EMD 645 Roots ULT now available

[KPack]

Just got word from Tim Ring that the new ULT for EMD 645 Roots Blown is up!  Going to download it now.  Video coming when I get time.

-Kevin

[G8B4Life]

It sounds good so far. Lot's of white noise on my test rig but that should hopefully just be my test rig and not the recording.

I wonder how this will sound on a Scale Sound Systems speaker set? Kevin, did you get any of those to try?

- Tim

[KPack]

I haven't picked up any of the Scale Sound Systems speakers yet.  I need to figure out which kind will fit in different locos.  None of my locos are what Scale Systems has designed the speakers for.

I do like the new 645 roots file....WAY better than the old file.  The old one was terrible.  It sounds a bit quiet to me, but I'm really not familiar with prototype 645 roots locomotives.  I do want to talk to Tim about updating the various air blasts on the new files.  He is using mostly the old air sounds, and I know we can do better than that.  I also would like him to update the compressor. 

-Kevin

[G8B4Life]

Should probably split this off to a separate thread but oh well.

I haven't picked up any of the Scale Sound Systems speakers yet.  I need to figure out which kind will fit in different locos.  None of my locos are what Scale Systems has designed the speakers for.

If you haven't looked at the website in the last couple of days you might want to again, he's added quite a few more to the site, including a bunch of the dual speaker (co-eval) sets.

I do like the new 645 roots file....WAY better than the old file.  The old one was terrible.  It sounds a bit quiet to me, but I'm really not familiar with prototype 645 roots locomotives.  I do want to talk to Tim about updating the various air blasts on the new files.  He is using mostly the old air sounds, and I know we can do better than that.  I also would like him to update the compressor. 

Yes, the new 645 Roots blower file is way better than the old one (which has been removed from RE's server). I haven't played it through a loco yet (only headphones hooked up to my testing board; waaaay loud through them ) but in real life roots blown EMD's were quite loud, at least here anyway.

I'd prefer Ring to drop the air/compressor sounds from the engine sound file completely and let us choose what we want (whether played manual or auto). It would not be overly hard for him to program that functionality.

- Tim

[TwinStar]

Link to Scale Sounds? Google isn't coming up with anything for some reason.

[KPack]

https://www.scalesoundsystems.com/

[TwinStar]

https://www.scalesoundsystems.com/

Thanks!

[CPRail]

I'm just doing an install on a GP38AC and I notice on the 645 Roots ULT file a glitch in the sound. When manually notching going from notch 3-4 there seems to be a hitch in the sound. Like it revs, then a quick pause or hitch and continues revving. Is this correct, or do I need to download the sound again?

Unfortunately the only Roots 645 powered engine in my immediate vicinity runs during daylight hours while I'm at work and the hogger is either notching down or has her in Notch 5 or so when he goes by my house, so I can't confirm if the sound is correct when I do get to see her go by.

It is running on a LM-2S, but I don't have the most current update for the ULT horns on it yet.

Thoughts?

[KPack]

Ian, you may have a slight glitch that got introduced when you downloaded the file.  Probably happened when it downloaded from the computer to the locomotive.  I've never had this happen until recently, when I noticed it on two custom-made files that I loaded onto a new locomotive.  I've used these same files many times on other locomotives without issue.  So it would seem that something happened with the transfer.

The affected files play the sound, but it gets cut off and plays a loud constant beep for the duration of the sound clip.  I haven't reloaded the files, but that will almost certainly fix the issue. 

It doesn't sound like you are having the exact same problem, but I suppose you could have a corrupted file as well.  I'd just re-download from the beginning and be sure your file is intact.

-Kevin

[BruceRogers]

The EMD 16-645E engine was recorded from a GTW GP38-2. I had it on a local and set the brakes on the train and throttled up against the load.

[TwinStar]

The EMD 16-645E engine was recorded from a GTW GP38-2. I had it on a local and set the brakes on the train and throttled up against the load.

That's awesome and thanks for the contribution!

[BruceRogers]

You're welcome. I'd really like to get an Alco 244 engine. Unfortunately it might mean a trip out east. I've also recently done another EMD 16-645E3 engine (GP/SD40). The idea is to put together 2 different 645E3s to make a nice DDA40X or have another choice for the GP and SD40s.

[TwinStar]

That would be really cool.

Any 567's laying around? It's slim pickings for a modeler with an almost exclusive fleet of F's, E's, and GP7's.

[CPRail]

Oooh. I like the idea of 2 slightly different 16-645E3s. Just for a little variety in the gaggle of SD40-2s I have.

[drisdon]

Thanks to KPack's explanation of how the "new" Load and Brake features work I changed the manually notched locomotives to the Load and brake feature and really love how when you set the load near 100% so that when you open the throttle it causes the locomotive to naturally notch-up and yet the loco doesn't move till the momentum simulating the train has reached the threshold.  Then once it starts moving you can back off on the throttle and the train will continue to crawl along-it's great!  I had planned to download and install the revised lighting functions last night, but spent over an hour playing with the locomotive and the load and brake features, and I'm just loving the way the GP38-2 sounds and crawls along!  Now I need to update the lighting so that the ditchlights work properly and headlight and dim work correctly too.

I had planned to use some LM-1's, but after playing with this I would prefer to stay with LM-2S and LM-3S's as the Load/Brake feature pretty much eliminates the reason to use manual notching.

Finally, I desperately would like the proper CSX K-5LA horn please!

Dan Risdon