Hi all,
Was looking at the 'sound or no sound thread' and didn't want to hijack it but I'm not too bothered about real train noises as can't afford.
However do like the thought of station announcements and was wondering how to do it. Have googled and there are things you can download on MP3. I don't have one and am about as technical as my dog's non technical area. I do have an i pod and a thing with a speaker that you can plug the i pod into.
Model french/spanish and wan't to 'tape' a few things like this
Annonce Complète Intercités de Nuit 4848 et 4348 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXHVJGlZ6KU#)
Any help always appreciated,
Thanks weave
Look on YouTube for station recordings and record /copy to the iPod
Then play them!
A cheap mp3 play woul able a cheap alternative
Station Announcements !
Westbury sometime in mid 1990's
Train standing at platform 2 is the Taunton service.
Standard class accomodation is at the rear of the train, First class is at the front... Not at the VERY FRONT cause thats where the driver sits and that would be silly.....
A real Railwayman Stan who had done nearly 50 years service, also a Railway modeller.
Witnessed by yours truly whilst working there.
I like the idea of having station announcements Weave, have you thought of doing your own?, most operating systems have a voice recorder so recording should be easy.
Here is a link to a free software program that I use in Linux but also for Windows.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)
Funny really when I get in front of a microphone at some of the gigs we do I pinch my nose and introduce my train songs with an Italian accent which is typical of Australian railway stations.
Great idea Weave. I've found this - announcement for ICE from Berlin Hauptbanhof
http://www.freesfx.co.uk/sfx/central%20station (http://www.freesfx.co.uk/sfx/central%20station)
only thing is that I don't have a platform 13 on my layout!
Simple ideas like this are great. Easy enough to do with an MP3 player. I'll have a think about something that has just given me an idea. :idea: :idea:
If you can't get hold of a cheap MP3 player you could always use a cheap CD player feeding speakers hidden in the station buildings. Just burn your MP3 announcements to a CD and off you go.
cheers John.
Quote from: scotsoft on March 21, 2013, 09:48:30 AM
If you can't get hold of a cheap MP3 player you could always use a cheap CD player feeding speakers hidden in the station buildings. Just burn your MP3 announcements to a CD and off you go.
cheers John.
That is what I have done with my layout John, I have 2 sets of Multimedia Speakers under the layout with a CD Walkman for each, I downloaded Steam Sounds for one from Steamsounds UK and Diesel Sounds from BR Diesel Web for the other, they are just ambient sounds but they do add a bit of atmosphere, would be simple to add station announcements.
Thinking about this more :worried:, would the station announcements need to be speeded up to be in N scale? (Can't get my head around this, as I don't have Einstein's brain capacity :()
Also they would need to be quite soft so that they can only be heard in the environs of the station?
Quote from: Pengy on March 21, 2013, 11:42:01 AM
Thinking about this more :worried:, would the station announcements need to be speeded up to be in N scale? (Can't get my head around this, as I don't have Einstein's brain capacity :()
Do you mean so they sound like the chipmonks :o
Also they would need to be quite soft so that they can only be heard in the environs of the station?
That is why I suggested fitting small speakers inside the station buildings e.g. roof spaces or under the platform, they would give a natural muffled sound.
Would you add the sound of slam doors and blowing whistles to the sound track as well? I often wonder with layout sound - what would you hear from our viewing distances anyway - do you really hear the train or just the ambient noise..
Would you take this further and have muffled ambient sounds around (traffic, birds, people talking etc) and just build up the sound layers?
I get all my non railway related sounds from sounddogs.com, barking dogs. level crossings, traffic, ambulances and police cars, kids playing in the street, birds tweeting, church bells and a few other odds and sods, some people think I am nuts for having sounds like that on my layout ??? but hey its my layout :thumbsup:
Also plenty of station announcements and assorted station sounds on sounddogs.com
Quote from: Pengy on March 21, 2013, 11:42:01 AM
Thinking about this more :worried:, would the station announcements need to be speeded up to be in N scale? (Can't get my head around this, as I don't have Einstein's brain capacity :()
Possibly so for strict scale modelling, like if you scaled down all the molecules in the air...
