chet6
New Member
Posts: 24
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Post by chet6 on Apr 17, 2019 15:37:52 GMT -8
I picked up a new Walthers Proto with Loksound, Its real quiet and while I changed cv 31to 16 and cv32 to 1 before turning up the master volume, Its still real quiet, Is there anything I can do other than not buy walthers again ?
Chet
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jimbo
New Member
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Post by jimbo on Apr 18, 2019 4:46:21 GMT -8
I have tried programming a couple for friends with your same problem, and though they did not want to open them up to see, I would check to see what they have for speakers and try upgrading to a better speaker and see if that helped. Both were real unhappy with sound volume from them as you have found out. Keep us posted.
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Post by NS4122 on Apr 18, 2019 9:32:20 GMT -8
Welcome to the world of Loksound and its anemic sound files. But hey! cheer up, you can get a Lok Programmer and upload replacement files just as anemic as what it came with.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Apr 18, 2019 9:42:18 GMT -8
The sound files are just information. The max loudness is up to the amplifier and speaker.
That is: you can, if you are lucky, have really bad sound files played REALLY LOUD!!!!!
or
Good ones you can't hear.
Ed
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Post by 12bridge on Apr 18, 2019 12:03:52 GMT -8
Of the 50+ Loksound installs I have done, plus the 20 or so factory engines I have, I have never once gotten or had a complain about anemic sound files.
Bad speakers? Plenty of those.
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Post by nsc39d8 on Apr 18, 2019 12:05:55 GMT -8
You should not have to change CV31 & 32 to adjust the master volume as it is in CV63. I would try that and then I would go to checking the speakers. I have not owned a Walthers Proto with sound yet.
But I do like ESU sound especially in ALCO's. I will add that YES, I do use Soundtraxx as well.
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jimbo
New Member
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Post by jimbo on Apr 18, 2019 14:10:46 GMT -8
So reading on another forum this decoder used by Walthers is a Loksound "essential" based on the V5 but with limited functions or programming , there are firmware updates out there to help with performance I guess, but unknown if will cure the weak sound, looks like it will not, also unknown about the speaker as no one made note of that. Sounds like some are just living with it or replacing the decoder.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 18, 2019 16:05:45 GMT -8
The usual thing I have to do with ESU decoders is turn them DOWN. Not up. I would venture to guess the issue is with the speakers. Perhaps they have too much resistance...Loksound will operate with 4 ohms or more...but the more ohms you have; the less volume exists.
Do you know if the decoder is a 3.5; series 4 or what?
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chet6
New Member
Posts: 24
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Post by chet6 on Apr 18, 2019 16:23:08 GMT -8
It just says Loksound Sellect, I'm gonna open it up and weather it so I will change out the speaker, I seen somewhere, where they said some companies now use the cheapest decoder package they can get...thanks
Chet
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Post by trainguy99 on Apr 18, 2019 16:49:19 GMT -8
So reading on another forum this decoder used by Walthers is a Loksound "essential" based on the V5 but with limited functions or programming , there are firmware updates out there to help with performance I guess, but unknown if will cure the weak sound, looks like it will not, also unknown about the speaker as no one made note of that. Sounds like some are just living with it or replacing the decoder. That's only true for newer Walthers Mainline units that use the Loksound essential decoder. Scale Trains Operator units use the same decoder. Newer Walthers Proto units use Loksound select. Older Walthers Proto units use Soundtraxx Tsunami.
Did you contact Walthers? Like joppasub says, most factory decoders come set too loud for me. Or you could try a reset.
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Post by luebeck3102 on Apr 18, 2019 17:40:35 GMT -8
I know Walthers is known to use cheap and quiet speakers for their sound equipped models. I have a GP60 with Tsunami sound from a few years back and they used a cheap yet quiet speaker. Same went with InterMountain from their older stuff.
