Great video Larry, I am not sure which one I liked better, as already stated both have their own qualities. I prefer the Digitrax decoders so far. I do use the decoder buddies on all my loco’s.I like how it cleans up the inside of the shell. Thanks for sharing and stay safe. Ken
Sound about the same imho. 😉 I finally got my first dcc diesel w sound from BLI. Got to say, I actually love it! It will be hard to run model trains with out sound now!
The LokSound uses the standard air compressor sounds which were playing during the loco runbys. I highlighted the WOWSound one to give folks a listen to the GE Whooping sound.
WOW !(pun intended). Where does one find all of that information about locomotives. I have a couple of older Stewart GE U25Bs I would like to put a sound decoders in but don't know the first thing about what the various components should sound like. And I gather the some loco could sound different depending on the railroad and how they equipped them.
It’s pretty strait forward, you just hit the 1 key for the bell and 2 for the horns. These are a standard and some throttles have dedicated keys for bell, horn, and headlight.
Do either decoder offer quilling of the horn? This allows a slight crescendo and then tapering decrescendo once the horn is activated. This mimics how the real sound is generated. Thanks
I know the horn will depend upon what is available. However tcs sounded more like a three chime. However on the prototype did each trumpet blow together or separate? That will and should make a difference. Also I know there are alot of GE options for the ESU that can be downloaded and incorporated into the file. Again the bell sound can be different by type of the bell. Cast steel or brass.
Just curious, does either decoder not have the option to set horn and bell to the same type? That would provide a much better comparison I would think. Either way, I am more of a Soundtraxx guy but you can't really compare the Econami or Tsunami1 sounds as they don't provide the same quality as comparing with the Tsunami2; which has many more sound options and the digital dynamic exhaust (DDE) is a must have if operating on a layout with grades for auto notching the prime mover. DDE doesn't come pre-programmed. Thanks for demonstrating the different sounds but I would think having the horn and bell set to the same type would offer a better comparison. - Jason
Yes, I was very surprised too and checked them several times. I even compared the Leslie and Wabco on the LokSound package and they were essentially the same so I wonder if there is a mistake in the package.
I rechecked them and it’s impossible to tell anything about the bells. They are listed by LokSound as Baldwin but the WOWSound just say they are off certain locos. The one I used was from a Baldwin AS-616. I also replayed the LokSound horns and the Leslie and Wabco sound almost identical. At this point LokSound is recording their horns and bells off certain locos and TCS records off other locos so I am not surprised they differ. The same is true of prime movers. There are a number 608A diesels around as it was used in a range of locos but they have aged over the years. As for which is correct, SoundTraxx has an excellent page on their website about which locos various prime movers were used in. They also have a list of which horns various railroads used. This probably comes down to doing your homwwork and then picking the version you like best unless you can find actual old movie footage with sound to compare to.
Peter, good eyes, that was King Charles II parked back there. He’s on a good will visit to the US and ran several excursion trips on the Piedmont Southern.
Yes, I especially use the Econami PNP decoders since they come with Alco 244 and EMD 565 prime movers. Unfortunately I do not have a Soundtraxx Tsunami2 Baldwin decoder to use for comparison. In the future I will be happy to do a comparison of those sound packages. Wait a minute. I do have a Baldwin S12 loco with one of the older Tsunami decoders that I could use. Let me check and see what primer mover and horns it has.
WOW SOUND IS BETTER. I HAVE N- SCALE, WHAT DO U THINK OF TCS. I HAVE A SWITCHER THAT EVERY TIME IT GOES OVER THE SWITCHES IT SEEMS TO HESATATE OR STOP. DO U THINK TCS WOULD WORK? I HAVE BAUCHMANN SWITCHES.
Skip, right now TCS does not male a sound decoder for N scale and I am afraid their Keep Alives may be too bug for your switcher. Your best bet is to power the frogs of your turnoutst assuming that is possible with your Bachmann’s. This is always a problem with N scale but clean track, clean wheels, and powered frogs is the best solution in most cases right now.
