Author Topic: Custom ESU Loksound Project Sources  (Read 587 times)

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Ed Kapuscinski

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Custom ESU Loksound Project Sources
« on: March 27, 2025, 11:58:59 AM »
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After some AMAZING customer service from ESU (they're fantastic), I need to reload some sounds on a few engines.

Specifically my Conrail NW2 and a pair of WM F7s.

I know about the files available directly from ESU and planned on using them.
I also know Intermountain shared their OEM files too: https://www.intermountain-railway.com/customerservice/dccwebpage/IRC-OEM-ESU-Sound-Files.html

But this got me wondering. Is there a world of custom sound projects out there that I'm missing?

What do they generally offer over stock files?

Is this something you guys have played with much?

bbussey

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Re: Custom ESU Loksound Project Sources
« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2025, 01:13:32 PM »
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Atlas will provide the sound files for their ESU-equipped motive power if asked.  I screwed up one of my L&NE FAs and they bailed me out.  Scale-Trains also will provide ESU sound files for their models.  But the files on the ESU website are fairly substantial and cover most of what's available.  I used their FA sound file to recongifure my eight New Haven units because the horn options were greater.
« Last Edit: March 27, 2025, 01:19:35 PM by bbussey »
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jdcolombo

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Re: Custom ESU Loksound Project Sources
« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2025, 02:10:21 PM »
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So there are two different issues here.

First, there are OEM sound files, usually based on an ESU commercial file, that may have specific settings the manufacturer wants as the default settings.  This was the case with Atlas' S-2 file, for example, where they originally wanted the sound to come on when the engine was powered up ("Not F8" in ESU-speak, meaning the sound is on if F8, which normally turns the sound ON, is off).  Intermountain had ditch lights configured in a certain way if I remember correctly.  Usually, these files are available from the manufacturer, but some are available from the ESU web site.  For example, here is the link to the list of the ESU North American/Australian factory-equipped sound files for the LokSound 5:
https://projects.esu.eu/projectoverviews/19

The second issue is that there are folks who customize their own sound files using the LokProgrammer software.  The stuff you can do with sound customization if you know what you are doing is almost limitless.  Have a recording of that special Milwaukee Road bell you heard as a teenager?  By all means, sub it in a sound file for the regular bell.  Change the whistle or horn; change the actual logic controlling the whistle or horn.  Etc.  But the learning curve is very steep.  You will find some of these customizations on the LokSound Groups.io list, under the files section (you'll have to join the LokSound group in Groups.io to access the files), but I don't know of any central repository of whole customized sound files for the LokSound. 

I've found that the standard ESU files do everything I want them to do, so I've never gone down the customization road.  But if you DO want to go down that road, you can probably spend the next several years playing around with this.

John C.
« Last Edit: March 27, 2025, 02:13:56 PM by jdcolombo »

Brian M

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Re: Custom ESU Loksound Project Sources
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2025, 02:42:41 PM »
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Ed's customization question reminded me of a slightly related one I have.  I remember reading at some point about ways to take identical sound files and slightly modify certain CV's so that they have small differences in their overall sound effects.  Such as for the situation of having two (or more) of the same locomotives in a consist but tweaking them so they each sound a little different.  I've tried to go back and find the post that details what CV's would achieve this but have not had any luck.  Can someone point me to it or some other source that would help with this?

Thank you,
Brian.

jdcolombo

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Re: Custom ESU Loksound Project Sources
« Reply #4 on: March 27, 2025, 02:49:48 PM »
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Open the sound file in LokProgrammer and go to the Sound Slots tab.

Click on the sound slot with the sound you want to modify.

Alter "Sound Speed" sliders a bit - not a lot, maybe 5 each way.  This will "speed up" or "slow down" the sound, which also will alter the pitch a bit.  I do this for engines I'm going to MU to make the prime movers sound just a tad different.

John C.

tehachapifan

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Re: Custom ESU Loksound Project Sources
« Reply #5 on: March 27, 2025, 04:05:28 PM »
+1
Open the sound file in LokProgrammer and go to the Sound Slots tab.

Click on the sound slot with the sound you want to modify.

Alter "Sound Speed" sliders a bit - not a lot, maybe 5 each way.  This will "speed up" or "slow down" the sound, which also will alter the pitch a bit.  I do this for engines I'm going to MU to make the prime movers sound just a tad different.

John C.

John is right on the money with this, but I have run across a couple sound files now that just don't seem to like their sound speed changed for some reason. I can't recall which ones now but changing the sound speed just made them sound terrible (crackly, distorted, etc.). The files in question seemed to be very digital in their rendering and changing the sound speed made weird things happen. All this said, the vast majority of the ones I did this with have sounded just fine and I've done a lot.