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Post by craigz on Apr 18, 2019 18:01:52 GMT -8
Welcome to the world of Loksound and its anemic sound files. But hey! cheer up, you can get a Lok Programmer and upload replacement files just as anemic as what it came with. Well, no. I've used dozens of Loksounds and without fail the things can be turned up loud enough to make it unpleasant to be in the room with them. What I've found with OEM stuff is crap speakers. Sometimes simply sealing the speaker in its enclosure will help but usually the speaker's the cheapest thing the factory can get and needs to be replaced. But anemic sound files? Nope. Never had it with a Loksound. |
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Post by NS4122 on Apr 18, 2019 21:37:08 GMT -8
Welcome to the world of Loksound and its anemic sound files. But hey! cheer up, you can get a Lok Programmer and upload replacement files just as anemic as what it came with. Well, no. I've used dozens of Loksounds and without fail the things can be turned up loud enough to make it unpleasant to be in the room with them. What I've found with OEM stuff is crap speakers. Sometimes simply sealing the speaker in its enclosure will help but usually the speaker's the cheapest thing the factory can get and needs to be replaced. But anemic sound files? Nope. Never had it with a Loksound. Explain this then: I have an Atlas Dash 8-40CW that had an OEM QSI GE sound decoder. About the only thing good about the QSI was the Leslie RS3L horn which was loud and robust. I decided to replace the decoder with a Lok sound select decoder and leave in the two large 30mm OEM speakers and rewiring them to produce the 4 ohm (optimal) impedance required for the LOK. The result was a mediocre sounding prime mover and an anemic horn. If those two large speakers with a crappy QSI decoder produced a loud robust horn shouldn't a state of the art Loksound do the same? On almost every model that I have that came equipped with with Loksound, I have had to have the speaker replaced to improve the anemic sound quality, yet every Athearn model with a Tsunami 2 that I have works just fine without replacing the speaker even though they use a cheap 1 watt 28mm speaker. |
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Post by craigz on Apr 19, 2019 5:09:03 GMT -8
Well, no. I've used dozens of Loksounds and without fail the things can be turned up loud enough to make it unpleasant to be in the room with them. What I've found with OEM stuff is crap speakers. Sometimes simply sealing the speaker in its enclosure will help but usually the speaker's the cheapest thing the factory can get and needs to be replaced. But anemic sound files? Nope. Never had it with a Loksound. Explain this then: I have an Atlas Dash 8-40CW that had an OEM QSI GE sound decoder. About the only thing good about the QSI was the Leslie RS3L horn which was loud and robust. I decided to replace the decoder with a Lok sound select decoder and leave in the two large 30mm OEM speakers and rewiring them to produce the 4 ohm (optimal) impedance required for the LOK. The result was a mediocre sounding prime mover and an anemic horn. If those two large speakers with a crappy QSI decoder produced a loud robust horn shouldn't a state of the art Loksound do the same? Some of the Lok horns are thin, I'll happily admit that. But the prime mover? I have four Atlas U33Bs, a couple of kitbashed U30Cs, a U23B, and a U33C all with Loksound and some variant of Iphone 4 or Zimo sugar cube speakers. They can be LOUD as heck. I configure mine with two volume levels (layout room and train show loud) and the FDL sounds will make the shells vibrate and make me smile like a loon when I rev them up. The Leslie horns sound good too. QSI had some really good horns but their prime movers...not so much in my opinion. When I've reused QSI speakers I've been sorely disappointed (Walthers first run F7s, Atlas Train Masters, Atlas MP15s and some others I've done for friends). The QSI speakers have, without fail, just sounded lame and weak. All of them. The one in my Walthers F7 is going to get yanked and replaced with the Loksound round speaker kit configuration; the others already have had other speakers fitted. But the Loksound FDL16 files' prime mover sounds are loud and sharp. |
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Post by sd80mac on Apr 19, 2019 5:45:09 GMT -8
I have owned a LOT of locomotives with Loksound, both factory equipped and aftermarket installed, and I've never had an issue with them being too quiet. I've had to turn down every engine I have! If it's not loud enough for you, I shudder to think how loud you're running your sound equipped models.
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Post by NS4122 on Apr 19, 2019 6:08:38 GMT -8
I have owned a LOT of locomotives with Loksound, both factory equipped and aftermarket installed, and I've never had an issue with them being too quiet. I've had to turn down every engine I have! If it's not loud enough for you, I shudder to think how loud you're running your sound equipped models. My main issue is with the horns. When the prime mover is louder than the horn no matter how loud you set the horn and reduce the prime mover, somethings wrong. I live 3 miles from a CP line and and I may not always hear the the prime movers, but I always hear the horns. I expect it should be the same with models. |
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Post by nsc39d8 on Apr 19, 2019 6:53:42 GMT -8
On most of my Loksound decoders I am with everyone else I usually have to turn them down. However when I do this I always leave the master volume at the highest setting. I then adjust the prime mover
and horn to my liking. The speakers have a lot to do with it as well. I have replaced QSI with Loksound only to find the speaker needs to be changed as well. My goto speaker is the iPhone.