But in the real world it would just sound daft, and in fact if you reduced the wavelength of the sound by a factor of 148 then even dogs probably couldn't hear it. Even if you run the timetable to a fast clock, things like that don't scale and they should be played at normal speed.
Quote from: edwin_m on March 21, 2013, 10:21:14 PM
Quote from: Pengy on March 21, 2013, 11:42:01 AM
Thinking about this more :worried:, would the station announcements need to be speeded up to be in N scale? (Can't get my head around this, as I don't have Einstein's brain capacity :()
Possibly so for strict scale modelling, like if you scaled down all the molecules in the air...
But in the real world it would just sound daft, and in fact if you reduced the wavelength of the sound by a factor of 148 then even dogs probably couldn't hear it. Even if you run the timetable to a fast clock, things like that don't scale and they should be played at normal speed.
So would this make me a molecule counter (instead of a rivet counter) :laugh: :laugh:
Following on from my earlier post
Have just found ordered some of these from eBay, will take about a week to arrive http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10-Sec-Talking-Button-Sound-Voice-Music-Recordable-Module-for-Greeting-Card-New-/140926861469?pt=AU_Gadgets&hash=item20cfe5409d&_uhb=1#ht_3352wt_979 (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10-Sec-Talking-Button-Sound-Voice-Music-Recordable-Module-for-Greeting-Card-New-/140926861469?pt=AU_Gadgets&hash=item20cfe5409d&_uhb=1#ht_3352wt_979)
I know they will probably sound a bit squawky but it's got to worth a go to try and build a push button announcement unit.
Cheap enough for most of us to hack around with
Watch this space and I'll post some results shortly
Alternatively here's another possible option if you can find a card http://www.instructables.com/id/Recycle-christmas-card-as-digital-recorder-module/ (http://www.instructables.com/id/Recycle-christmas-card-as-digital-recorder-module/)
Quote from: trainsdownunder on March 21, 2013, 10:57:13 PM
Watch this space and I'll post some results shortly
Be interested to know how they come out. Another option in DCC space is to use the Digitrax decoders or similar (Digitrax cos they are cheap)
Basically you load all the functions with your station sounds, don't bother with loco noise and you can just "drive" your station or other effects. If you set some of them as 'random' effects and set the CV to not go silent when unselected for a while it'll sit there randomly telling people to mind the gap, not leave luggage unattended and reminding them it's a penalty fare zone.
In theory you can put a sound on the loco idle loop to play non stop but it might get quite irritating. I did try that with a seaside wave recording filling most of the sample space and random seagulls. It's very cute .. for about 5 minutes.
Alan
I believe Dave & Shirley Rowe used the sound of seagulls on one of their dioramas set near the coast.
They were doing a two-day exhibition and the bloke on the next stand was thoroughly sick of the sound of seagulls by closing time on the first day. On the following morning his layout had been modified overnight to include a recording of a bird scarer!
Quote from: trainsdownunder on March 21, 2013, 10:57:13 PM
Following on from my earlier post
Have just found ordered some of these from eBay, will take about a week to arrive http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10-Sec-Talking-Button-Sound-Voice-Music-Recordable-Module-for-Greeting-Card-New-/140926861469?pt=AU_Gadgets&hash=item20cfe5409d&_uhb=1#ht_3352wt_979 (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10-Sec-Talking-Button-Sound-Voice-Music-Recordable-Module-for-Greeting-Card-New-/140926861469?pt=AU_Gadgets&hash=item20cfe5409d&_uhb=1#ht_3352wt_979)
I know they will probably sound a bit squawky but it's got to worth a go to try and build a push button announcement unit.
