Should I go for sound?

[emjaybee]

With the upcoming (hopefully) release of the BachFar 8F I'm wondering if this is the time to take my first steps into the world of N gauge sound.

Unfortunately the model I have pre-ordered is NOT the only sound one that's available.

So, is it really worth investing an extra £80-£100 to get sound fitted?

Who would you recommend for fitting?

[longbow]

Only you can judge if it's worth it. As to fitting the 8F is sound ready so the install should be hardly more complex than plugging in a normal decoder.

[N_GaugeModeller]

Hi

Been using sound for some time but recently went in the other direction of deciding sound is s nice gimic that to me is just not worth the investment, so recently sold all my sound fitted stock and and replaced everything with silent versions. And was able to double my fleet with the money from the sales.

For me in a home setup with a number of sound fitted locos chugging or rumbling for the diesels it all became too much and I ended up just turning them all off, but at exhibitions the levels from N-Gauge models was almost inaudible.

One may be novel but you will soon regret it, first wanting more, then wishing you didn't

Also for me cost and value for money is important, for the cost of one sound fitted or sound conversion I could get two silent models.

The above is just my personal experience others will differ.

NGM

[LASteve]

Agh

If I'm painfully straddling the fence, you get the message.

Good things from sound:

Great in the right environment with the right sound chip, speaker and somewhere to put it
Great with the right sounds loaded onto said sound chip
Great if the said chip responds to volume +/- commands
Great for atmosphere

Bad things from sound:

Terrible in a loud environment, absolutely no point, but if you're in your home at not at an exhibition, not an issue
Terrible if the - command doesn't work and your DMU gives you a headache idling at the platform
Terrible if you can't hear the sounds because of lack of volume or lack of space for a decent speaker
Terrible if you spend £100 on a sound setup and get any of the above

Great things from sound:

Rail squeals, horns, "right away" whistles, more horns, slam doors, more squeals or random air venting sounds, whatever they are

Bad things from sound:

"The train standing at platform 5 is for London Paddington" when you don't have a platform 5 and it's not going to Paddington even if you had a platform 5
All kinds of locomotive sounds you didn't even know they had. I had to look up "Blower" and "Spirax Valves" and I still have no idea what "Notch Up" means.

Far and away the best thing from sound: (Countesy of Class 37 - John Gymer at YooChoos) "Please stand away from the platform, the smelly diesel is not stopping".

On balance - sound - no, no sound, no - sound.

Actually, sound with a great conversion. I have a CL 52 from John and a CL 33 from CR Signals that are just amazing. But - you pay a premium.

[Chris Morris]

I have yet to hear sound that is anywhere near convincing in 00, let alone N. The sound chip may well be 100% accurate but such a small speaker and low amount of power will never be able to reproduce the depth of sound produced by the real thing. The sound is just far too tinny and thin. Also the sound produced relates to the loco and not the whole train which doesn't make sense to my ears. I can see why some folk like sound and that is fine but it doesn't do it for me.

[springwood]

For me in a home setup with a number of sound fitted locos chugging or rumbling for the diesels it all became too much and I ended up just turning them all off, but at exhibitions the levels from N-Gauge models was almost inaudible.

One may be novel but you will soon regret it, first wanting more, then wishing you didn't

Also for me cost and value for money is important, for the cost of one sound fitted or sound conversion I could get two silent models.

I first got the railway bug (modelling and the real thing) 40-odd years ago and so, up until relatively recently, had only ever heard of dc/analogue. I started constructing my debut layout (Springwood) in early Jan19 and, with the stock I had accumulated, there was only one way to go - for dc. However, I continue to read stuff on dcc with some interest, (the wiring and control side still confuses me quite a lot), but I fully agree with NGM's comments. LASteve gets it bang on with his pros and cons list too. Even at home I always feel that once you get two or three locos in close proximity, then you just hear a mix/cacophony of tinny sound and not know which is which!

The old expression 'never say never' applies, I guess, and maybe - when it's time for layout number 2 - I may dip my toe into dcc with a small experimental setup!

