K3LA Horn File - length?

[CPRail]

Hi Group,

I downloaded and installed the K3LA horn files available in the files section of RPUG. It sounds great! Much better horn for my Canadian locos. I thank LW93Rcode for posting the files.

As it's my first use of a User Customized file, I have a question. If I push the horn button on the HC-2 quickly, I get a real short horn blast. If I push it a little longer (like what one would do for a grade crossing), I get a real long blast. A real long blast, like the hogger is hanging off the horn valve for some idiot farting around the crossing.

Did I miss something in the installation? I followed the steps as per the RailPro manual.

Any thoughts?

[William Brillinger]

These kinds of files are 3 sections: Start, Middle, and End

The RP plays them like this: 
Short press: Start + End
Long Press: Start, Middle, End
Longer Press: Start, Middle + middle + middle etc., End

It plays each section in its entirety, so if the middle is a long recording, it will be a long sound no matter what.

Ideally horns should be recorded with as short a middle section as possible for the best response times.

[William Brillinger]

I looked at the middle file and I see it is almost 3.5 seconds long.

I'm sure this could be reduced to about 1 second or less with a bit of tinkering.

[CPRail]

Thanks Bill,

Dare I ask how one does the tinkering?

[William Brillinger]

I use a program called audacity for editing sound files. It's free.

Maybe when I have some spare time I'll take a look at this file and trim it down.
Or perhaps the original author will consider it.

I'd like to make a tutorial for this kind of thing, but I just don't have the time to do it right now.
sorry.

[CPRail]

Hi Bill,

Thanks for the info. I'll have to ponder entering the world of sound editing without knowing a thing of what I'm doing. I eagerly await any tutorial on shortening the file length.

Until then, I'll have to figure out just the right amount of button pushing to get the proper length of horn.

I'm sure "testing" it on Bob's layout at his next op session would work, Mwah Hah Hah...

[Alan]

Here ya go. The loop component edited to .92 seconds. Closest I could get to 1 sec without an abrupt transition.

Bill, if you deem it worthy move it to the Files section.

K3LAHorn_Loop_1sec.wav

For preview purposes here is the complete horn using the shortened loop:

K3LAHorn_Short_PREVIEW.wav

[William Brillinger]

Thanks Alan.

I don't want to diminish your effort, this is a good start, but here is what I see:



It seems to me that your file does not mate with the beginning or end very well which results in some funny sound artifacts.

Here's how I like to approach these kinds of looping sounds...

[Alan]

Those transitions are present in the original hence why I preserved them. Your blue circled transitions are in the beginning and the end components respectively, not in the loop component.

[William Brillinger]

Sorry Alan! 

I had already assumed that the points I circled were the divisions between the 3 files, but I had not done a composite of the original. My mistake.

Alan's file should get you going Ian! His short loop is about as good as the looping section from this file will get.

If I were going to rebuild this loop, would take the middle section and chop it up as a suggested to eliminate transitions between start, middle, and end for a little more seamless effect.

[CPRail]

Sounds good guys. I'll give it a whirl!!

Thanks!

[LW93Rcode]

That sound file was one I got permission to use from a train simulator program.  I tried once to shorten that middle loop but I never got it to sound much better.  Kudos to Alan and William for improving on it.  If it turns out much better feel free to replace that middle loop guys.  I'll have to give it a whirl myself.

-Laurence

[CPRail]

Thanks for the shortened loop file guys - it works great!