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I want to install a surround sound system on my layout. I like the idea of sound decoders but they sound much too "tinny" when they use the on-board speakers. Not enough base and too much treble.
I remember seeing a surround sound system on a small layout at the NYHRS show in Syracuse. The year was '93 and I never forgot how good it sounded.
The other uses a computer based software to operate. They both seem to have the same price point but the computer based system does not require installation of the transponders, which I like! http://www.freiwald.com/pages/sound.htm
Does anyone have any experience with these systems? Or maybe some general advice?
I want to install a surround sound system on my layout. I like the idea of sound decoders but they sound much too "tinny" when they use the on-board speakers. Not enough base and too much treble.
Hmmm I wonder if that was the old Grizzely Mountain or PBL system. 1993 is a little to late to be the PFM.
I've found 2 systems. One is based on using Digitrax with "transponders" with block occupancy decoders to track the trains on the layout. - Surroundtraxx.
The other uses a computer based software to operate. They both seem to have the same price point but the computer based system does not require installation of the transponders,
Does anyone have any experience with these systems? Or maybe some general advice?
The first thing I would ask is what size, shape, and configuration is the layout. Where will the listeners be located in relation to where the speakers will be placed. The difference in the two systems is night an day. The valuse of all those factors will determine which would work or not work (or should I say sound like the trains running or just like train noise in the room).
I have been investigating the Surroundtraxx for our modular layout. My first "base finding" is that it will be outrageously expensive. Each "module" can only deal with 6 speakers, so even if we went with 1 speaker per module our minimum configuration is 12 modules so we need 2 sound systems. Our modular layout can regularly hit 24 modules so that is 4 sound systems. Not to mention the limitation and expense of having to use transponding decoders. Other than that, I think it has real potential.
Just looking at the other system I can immediately see it is and always will be limited to 7 speaker positions. Reading the on-line manual I see it talks about blocks and train detection but I see no discussion of the manner of detection nor how that gets communicated to the computer. Without transponding I do not understand how it would know one train passed another and keep the sounds separate. I am wondering if it is really for DC trains only which would then use manual block switches for tracking the train. But even then that wouldn't really work without at least some block occupancy detectors. I am skeptical this will produce the train tracking sounds that would make me believe the sound is coming from the train.
