything with them. Regarding the real thing, if someone in this field would like to put the question to LU via the Museuam of Friends I'd be happy to pick the ball up and run with it if it's a go-er. Bif Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady_Ava_Hay Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Usually, the conversion of MP3 to WAV format is a disaster as you cannot put back in what has been stripped out to make the file both acceptably small ( being sent in an E mail for instance ) and acceptable sound-wise. At the same time playing MP3 back requires the same programme / chipset as created it. Only one chip actually uses MP3 files and it isn't Loksound or available in this country plus it is a piggyback decoder using SUSI connection. Forgive me but am I right in thinking that these locos use exactly the same motor arrangement as the Underground stock? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
legomanbiffo Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I have had a listen to Oli's recordings and whilst they have given me a flavour of the loco, I feel that if I take this project on I want to do it complete justice and I couldn't do that with them. As there is an apparently serviceable loco in existence I suggest we (ie you, the interested parties) pursue this as the results would be much more worthwhile and to your liking. Unfortunately I don't have time to do this on top of the existing recording avenues I am pursuing. Hopefully someone via the group will take this up and run with it. As I said, I'm more than happy to go and do the recordings if someone can arrange a recording session, or at least find a contact who could set one up. Oli's mp3's were recorded at a high bitrate and would have been fine (in quality terms), even after conversion to wav. However, the clips were too short and had too many intrusive sounds to be of use for the purpose. Bif Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Cor blimey! You forgot to put your glasses on, Bif - I had to zoom in to read that last post!!! While I don't have any models of the Bo-Bo locomotives, I do have several trains of underground stock, including CO/CP, Q, C, A and F stock, either running or in build. If anyone is able to offer sounds for these I would mortgage the house to snap them up! The earlier stocks may be difficult because there are no running examples left but the A stock has only just retired and the C stock is still extant, so here's hoping. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoingUnderground Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 I've asked someone I know in LU if they can tell me who I need to contact to arrange a recording session for LMB. If that doesn't work, I will try through the LT Museum Friends. Don't hold your breath, nothing may come of this, or it may take a long time before we might be in a position to get a recording session organised. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oily Posted November 2, 2012 Author Share Posted November 2, 2012 Cor blimey! You forgot to put your glasses on, Bif - I had to zoom in to read that last post!!! While I don't have any models of the Bo-Bo locomotives, I do have several trains of underground stock, including CO/CP, Q, C, A and F stock, either running or in build. If anyone is able to offer sounds for these I would mortgage the house to snap them up! The earlier stocks may be difficult because there are no running examples left but the A stock has only just retired and the C stock is still extant, so here's hoping. Someone tells me he is putting a decoder in the post to me with suitable sounds for the Met/LT electric locos so I'm hoping my original query/problem has been solved. Hoping to hear it next week. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 Post a video of it when you can. I would love to hear it ... and see it in action too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oily Posted November 3, 2012 Author Share Posted November 3, 2012 Post a video of it when you can. I would love to hear it ... and see it in action too. Not sure how but I'll try. Could have heard it today but was out when FedEx arrived! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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