Larry I have 5 locos that quote "DCC Ready" a four unit powered set of Stewart Hobbies FTs with 8 pin connector and relatively new Walther SW1 with 12 pin connector. Looking at the sites for TCS and Loksound what I don't see is sound decodes that would plug into these in place connectors. Or do have by the correct decoder and add the appropriate pin connector?. Thanks
Both companies make decoders with 8 pin plugs and 21 pin sockets, you just have to dig through their website or a vendor’s website. I suggest looking at the Streamlined Backshop website (www,sbs4dcc.com) as he carries most of their decoders and has photos of them.
I like the sort of a growl similar to their Alco prime movers I demonstrated in a prior video. Also I run this loco with a LL FA2, and Stewart F3A all of which have WOWSound decoders. This makes it easier to mu them.
Model Railroading With The DCC Guy I like tcs wow sound I found by using iPhone speaker it helps with room in some places cause they come in different sizes Plus the list of programming files you can adjust to what you want the decoder to do
Larry,
Interesting comparison video. Thanks for sharing! Lots of information sir. Thanx Thom...
Great video Larry, I am not sure which one I liked better, as already stated both have their own qualities. I prefer the Digitrax decoders so far. I do use the decoder buddies on all my loco’s.I like how it cleans up the inside of the shell. Thanks for sharing and stay safe. Ken
Great vs great.
FYI - I bought one of your books! Basically to support your work. I guess donation on channel may have made more sense.
Awesome, thank you! But I also hope it is of some use to you.
@@TheDCCGuy always learning and I have a new to DCC club member.
Nice to see a British engine! I used to be super into British railways. It always makes me happy seeing American layouts with a little British flare.
Sound about the same imho. 😉 I finally got my first dcc diesel w sound from BLI. Got to say, I actually love it! It will be hard to run model trains with out sound now!
I didn't see the LokSound air compressor label and didn't notice any/much difference in what looked like two clips.
The LokSound uses the standard air compressor sounds which were playing during the loco runbys. I highlighted the WOWSound one to give folks a listen to the GE Whooping sound.
All I can say is WOW!!!
V&O sharks! Interesting.
Hey, since it is a non-existing railroad I figure I can get away with anything and they were used by the B&O, one RR on which the V&O was based.
@@TheDCCGuy we just run whatever we like in a Southern and whatever way.
WOW !(pun intended). Where does one find all of that information about locomotives. I have a couple of older Stewart GE U25Bs I would like to put a sound decoders in but don't know the first thing about what the various components should sound like. And I gather the some loco could sound different depending on the railroad and how they equipped them.
Go to the reference area on the SoundTraxx website. They provide info on various prime movers and also the types of horns used by many railroads.
Thank you for those sound samples. I’m undecided. They both have their merits.
Do you have a video of the DCC controller and how to trigger the sound?
It’s pretty strait forward, you just hit the 1 key for the bell and 2 for the horns. These are a standard and some throttles have dedicated keys for bell, horn, and headlight.
Do either decoder offer quilling of the horn? This allows a slight crescendo and then tapering decrescendo once the horn is activated. This mimics how the real sound is generated. Thanks
WOWSound do and to be honest it drives me nuts. I turn that feature off. However for folks who like it they are the one.
@@TheDCCGuy many thanks.
I know the horn will depend upon what is available. However tcs sounded more like a three chime. However on the prototype did each trumpet blow together or separate? That will and should make a difference. Also I know there are alot of GE options for the ESU that can be downloaded and incorporated into the file. Again the bell sound can be different by type of the bell. Cast steel or brass.
Just curious, does either decoder not have the option to set horn and bell to the same type? That would provide a much better comparison I would think. Either way, I am more of a Soundtraxx guy but you can't really compare the Econami or Tsunami1 sounds as they don't provide the same quality as comparing with the Tsunami2; which has many more sound options and the digital dynamic exhaust (DDE) is a must have if operating on a layout with grades for auto notching the prime mover. DDE doesn't come pre-programmed. Thanks for demonstrating the different sounds but I would think having the horn and bell set to the same type would offer a better comparison. - Jason
The horns were the same Wabco! I’ll have to recheck the bells.
