adding sounds to accessories

It would be great to add the sounds of a screaming woman!

I found a couple of sound effects on the web, one of a crowd panicking and another of a structure on fire, which i'll use as a start to create my own mix of sounds.

That sounds awesome, let us know what you use.  I have that accessory too and it would be a great upgrade. I have the MTH "house on fire" too and that would be great for that one.

ITT products makes all types of sound modules including fire engines:  https://ittproducts.com/specialty-sounds

Here's a short "video clip" of playback of the audio tracks I've recorded/mixed so far.  Think I'll mix in more coughing as what i have is getting lost the mix.

The full audio starts with just the fire sound, then adds guy yelling, then adds the steps running and water bucket sounds on top of that in a "sequenced start" of the action.  It ends with bucket throws, end of fire sound, and the coughing becomes predominant till end of the animation.

That’s awesome, what are you going to use as the player?

I purchase inexpensive mp3 player cards and small speakers from the "site-that-shallt-not-be-named". The cards have a trigger input or can be set to auto-play when powered, so it can be started when the burning tower is triggered. I use this all over my layout for different animations so i can add my own sounds / dialogs / music / sound effects.   For example, used it with my Lift Bridge along with some timer-relays so there'd be the sound effects of the warning sirens going off, then the bridge lifts with motor/squealing sounds, stays up for a while, and then the siren sounds again for the downward journey.

Scott

Your soundscape project could be a step toward your creating a "cottage industry" for sounds-to-order for hobbyists.  ITT has a good selection, but apparently doesn't have the capability to edit audio sources for a total effect. I'm a former radio station exec and now an O-gauge hobbyist, so I can appreciate what you've accomplished.

On my layout, I could imagine sound effects for:
* Lionel Sawmill (for the versions BEFORE Lionel added sound to later models of this action accessory)
* AF Oil Drum Loader (noise of the forklift with clanking metal oil barrels)
* Lionel Passenger Station  (noise of passengers talking, PA of incoming & outgoing train announcements)
* Oil Derricks  (noise of the "horseheads" working, chatter of workers)
* Lionel Park accessories  (children playing, vendor calling out wares for sale, thrill shrieks from the riders)
* Lionel Refreshment Stand  (kids saying their order, vendor confirming with a 1950s price, and "Here you go!"
* Lionel Newspaper Stand  (call out newspaper headlines with "Read all about it!")

On and on ... limited only the imagination of customers and your creativity.  Carry on -- valiantly.

Mike Mottler    LCCA 12394

Mike - thanks for the encouragement. Adding sounds to these accessories really brings them to life, and it can be fun.  

I spent a little time this morning installing the timing relays and the sound card / speaker... here's the initial run:

Here's a fun project I did recently. I modded a roadway turnout for a Menards gas station. The turnout will divert cars into the gas station when unoccupied. I have it triggering random sound clips upon arrival that include drive-up, fueling and sometimes attendant narration, some fun dialogs about 'needing to go bad', or even old gas commercial jingles. Likewise, there's a random departure sound. (Departures get delayed if there's traffic blocking the exit). Sample follows (plus some background noises from the layout ).

Get outta here ScottV. That is truly amazing and, beautiful scenery. That will easily steal the show.👍

Wow! The gas station scene is awesome! Good job, it definitely must be a highlight on the layout for visitors.

@romiller49   Rod - thanks, although I'm still in awe of much of the scenery I see posted here.

@Keith Crook 020419  it is truly a work in progress.

Fantastic !!!

@ScottV posted:

Here's a fun project I did recently. I modded a roadway turnout for a Menards gas station. The turnout will divert cars into the gas station when unoccupied. I have it triggering random sound clips upon arrival that include drive-up, fueling and sometimes attendant narration, some fun dialogs about 'needing to go bad', or even old gas commercial jingles. Likewise, there's a random departure sound. (Departures get delayed if there's traffic blocking the exit). Sample follows (plus some background noises from the layout ).

You are a genius!  That is SOOOOOO much fun!

I would love to come see your layout!

Sean -  honestly I never entertained the thought of having guests over because the layout, simply put, is a tight squeeze in a 13x24' room.  It's against the walls to accommodate o72 curves and the 'guest space' is simply a 20-40" wide path cut through the space.  

Entire layout captured in 2 panos!  LOL.

End view of the entire layout from the west (where there's a entrance to the next room that i simply closed off with layout.

