QSI Revolution sound files

Overview

It is not commonly known that the QSI Q2 (Revolution) sound files contain ALL the sounds for that loco type. So you can take one file and turn it into another. This is especially helpful when you get a brand new release, and it is not available customized for your particular loco.

Note that the Q2 files can be used in the Titan decoders, but they aren't as good as the Q2FX and ET files.

Using this data, you can take any file and customize it to any loco of the same type (steam, diesel, electric).

File name conventions:

By QSI convention, There is a model number (usually 4 digits), then a soundset number (some customization, usually horn/whistle/bell), and then a revision (major-minor-build).

Not all files follow this, and also older files may not have a subversion.

I further prepend the hardware version number on the file, because people are constantly trying to load files into the wrong hardware, the update program will tell you what hardware the file is for.

There are listings for the Large Scale and the HO scale sound files following

Large Scale Revolution/Magnum Q2 Sound files

(HO in next section)

File numbering

Here is an example file name:   1008-224_v7-32-1.q2

Files usually have a type, and then a subversion.

Each section has 2 numbers. The first number after the description is the type number:

• 1008 - Diesel
• 1015 - USAT prototype hardware - h/w not available
• 1041 - special for Budd RDC
• 2001 - Electric
• 3010 - Steam - general
• 3017 - Steam - Bachmann
• 3101 - Steam - yet to be identified
• 3107 - Steam - Bachmann
• 4000 - Steam compound/articulated - Aristo mallet
• 4004 - Steam compound/articulated - Bachmann 2-6-6-2
• 4101 - Steam compound/articulated - unknown
• 5000 - UP Veranda Turbine

So for the file 1008-224_v7-32-1.q2, the 1008 signifies Diesel.

The second number is the sound set number, both of these number match the numbers you see on the QSI download page.

In this case, that number is 224, is an Alco with dynamic brakes

What do I care?

Really this is all a silly exercise, where the idea was to have a bunch of files for EXACTLY a particular loco with the right horn and right whistle, etc. QSI and Aristo quickly found this was ridiculous.

While you will see many "different" files, there is basically only ONE sound file per locomotive type, that is customized to your liking to change the engine type, pumps, dynamo, dynamic brakes, etc. (This means that usually ALL sounds for ALL locos are in the file).

To emphasize: ANY diesel file can be configured for any horn, bell, prime mover, etc. The same with Steam files, and the Electric and the Turbine.

What is important?

What is most important is the version: 7-32-x and 7-33-x etc. uss a 7-33-x version if you can get it, that was the latest in most cases

QSI's sound categories.

Note: this is mostly just a wasted exercise, I am documenting what they laid out in numbering,

1008 - Diesel sound files

In the Q2 files, all features are in all files. In the beginning QSIS made a bunch of customized files with a particular prime mover and a particular horn, etc, so the dealer could just load the intended file. That quickly proved burdensome, especially since you can easily change the file to what you want.

So the best thing for us mere humans is to get the latest file version, 7-33-3

1008-0000v7-26-5

 first version

1008 - 201 through 208

ALCo 244, no dynamic brakes

Aristo RS-3

1008 - 209 & 210

ALCo 244, never defined

1008 - 221 through 229

ALCo 244, dynamic brakes

1008 - 241 through 259

ALCo 251, dyanmic brakes

1008 - 265 through 268

ALCo 539, no dynamic brakes

1008 - 269 through 270

ALCo HH660

1008 - 271 through 278

Baldwin 608A, dynamic brakes

1008 - 279 through 280

Baldwin 608A, dual prime mover, dynamic brakes

1008 - 285 through 286

EMC Winton 201A

1008 - 287 through 290

EMD 567, no dynamic brakes

1008 - 291 through 295

EMD 567, dynamic brakes

1008 - 296 through 297

never defined

1008 - 300 through 303

EMD 567 16 cylinder

1008 - 304 through 307

never defined

1015 - USA Trains prototype Diesel sound files 

1041 - 478 through 479 - Budd RDC

1041-478 - as delivered

1041-479 - New Haven version with Hancock air whistle

2001 - 905 - Electric locomotives

2001-905 - GG1

good for electric trolleys

3010 - steam locomotives

0-4-0

0-6-0

0-8-0

3017 -

3017-520 2-4-4 Bachmann Forney

3017-552 2-8-0 Bachmann K27

3017-552 identified as Bachmann K28 (7-32-1)

