Ball park figure for going digital

[sn]

I'm not digital yet but if I went digital with a not too expensive but not bottom of the range set-up and I chipped 12 loco's for sound, what sort of cost would I be looking at?

['CHARD]

Rough order of magnitude:

??100 for Dynamis or equivalent

??120 for decoder chips at ??10 per loco

??1200 sound at ??100 per loco

 

You might deduce from this that DCC itself is realtively within one's grasp. It's the sound that's the gradual bit

 

Note that all values are approximate and in the unusual currency of RMWeb, the Queuro, whose symbol resembles a question-mark.

[beast66606]

Rough order of magnitude:

??100 for Dynamis or equivalent

??120 for decoder chips at ??10 per loco

??1200 sound at ??100 per loco

 

You might deduce from this that DCC itself is realtively within one's grasp. It's the sound that's the gradual bit

 

Note that all values are approximate and in the unusual currency of RMWeb, the Queuro, whose symbol resembles a question-mark.

 

You don't need decoders AND sound decoders - one OR the other.

 

Saving approx 120GBP on decoders which I would put towards a higher end system.

[jmg123]

If you are willing to make your own sound files, you could use digitrax new sound/motor/function decoder. They apparently will work out ~ GBP 30 -35 each (when they are released).

 

Digitrax has free sound projects on their website, most of it is american but there are 5 uk ones.

 

108 DMU

yorkie

Br standard 5

gwr prairie

class 37

 

The software to make your own sound projects is free, I've been experimenting at making a 3mt tank sound file this week.

 

Alternatively you could just get some cheap ~ GBP 10 to 15 decoders, for all your locos, and then replace them one at a time over a longer period , with ??100 loksounds from the usual suppliers.

[NoggintheNog]

Not really helpful to the original poster, but the original response put into stark reality the difference in cost of sound equipping your fleet depending on what prototype you model, and how large a difference it actually is.

 

My sound decoders for US outline currently cost me about ??70 to the door from places like Tony's Trains , thats delivered and everything, although quite often a single decoder will not attract import duty. I primarily use QSI revolution decoders , but Soundtraxx are similar costs, on 10 locos thats ??300 difference, an awful lot.

[Chrisr40]

hi - straying slightly from the original question but linked I promise - does anyone have any additional info on the digitrax chips that are said to be imminent ?

 

thanks

 

Chris

 

 

[jmg123]

I asked tony's trains the other day, and they said as far as they were aware digitrax haven't released them yet, and they haven't been given a release date either.

[sn]

Thanks for the replies. Relatively expensive then. Hmmmn....

[Chrisr40]

http://www.mylocosound.com/smallsteamsummary.html

 

Gents and ladies - ref the cost of dcc sound - have a look here coming to an internet store near you 1st march

 

May be of interest to those of us who are fiscally deprived.

 

Chris

[lmnp]

http://www.mylocosound.com/smallsteamsummary.html

 

Gents and ladies - ref the cost of dcc sound - have a look here coming to an internet store near you 1st march

 

May be of interest to those of us who are fiscally deprived.

 

Chris

 

Just had a listen to the diesel sounds, they really are appalling, the two tone horn is a real joke.

Shame they couldn't put a recorded loop on the chip rather than just the computer generated sounds. But then, I guess that's why we pay the premium for the likes of the SWD or Howes chips. You are paying for the recording and mixing expertise.

 

Cheers

 

Richard

[NoggintheNog]

But then, I guess that's why we pay the premium for the likes of the SWD or Howes chips. You are paying for the recording and mixing expertise.

 

Cheers

 

Richard

 

Not really. You are paying for the virtual monopoly ESU has on European, and especially British, sound decoders, the markup from Howes et al to pay for their sound recordings is not that much, the vast majority is the expensive decoder.

 

US sound decoders with real, recorded sounds, cost about one third less , even including postage from the states and import duty , and QSI and Soundtraxx are arguably technically superior to the current ESU decoders too.

 

Just as an aside, £110 for an ESU Loksound 3.5 with European sound, £75 delivered to the UK for an ESU Select with US sounds.

[GoingUnderground]

.......Just as an aside, £110 for an ESU Loksound 3.5 with European sound, £75 delivered to the UK for an ESU Select with US sounds.