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Post by Mark R. on Apr 19, 2019 7:23:59 GMT -8
Well, no. I've used dozens of Loksounds and without fail the things can be turned up loud enough to make it unpleasant to be in the room with them. What I've found with OEM stuff is crap speakers. Sometimes simply sealing the speaker in its enclosure will help but usually the speaker's the cheapest thing the factory can get and needs to be replaced. But anemic sound files? Nope. Never had it with a Loksound. Explain this then: I have an Atlas Dash 8-40CW that had an OEM QSI GE sound decoder. About the only thing good about the QSI was the Leslie RS3L horn which was loud and robust. I decided to replace the decoder with a Lok sound select decoder and leave in the two large 30mm OEM speakers and rewiring them to produce the 4 ohm (optimal) impedance required for the LOK. The result was a mediocre sounding prime mover and an anemic horn. If those two large speakers with a crappy QSI decoder produced a loud robust horn shouldn't a state of the art Loksound do the same? On almost every model that I have that came equipped with with Loksound, I have had to have the speaker replaced to improve the anemic sound quality, yet every Athearn model with a Tsunami 2 that I have works just fine without replacing the speaker even though they use a cheap 1 watt 28mm speaker. I'm willing to bet you had the two speakers wired out of phase with each other - that will really kill the sound. Mark. |
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Post by NS4122 on Apr 19, 2019 8:30:34 GMT -8
Explain this then: I have an Atlas Dash 8-40CW that had an OEM QSI GE sound decoder. About the only thing good about the QSI was the Leslie RS3L horn which was loud and robust. I decided to replace the decoder with a Lok sound select decoder and leave in the two large 30mm OEM speakers and rewiring them to produce the 4 ohm (optimal) impedance required for the LOK. The result was a mediocre sounding prime mover and an anemic horn. If those two large speakers with a crappy QSI decoder produced a loud robust horn shouldn't a state of the art Loksound do the same? On almost every model that I have that came equipped with with Loksound, I have had to have the speaker replaced to improve the anemic sound quality, yet every Athearn model with a Tsunami 2 that I have works just fine without replacing the speaker even though they use a cheap 1 watt 28mm speaker. I'm willing to bet you had the two speakers wired out of phase with each other - that will really kill the sound. Mark. Mark, I was very careful to wire the speakers according to the documentation in the Loksound manual about phasing. While all the other sounds are acceptable the horns really suck. Another not fixable problem with the RS3L file is that there is a gap in the sound loop that makes it sound like the horn cuts out. |
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Post by autocoach on Apr 20, 2019 10:12:37 GMT -8
One of the few pleasures about the onset of senior deafness (not helped by hearing aids) is that I no longer have to worry about sound equipped locomotives. On the few exceptions that I can hear the sound is so annoying that I have to turn it off.
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chet6
New Member
Posts: 24
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Post by chet6 on May 9, 2019 16:21:50 GMT -8
It's been awhile but I installed a I phone speaker and it didn't help, It wasn't any louder, I did a factory reset and then turned up the master volume, nothing, I guess Walters had loksound cheapin thinks up .
Chet.
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Post by NS4122 on May 12, 2019 8:24:35 GMT -8
It's not Walthers, it's the recordings that Lok provided to them. Select decoders have a 2 watt amplifier, which should be really loud. I've installed Selects in different models with various speakers and I've been disappointed with the quiet results. I also read about an Atlas model on another forum that had the same issue. It's been awhile but I installed a I phone speaker and it didn't help, It wasn't any louder, I did a factory reset and then turned up the master volume, nothing, I guess Walters had loksound cheapin thinks up . Chet. |
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Post by nsc39d8 on May 12, 2019 9:56:10 GMT -8
Chet,
While I have not experienced using one of the "essential Sound units" used by some manufacturers from ESU. I will say that on some of my Loksound decoders I change the master volume in CV63 to it's highest value. Afterwards I check each the other CV for prime mover, horn, bell and so forth and adjust as necessary. I have found the horn to be turned way down and the bell to be loader than the horn.
I will say that might your problem. I hope you have found the info for volume CV's from Walthers, if so start with the adjustments I mentioned.
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Post by NS4122 on May 12, 2019 13:46:40 GMT -8
The decoder is question is NOT an Essential, it is a Loksound Select. Chet, While I have not experienced using one of the "essential Sound units" used by some manufacturers from ESU. I will say that on some of my Loksound decoders I change the master volume in CV63 to it's highest value. Afterwards I check each the other CV for prime mover, horn, bell and so forth and adjust as necessary. I have found the horn to be turned way down and the bell to be loader than the horn. I will say that might your problem. I hope you have found the info for volume CV's from Walthers, if so start with the adjustments I mentioned. |
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Post by nsc39d8 on May 12, 2019 19:07:09 GMT -8
My comments refer to all Loksounds I have used. Mainly Selects and V4's, Selects more so with over 10 installed.
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Post by trainmanjeff on Jun 15, 2019 14:56:03 GMT -8
The problem I found with a Walthers Mainline SD60M with a Loksound Essential V5 decoder was a terribly anemic .25 watt 4 ohm round speaker. A switch to a Bowser dual sugar cube tripled the volume and sound quality.
Just sayin......
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