@@TheDCCGuy ouch, those horns didn't sound the same at all! Which one would be correct?
Yes, I was very surprised too and checked them several times. I even compared the Leslie and Wabco on the LokSound package and they were essentially the same so I wonder if there is a mistake in the package.
I rechecked them and it’s impossible to tell anything about the bells. They are listed by LokSound as Baldwin but the WOWSound just say they are off certain locos. The one I used was from a Baldwin AS-616. I also replayed the LokSound horns and the Leslie and Wabco sound almost identical. At this point LokSound is recording their horns and bells off certain locos and TCS records off other locos so I am not surprised they differ. The same is true of prime movers. There are a number 608A diesels around as it was used in a range of locos but they have aged over the years. As for which is correct, SoundTraxx has an excellent page on their website about which locos various prime movers were used in. They also have a list of which horns various railroads used. This probably comes down to doing your homwwork and then picking the version you like best unless you can find actual old movie footage with sound to compare to.
Another great Video, Thanks Larry. Was that a GWR King or Castle I saw on your Layout? Keep Safe.
Peter, good eyes, that was King Charles II parked back there. He’s on a good will visit to the US and ran several excursion trips on the Piedmont Southern.
Thanks for the samples of the 2 decoders. I would like to know how the Soundtrax sounds vs these ones. Do you used Soundtrax decoders at all?
Yes, I especially use the Econami PNP decoders since they come with Alco 244 and EMD 565 prime movers. Unfortunately I do not have a Soundtraxx Tsunami2 Baldwin decoder to use for comparison. In the future I will be happy to do a comparison of those sound packages. Wait a minute. I do have a Baldwin S12 loco with one of the older Tsunami decoders that I could use. Let me check and see what primer mover and horns it has.
Who made the loco?? What brand is it. Thanks jt
That’s a Bachmann that they have been turning out since about 2006.
WOW SOUND IS BETTER. I HAVE N- SCALE, WHAT DO U THINK OF TCS. I HAVE A SWITCHER THAT EVERY TIME IT GOES OVER THE SWITCHES IT SEEMS TO HESATATE OR STOP. DO U THINK TCS WOULD WORK? I HAVE BAUCHMANN SWITCHES.
Skip, right now TCS does not male a sound decoder for N scale and I am afraid their Keep Alives may be too bug for your switcher. Your best bet is to power the frogs of your turnoutst assuming that is possible with your Bachmann’s. This is always a problem with N scale but clean track, clean wheels, and powered frogs is the best solution in most cases right now.
Larry I have 5 locos that quote "DCC Ready" a four unit powered set of Stewart Hobbies FTs with 8 pin connector and relatively new Walther SW1 with 12 pin connector. Looking at the sites for TCS and Loksound what I don't see is sound decodes that would plug into these in place connectors. Or do have by the correct decoder and add the appropriate pin connector?. Thanks
Both companies make decoders with 8 pin plugs and 21 pin sockets, you just have to dig through their website or a vendor’s website. I suggest looking at the Streamlined Backshop website (www,sbs4dcc.com) as he carries most of their decoders and has photos of them.
@@TheDCCGuy Cool thanks Larry I will check them out.
I think the TCS is the better sound. Of all the Baldwins models I've ever seen and heard over the years none had that Whoop sound.
WOW Sound sounds better than Loksound. But then again as you stated it depends on what decoder you prefer
BUY AMERICAN
I like the wow sound better
I like the sort of a growl similar to their Alco prime movers I demonstrated in a prior video. Also I run this loco with a LL FA2, and Stewart F3A all of which have WOWSound decoders. This makes it easier to mu them.
Model Railroading With The DCC Guy I like tcs wow sound I found by using iPhone speaker it helps with room in some places cause they come in different sizes Plus the list of programming files you can adjust to what you want the decoder to do
WOW sounds better......
So many toys, so little time.
Liked wow sound better