Warbonnet Posted October 25, 2020 Posted October 25, 2020 Our A Class loco project continues to progress (as you can see here in our latest update) but one area we have been working hard on behind the scenes is the sound project with our friends at ESU. We can now give you a first preview of our new ESU Loksound 5 A Class sound chip featuring the distinctive and unique sounds of these iconic Irish locomotives. Featuring real sounds recorded from the ITG's preserved A39r by professional sound engineers played through two high quality speakers, the roar of the rebuilt A Class can soon be enjoyed on your layout! The sound is still being tweaked but this preview below will give you a taste of things to come! Please note that this video was recorded on a mobile phone, and in person the sound is much more crisp and bassy. As you can see below, there is a comprehensive list of functions on this chip, giving modellers a whole host of operational possibilities. Of course, the A Class used two engines during its career, with this sound chip featuring he rebuilt EMD 645 rootes blown engine the locomotives were rebuilt with at Inchicore. This is suitable for the following locomotives in our A Class release programme: 007 017 018 A23R 027 036 A39R 048 054 056 The earlier Crossley engine is a rare beast, with very few lasting in service and no sound recordings good enough to use. However, there is a similar Metropolitan Vickers locomotive preserved in Australia which features the Crossley power unit. It is our intention to have ESU record this locomotive, but efforts so far has been hampered by wild bush fires and of course the COVID pandemic. Once the pandemic restrictions ease we will get this locomotive recorded and offer the Crossley sound chip at a later date. We will also be offering standard DCC non-sound chips soon, so keep an eye out for that! In the meantime, you can pre-order your GM-EMD sound chip which will arrive in stock with the locomotives in May 2021. Each A Class model will come pre-fitted with a twin speaker set up, as well as an ESU power pack, so all you need to do is plug in the chip and you can enjoy that glorious A Class soundtrack. Pre-order your chips here for €124.94 and your A Class locomotives for €189.95 here. 9 Quote
DJ Dangerous Posted October 25, 2020 Posted October 25, 2020 Wow, very very nice. Next year is gonna be another expensive one, but well worth it! 2 1 Quote
NIRCLASS80 Posted October 25, 2020 Posted October 25, 2020 Sounds great. Can’t wait to get one entering Ballyercall. 3 1 Quote
DiveController Posted October 25, 2020 Posted October 25, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, DJ Dangerous said: Next year is gonna be another expensive one, but well worth it! You're not wrong. The true cost of a sound equipped A class at €315 a pop just hit me along with the realization that I have the choice of more locos or more sound I might be popping some chips in and out I think. It sounds well though! Edited October 25, 2020 by DiveController 1 Quote
DJ Dangerous Posted October 25, 2020 Posted October 25, 2020 5 minutes ago, DiveController said: Your not wrong. The true cost of a sound equipped A class at €315 a pop just hit me along with the realization that I have the choice of more locos or more sound I might be popping some chips in and out I think. It sounds well though! Same for the 121's, don't forget them! Quote
BosKonay Posted October 25, 2020 Posted October 25, 2020 1 hour ago, DiveController said: You're not wrong. The true cost of a sound equipped A class at €315 a pop just hit me along with the realization that I have the choice of more locos or more sound I might be popping some chips in and out I think. It sounds well though! Luckily our A class has a magnetic roof, so you can pop a chip out or in, in about 10 seconds Quote
DiveController Posted October 25, 2020 Posted October 25, 2020 3 minutes ago, BosKonay said: Luckily our A class has a magnetic roof, so you can pop a chip out or in, in about 10 seconds Wow, that's very cool and so much more user friendly for access than models from 10-15 years ago 2 Quote
mphoey Posted October 25, 2020 Posted October 25, 2020 wow sounds great i will probably be one of the last to ever have dcc and sound installed due to the cost factors of doing up all the locos in dcc plus sound chips 1 Quote
DiveController Posted October 25, 2020 Posted October 25, 2020 (edited) With the easy access, it would be easy to have fewer sound chips than locos and just swap them out. Care with removing and fitting the sound decoder so as not to bend any of the pins is all that's needed on the As by the look of it. Maybe budget for one chip to start and see how you get on. The V5 sound chips don't work on DC do they? From ESU, but I'm not sure if this means for sound... The LokSound 5 decoder is also suitable for analogue DC and AC (!) layouts. Edited October 25, 2020 by DiveController 2 Quote
Warbonnet Posted October 25, 2020 Author Posted October 25, 2020 Loksound 5 has basic engine sounds on DC. 2 2 Quote
murphaph Posted October 25, 2020 Posted October 25, 2020 The magnetic roof is really nice looking. 1 Quote
DJ Dangerous Posted October 25, 2020 Posted October 25, 2020 1 hour ago, mphoey said: wow sounds great i will probably be one of the last to ever have dcc and sound installed due to the cost factors of doing up all the locos in dcc plus sound chips That sounds like a challenge! From speaking with @murphaph, there are cheaper options for making the progression from DC to DCC, such as using a LokProgrammer (€150 EURO or so) and some very basic LokPilot chips (about €24 EURO each). These chips only offer four functions, and don't offer sound, but do mean that your DC locos will become DCC locos, so you CAN enjoy the lovely DCC sound and functionality of the new A Class running alongside them! This is the route that I intend taking, slowly, with a mix of DC lines and some DCC lines, gradually moving to all DCC. Quote
mphoey Posted October 25, 2020 Posted October 25, 2020 Just now, DJ Dangerous said: That sounds like a challenge! From speaking with @murphaph, there are cheaper options for making the progression from DC to DCC, such as using a LokProgrammer (€150 EURO or so) and some very basic LokPilot chips (about €24 EURO each). These chips only offer four functions, and don't offer sound, but do mean that your DC locos will become DCC locos, so you CAN enjoy the lovely DCC sound and functionality of the new A Class running alongside them! This is the route that I intend taking, slowly, with a mix of DC lines and some DCC lines, gradually moving to all DCC. might be worth looking at as i have a big fleet i got given the virgin twin pack dcc set a few years ago so have a basic controller and 2 chips that could be nicked from those 2 locos 1 Quote
DJ Dangerous Posted October 25, 2020 Posted October 25, 2020 Just now, mphoey said: might be worth looking at as i have a big fleet i got given the virgin twin pack dcc set a few years ago so have a basic controller and 2 chips that could be nicked from those 2 locos I have a Bachmann DCC set which I'll steal the controller from. It only has ten functions, so I'll miss out on any other functions on the pre-programmed chips for now. I'll eventually upgrade to a better DCC controller, but it will facilitate the transition with minimal cost, so I can keep buying Ballast wagons... Sorry for embedding URL's to Spanish retailers, but they were my bookmarked ones. The reference numbers will be the same for the LokProgrammer and LokPilot chips so you can find them on eBay or wherever. Quote
DiveController Posted October 25, 2020 Posted October 25, 2020 5 hours ago, Warbonnet said: Loksound 5 has basic engine sounds on DC. Which means you have some basic sound on DC while considering moving to DCC 1 Quote
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