Who are you buying your Loksounds off? The list is only GBP96.50 + P&P

 

The price differential between ESU Loksound and ESU Select is well known and shouldn't surprise anyone who has been following RM Web. If you buy a Loksound in the US it'll very probably cost more than a Select. IIRC, the list prices were USD169 and USD99 respectively when the Select was announced last year, but a quick look on the web shows current "street" prices in the US lower than that.

 

The list price in Germany of a Loksound is EUR119.90 including 19% german VAT, which I think is unchanged from last year, but several german retailers seem to give 10% discount on list, but not with UK sound preloaded. However now that the SWD sounds have official ESU part numbers I wonder whether/how soon Loksounds can be ordered from German retailers preloaded with SWD sounds at the discounted prices?

[08221]

Hi - first posting so please be gentle !!

 

Regarding the 'mylocosound' chips - are they purely sound chips or are they standard DCC chips for controlling the loco/functions, etc. as well ??

[lmnp]

Hi - first posting so please be gentle !!

 

Regarding the 'mylocosound' chips - are they purely sound chips or are they standard DCC chips for controlling the loco/functions, etc. as well ??

 

Hi SteveKesterton,

 

Looking at the website I'm pretty certain this is just a sound only chip. It talks about connecting to the function output of your existing dcc chip if you wish to put the horn on a function, or even using a reed-switch and magnet to operate the horn.

 

Have you listened to the sample sounds on the website. I really didn't find them very impressive.

 

Cheers

 

Richard

[Adrian Wintle]

Hi SteveKesterton,

 

Looking at the website I'm pretty certain this is just a sound only chip. It talks about connecting to the function output of your existing dcc chip if you wish to put the horn on a function, or even using a reed-switch and magnet to operate the horn.

 

Have you listened to the sample sounds on the website. I really didn't find them very impressive.

 

Cheers

 

Richard

 

I would agree. I also didn't see any mechanism for coordinating the chuffs with the cylinders/wheels, which is a rather critical thing.

 

Adrian

[Chrisr40]

Morning Gents

 

I have absolutely no link to mylocosound whatsoever - but this company appears to be trying to offer an alternative to the existing solutions at around a third of the price. With that in mind I would be absolutley gob smacked if it offered the same level of fidelity as an ESU chip.

 

 

Apologies if I wasted anyones time by suggesting people have a look at the site - but as cost is such a perennial discussion I thought I would try and contribute.

 

Perhaps if there are suggestions that could be made to the manufacturer to improve the product they could be made to him/her - via the contact function on the web site - no one improves without feedback.

 

Chris

[NoggintheNog]

Who are you buying your Loksounds off? The list is only GBP96.50 + P&P

 

The price differential between ESU Loksound and ESU Select is well known and shouldn't surprise anyone who has been following RM Web. If you buy a Loksound in the US it'll very probably cost more than a Select. IIRC, the list prices were USD169 and USD99 respectively when the Select was announced last year, but a quick look on the web shows current "street" prices in the US lower than that.

 

The list price in Germany of a Loksound is EUR119.90 including 19% german VAT, which I think is unchanged from last year, but several german retailers seem to give 10% discount on list, but not with UK sound preloaded. However now that the SWD sounds have official ESU part numbers I wonder whether/how soon Loksounds can be ordered from German retailers preloaded with SWD sounds at the discounted prices?

 

I've never bought an ESU chip to be honest, I only model US outline, they were that figure last time I was at a show, sorry for the pricing error.

 

My point about the select wasnt that the Loksound is the same price in the US , because it isnt, (although the real difference is about 25 dollars in a shop) , more that the option is there.

 

I'm not trying to knock ESU either, they are a business, and until there is a reason to reduce the price of the chips - ie competition- it wont happen, and I would consider any business fools if they operated in any other way.

 

The reason the select exists in the US is because the market is competetive, and to survive they have to offer that value , over here, they simply chugg out Loksounds at £100 a pop and , if you want accurate UK sounds, you have little choice but to pay it.

 

I actually think the select is a perfect decoder for UK steam outline myself, much more so than the current Loksound, but without a reason to sell the cheaper option I doubt it will appear here.

 

Sadly, the only way things will change as far as I can see is Zimo, and that relies soley on people making the sound projects. I must say, the 'buy as you use' business model Zimo have adopted recently for their decoder sounds is very well thought out for the part time sound project enthusiast to profit from.

 

I hope it takes off.