Cheap enough for most of us to hack around with
Watch this space and I'll post some results shortly
Alternatively here's another possible option if you can find a card http://www.instructables.com/id/Recycle-christmas-card-as-digital-recorder-module/ (http://www.instructables.com/id/Recycle-christmas-card-as-digital-recorder-module/)
Hi trainsdownunder,
Good idea and looks like I might be able to figure out how it works. Pity only 10 seconds although a few on here aren't long
Jingles et Logos SNCF (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUP4EeILEpE#)
The girlfriend mentioned earlier that she had an dictaphone somewhere so might give that a try too. Not poo pooing MP3 etc but am so crap with technology. Don't know where the i pod lead IS let alone where to plug it in. Am on the case this weekend. (Hoping she'll help)
Cheers to all for the interest and mind the gap,
weave
There are some that operate for longer periods, but I thought these would do as a start point. The main purpose was to be able to build a cheap push button bank of sounds
Have just found this on Amazon.com 5 push buttons, up to 5 minutes
[smg id=4229]
Might well prove a quick solution for someone.
http://www.amazon.com/digital-recorder-Recordable-Stuffed-Animals/dp/B002XINSRO/ref=pd_sim_misc_7 (http://www.amazon.com/digital-recorder-Recordable-Stuffed-Animals/dp/B002XINSRO/ref=pd_sim_misc_7)
Quote from: trainsdownunder on March 22, 2013, 07:10:12 AM
Have just found this on Amazon.com 5 push buttons, up to 5 minutes
[smg id=4229]
Might well prove a quick solution for someone.
http://www.amazon.com/digital-recorder-Recordable-Stuffed-Animals/dp/B002XINSRO/ref=pd_sim_misc_7 (http://www.amazon.com/digital-recorder-Recordable-Stuffed-Animals/dp/B002XINSRO/ref=pd_sim_misc_7)
Thanks again,
Like the idea of 5 different push button 1 minute announcements. Presume american dollars so be £19. Might be over the import tax threshold but will try and see if there is a UK distributor.
cheers weave
Found another source for prebuilt units. Also Loco noises. Reasonable prices, for limited sound options I think
http://www.mrrails.com (http://www.mrrails.com)
Hi trainsdownunder,
Been a while but was wondering if you ever did make the push button bank of sounds with the card things. Haven't done much at all except play a bit with the dictaphone.
OK but sounds bit crackly. Also thought a bank of buttons would be easier. Am fixing my controller and point switches into a box and trying to get all the wires together. Wondered if you had done something, any good and how?
Thanks weave
.
Quote from: weave on January 08, 2014, 07:34:35 PM
Been a while but was wondering if you ever did make the push button bank of sounds with the card things.
Hi Fella
Still looking at a decent system to get sounds from a SD card selection at a reasonable cost. The "greeting card" system whilst okay is not easily volume controllable and also not particularly flexible.
Reason for using SD card means you can load your own requirements, but at the moment an Arduino style "jukebox" seems to be the only answer and that means an outlay for more than I think it's worth. Waste of an Arduino really. Haven't got round to looking at the cheaper versions on the market yet to see if they might do.
Using a larger PIC with EPROMs is the next stage but I don't have the spare time at present to learn the extra needed code to achieve this.
It is still on the board as a project and may get looked at towards the end of the month. No promises
Thanks for reply.
Had to look up SD card and Arduino so if you do get round to creating something please be gentle with me regarding the technical terms.
Cheers weave.
You could always download an MP3 clip of the Russ Abbot 1980's sketch of his train station announcer job interview. All the atmosphere and prototypicaly unintelligible words - you know it's urgent and important but you can't quite make out what you have to do. Just like the real thing.
Thanks,
My late father loved the film Monsieur Hulot's 'oliday and I remembered this. Obviously the same all over the world.
En la estación. Las vacances de Monseiur Hulot.- 1953 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhOUbTfin3I#)
Won't dictaphone it as the girlfriend will think I'm doing things to a cat in the bedroom.
weave
^^^^ Quite perfect.