Throttle/RPM sounds

[kknobl]

I recently downloaded the SCL freight pack, NP Freight pack, and Alco Sound pack.

All are incredibly well done, especially the Alco sounds. I can definitely tell a difference between the various Alco prime movers (539, 244, and 251). Well done.

One question is with the sounds for the EMDs in the aforementioned packs. The sounds themselves are spot on for a 567 but there seems to be a lag between throttle up/down and the corresponding sound that goes with said throttle action. Example, I was drilling some cars with the SCL GP7 and even after I had spotted the cars, applied the brakes, and all movement was stopped, the sounds were still jumping between notch 3 and notch 2, even though I had closed the throttle and stopped the train. It eventually went down to idle, but the delay was excessive.

Has anyone else experienced this with the EMDs in these packs? The Alco sounds seem to behave fine.

Thanks!

[GaryG]

Hi

Multiple samples are played in sequence with every notch change (up or down). These changes are queued up and it is easy for the sounds to fall behind throttle positions.

If you consider twenty-five .wav files for the engine sounds, fifteen played in the correct sequence to go from Idle to Run8 and a different sequence of fifteen to get from Run8 to Idle, all controlled by forty-nine triggers. If you rapidly go from Idle to Run8 and back to Idle again, you have queued up around thirty sounds that must be played in sequence. Overload the sound buffer and it tends to mess up the sounds until you exit the current activity.

For these reasons, I have found that it's best to change throttle positions slowly, allowing the sound to catch up to the throttle. It's too bad but this sound pack really isn't well suited to switching activities.

GaryG

[CRQ5508]

The sounds really are spot-on for EMD E and F units who had a tendency to load (the time it takes the engine and generator/alternator [depending on locomotive type] to rev up to speed) slowly, mostly because they were road units, and the idea was to not take slack quickly. Switchers and Geeps were made to load fast as they were intended to be able to switch cars, where a locomotive needs to be able to get cars moving in a short amount of distance in order to be able to kick cars (mind you, kicking was still legal under the FRA up through the 80s.)