Page 38 Non-Sound Decoder MX618 - MX638 and Sound Decoder MX640 - MX659
code” pre-installed (subject to a charge, see price list) or the load code is purchased later and entered
to the appropriate decoder CV’s (CV's # 260, 261, 262, 263). The "load code", which authorizes the
use of sound projects of a specific sound supplier (i.e. the sound projects of Heinz Däppen) applies to
one specific decoder which is identified by its decoder ID (CV 250, 251, 252, 253).
In addition to the "Free D'load" and "Coded" projects, both of which are ready for download on the
ZIMO Sound Database (see above), there is also the
- “Preloaded” sound projects; these are exclusively available as pre-programmed decoders and this
in turn often only installed in new locomotives. “Preloaded” sound decoders are usually not provided by
Zimo, but by model railroad manufacturers and distributors, who are also responsible for setting the
prices. These sound projects are merely listed in the ZIMO Sound Database as reference.
Decoders with sound collection – How to select a loco type with CV #265
using the example of the “European steam/diesel collection”:
1 or
101
Steam =
1
Diesel =
101
= 0, 100, 200: Reserved for future applications
= 1, 2 … 32: Select among various steam sounds stored
in the decoder, i.e. for loco BR01, BR28,
BR50, etc... Chuff sounds as well as other
sounds (whistle, compressor, bell…) will
be matched.
= 101, 102 … 132: Select among various diesel engines
(if several diesel sounds are in the collection).
Operating the sound decoder for the first time
with “European steam/diesel” sound collection:
As delivered, the decoder comes with a typical engine sound activated and function-sounds allocated
to function keys:
Function F8 – Sound ON/OFF
sounds played back with a function key remain active regardless whether F8 is on or off (a separate function key can be as-
signed with CV #311 to turn the function sound ON/OFF, which could of course also be F8)!
By default, the “European steam/diesel collection” plays back the sound of a 2-cylinder engine (the
chuff rate can only be approximate without further tuning) with automated water drainage and brake
squeal as well as some randomly played stationary sounds.
The function keys are allocated to the following function sounds:
F2 – short whistle F7 – coal shoveling or oil burner
F4 – water drain (blow off…) F9 – compressor
F5 – long whistle (playable) F10 – generator
F6 – bell F11 – injector
The random sound generators to … stationary sounds:
Z1 – compressor Z2 – coal shoveling Z3 – injector
The switch inputs:
S1 – nothing S2 – nothing S3 – nothing
A sound project is composed of…
... sound samples, schedules and CV settings.
To produce the sound of a locomotive, the sound project contains the following components:
1) the "main engine" sound: this is the central sound, such as the chuff or diesel engine
sound, or the cooling fan (which is the key sound in electric locomotive projects).
This "main engine" sound is the only sound component associated with a schedule, which
defines important properties, especially the transitions between different sound samples in
various speed, acceleration and load situations.
This schedule can only be changed in the "ZIMO Sound Programmer" ZSP, not by CV's.
However, there are numerous possibilities for fine-tuning the main engine sound through
CV’s (e.g. relation between chuff frequency and speed, lead-chuff accentuation, coast-
ing/notching functions, etc.)
2) Other scheduled sounds (often inaccurately called background sounds): these are boiling,
draining, turbocharger or brake squealing sounds and many others; also in the case of elec-
tric locomotives the actual primary sounds of the thyristor unit and the electric motor.
"Scheduled" sounds - both the "main engine" and "other" - are characterized in that the de-
coder plays them automatically, based on the driving situation, while the "function sounds"
(see below) are activated with the cab’s function keys.
These "other" -sounds (i.e. all except the "main engine” sound, see above) are NOT played
according to a schedule, i.e. they are fully defined by CVs, and can be modified directly by
the relevant CV’s or CV # 300 - procedures, even in operation (speed, load dependence,
etc.). Only the underlying original recordings, that is, the sound sample or a selection of sam-
ples, is stored in the sound project (or in the sound collection).
3) The function sounds, which are played back by pressing the corresponding function keys
includes acoustic signals such a whistles, horns, bells but also other sounds like coal shovel-
ing, coupler clank, lowering of pantographs as well as station announcements.
The volumes of each sound and whether it is “looped” (for continuous playback as long as
the function key is pressed) is defined by CV’s but can also be modified by these CV’s or
with the CV #300 procedure. Here too, only the sound samples of the project or selections of
several projects are predefined.
4) and 5) the switch input and random sounds are normally sounds that can also be used as
function sounds but are triggered by switch inputs or random generators.
The occasionally used term "driving sound" refers to a subset of all the sounds, namely the "main en-
gine" sound and most of the "other" sounds; the "departure whistle" sound for example is not included
because it is not dependent on driving data.
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