From the SW corner entrance of the room, the 'guest/operator space is an L shaped walkway to the NE corner where there's a closet and an exit door. Both ends have duck-unders.

lower valley area is unfinished; planning more road space and there's vacant lots around the back of the loop for more buildings/accessories as I find them. The portion from the back of the car wash to back hills is all a drop down access hatch.

But if you're ever in the north metro area of Atlanta and can brave a tight squeeze, give a shout.

You want a flexible sound board that allows multiple sounds as well as the option to trigger them remotely by radio control or with discrete triggers?  You can have up to five different sounds of any length at your fingertips.  Since you determine the sounds, you have the whole Internet universe to pick from.  You can also change the sounds anytime you like.

MP3 Universal Sound Module

Comes with connector cables, RF remote, micro-SD card, and USB micro-SD reader/writer.

By adding my 4-channel relay receiver to the mix, you can actually have one sound board serve four locations.

@ScottV posted:

Here's a fun project I did recently. I modded a roadway turnout for a Menards gas station. The turnout will divert cars into the gas station when unoccupied.

Scott, do you have a thread detailing how you built the operating road way? It looks fantastic!

@gunrunnerjohn a couple of questions on the 4 channel relay...

can you have more than 1 location playing sound at the same time?

can you independently adjust volume for each location?

what's the output power and speaker impedance (didn't see it on the linked description) ?

thanks for the post!

Unbelievably great Scotty!!

Would you be kind enough to post a picture and product source for the timing relays you are using?   (I am electronically stupid!)

I assume you just insert the relay into the run of the hot wire, and set the timer?

I would like to use timing relays instead of insulated track sections to power certain accessories, since many of my cars appear to have plastic wheels.

Mannyrock

John,

How do you record the custom sounds ONTO the Micro SD card?  What product do you use?

Thanks,

Mannyrock

@PSM posted:

Scott, do you have a thread detailing how you built the operating road way? It looks fantastic!

not yet. The roadways and cars are a product by AutomotionFX.   Awesome people. They worked with me to update their control module with an adjustable gas station stop-hold time. I added a trigger relay for the drive-up sound, plus a circuit to eat their release, hold the car in the gas station longer while a sound gets triggered of the gas station customer getting in the vehicle and starting the engine, only then triggering the release of the car and drive-off sounds play. In the meantime, during the extended hold, I also disable the turnout to switch another car into the station while it's occupied.  If you don't want to get detailed with the sounds, the new module alone from Automotion works as-is.

@ScottV posted:

@gunrunnerjohn a couple of questions on the 4 channel relay...

can you have more than 1 location playing sound at the same time?

can you independently adjust volume for each location?

what's the output power and speaker impedance (didn't see it on the linked description) ?

thanks for the post!

Scott,

There is only one audio source, so you can only have one location playing at a time. Obviously, instead of the 4-channel relay receiver, you can just use multiple sound modules.   The multiple location idea was drawn up because someone asked about that option.

It's easy to add volume adjustment to the individual feeds, a 50 ohm pot in series with the speaker does the job.

The sound board output is 3 watts max into an 8 ohm speaker.  I specified speakers with a 2W to 5W rating as reasonable choices.

@Mannyrock posted:

I would like to use timing relays instead of insulated track sections to power certain accessories, since many of my cars appear to have plastic wheels.

What kind of cars do you have?  The only car I have with plastic wheels is one that hauls a magnet around the layout to pickup any ferrous metal along the tracks.  Virtually all O-gauge cars have metal wheels.

@Mannyrock posted:

How do you record the custom sounds ONTO the Micro SD card?  What product do you use?

I use Audacity, it's a really great audio processing program, and it's free.  You can mix, trim, and combine clips using this program.

Audacity is a great program for editing, mixing, adding effects to sound files!

@Mannyrock if you really want to have a trigger for plastic trucks, use something like an Azatrax MRD1-V. It uses infra red detectors.

@ScottV posted:

Audacity is a great program for editing, mixing, adding effects to sound files!

@Mannyrock if you really want to have a trigger for plastic trucks, use something like an Azatrax MRD1-V. It uses infra red detectors.

Good info - I use an Azatrax device with an adjustable timing delay and the IR detectors buried in the layout foam and angled and pointing up at the undercarriage of the cars as they pass overhead to change a FT switch from straight to divergent - works great.

Thanks for all of the advice.

My lionel plug cars are so light and cheap, that I thought the wheels were plastic.  Good to know they're not.

I'll check out all of the suggested electronics.

Mannyrock