[Capri_sam]

I like it as a gimmick and probably *will* buy a sound chip for my 8f, but I have a policy of only running max 2x sound locos at once otherwise it just becomes a mess.

I also (like a heathen) turn the sound volume right down.

Firstly, it hides the innate tinniness from a small speaker in a plastic enclosure.

Secondly, if you were 100m up in the air looking down on a train (ie standing over your layout), you wouldn't hear all that much. I want to hear the train rumble by when I put my head down to it as it passes - it's a much more interactive experience when you put yourself down into the scenery and get the reward of really 'experiencing' it.

It goes without saying that's not an exhibition layout! But for home use I love doing it this way, it adds an element of magic and escapism to the layout which, to my mind, is what sound should do.

But then I've always been a sucker for an audiovisual experience. I had multi-colour changeable LED lighting strips above my old layout so I could have a sunrise and sunset at the start and end of the running session. It gave the milks and sleepers something to run through!

[port perran]

I see it as a bit of a gimmick and I can understand how people are drawn to it.

However, why have sound if you haven't got steam and smoke or diesel fumes etc ?

It's not for me and I have to say when I'm at a show , I find it a bit annoying if the layout next to me is using sound.
Having said all that, it's progress I guess so good luck to those who enjoy it.

[GrahamB]

You pays your money and takes your choice.

Although I have a sound fitted 4 CEP, I find I don't bother as, while it was nice for a while, it was odd on it's own and I came to the conclusion that if I sound fitted everything I would need ear defenders.

That said, for a small layout with just a couple of locos, I think it is wonderful.

[Bealman]

Yes, I'm a sucker for animated gimmicks, lighting, and even sound on my layout.

But none have my locos have sound, nor will they ever. Too old.

My verdict is undecided on new sound fitted locos. Some videos I've seen are impressive, but I suspect it would become tiresome after a while, and let's face it, it's just something else to go wrong, innit?

[ntpntpntp]

I'm afraid I also consider sound in N to be just a gimmick, it has no presence or depth and so many of the steam locos I see on youtube have totally wrong chuff sync rate, far too slow for the speed the loco is running.   99.9% of the time I run DC in N anyway, so the couple of sound locos I do have don't get to demonstrate their sounds and indeed I've removed sound decoders from a couple of ebay purchases.

At exhibitions the constant hiss and brumm from sound-equipped layouts is very wearing when you're running your layout next to one.

I run DCC in G scale, and at that size the sound at least has some "guts" to it but even then when I was running my garden line regularly I found myself turning off the sounds after a few minutes as I'd had enough.

[PLD]

Sound from the locos is great, but not if that's the only sound... What about all the other background noises?

The road traffic? local wildlife? the chatter of the group of boys trainspotting at the end of the platform? the stereo in the Boy-racer's Corsa in the car park? the tannoy advising where to board the replacement bus?

[njee20]

I've got a dozen or so sound fitted items, and agree with what's been said above. A lot are just a bit boring. The sound projects can be very realistic, but if the sound is just a bit of a diesel whine then it's less interesting. I like my Paxman Valenta HST, 37 and 50, compared to the 68s or Pendolinos, which are just a bit less interesting aurally. The 350s are quite good, as they've a very distinctive noise which is well replicated.

I agree with not having everything running together, there's very little Doppler effect, and as Chris said, having only the loco can be a bit strange, but i quite like it. Wouldn't ever bother to fit every model though.

[Bealman]

I worked an exhibition layout once where we were stuck next to a harbour layout with seagull sounds.

After a couple of hours it became almost unbearable.

I admit to having the sound of running water under Troutbeck on my layout, but I find it quite soothing.....

But there is an on-off switch! 

[Yet_Another]

I held the position that N gauge sound is rubbish for a long time. There's no bass. But I now own a few sound locos, not because they are realisic, but because they are evocative. The exhaust sound of a heavily loaded first generation DMU accelerating out if a station, even coming from a tiny speaker, takes me right back to a time and a place. The same with a class 40 supercharger.

So if it's something special, go for it. But if it's just because you can, don't bother.

If at all possible, have a listen before you buy. Even a youtube video should be enough. If you don't like what you're hearing, you won't like it on your layout either.