3101 - misc steam

 need to investigate, aristo steam

3107 - misc steam

bachmann steam

4000 - aristo 2-8-8-2 mallet

articulated

4004 - Bachmann 2-6-6-2

4101 - articulated steam

5000 - 481 through 482

UP Veranda Turbine

HO Q2 sound file listing

In the case of HO files, there was a nice table published at some point, so here it is.

US Steam Locomotives

On30 Logging Locomotives

Some specific settings examples

1008 - Aristo RS-3 1008, 20x

USAT GP7 1008, 292

Aristo E8 1008, 328

 
Tuning:

CV2 = 8
pid's best at 10, 2, 5 for all 4 speed ranges

Aristo SD 45  1008 335?

    FILE                % VOLUME
******************************************************
horn:    Nathan M5 5 chime (M5_BEG)     71%
alt hrn same                 71%
bell:     F3bell4  10%
motor:    emd B 2nd gen              29%,
    turbo                 10%
    no notching
    E-M activation sounds
    1st transitions (22 smph)
dyn brk    (dbrake_beg)             32%
pump    (Diesl_pump-q3k)        7%
cool fan (fan2_start)            8%
    (vent_opening2)            16%
squealing brakes  not armed by default

USAT F3

titan q3 file

pids

15

 USAT GP 38-2 settings 1008 351?

    FILE                % VOLUME
******************************************************
horn:    Leslie S-3BJ 3-Chime (Leslie_5_beg) 58%
alt hrn: none, and non possible
bell:    (F3BELL4)             10%
motor:    GP20                41%
    turbo                10%
    notching            Dash 8
Transitions:                 no Activation sounds
    1st transistion            0 smph
    2nd transistion         0 smph
    dual motor startup        no
dynamic brakes    (dbrake_beg)        64%
pump    (Diesl_pump_q3k)         9%
cool fan (fan2_start)            30%
    (vent_opening2)            25%
squealing brakes not armed   40 / 20

Aristo GP 40 settings 1008 363?

    FILE                % VOLUME
******************************************************
horn:    Nathan M5 5 chime (M5_BEG)     71%
alt hrn Leslie S-3BJ (Leslie_5_beg)    58%
bell:     F3bell4             10%
motor:    emd 2nd gen              29%,
    turbo                 10%
    continuus notching
    E-M activation sounds
    1st transition            22 smph
dyn brk    (dbrake_beg)             32%
pump    (Diesl_pump-q3k)        7%
cool fan (fan2_start)            8%
    (vent_opening2)            16%
squealing brakes  not armed by default

 Aristo Dash 9 1008 434?

    FILE                % VOLUME
******************************************************
horn:    Nathan M5 5-chime (M5_beg)    94%
alt hrn    Leslie S-3BJ 3-Chime (Leslie_5_beg)    58%
bell:    (D1BELL)             15%
motor:    GE Dash 8            60%
    turbo                10%
    notching            none selected
Transitions:                 electromechanical Activation
    1st transistion            22 smph
    2nd transistion         0 smph
    dual motor startup        no
dynamic brakes    DynamicBrake2_start    15%
pump    (GE_pump_loop)            13%
cool fan (fan2_start)            9%
    (vent_opening2)            25%
squealing brakes not armed   40 / 20

Aristo RDC 1041, 

Note that this loco is very different from other diesels, as the prototype had torque converters and a lockup in the final drive above 55 mph.

From my current research, the "TwinDisc" Allison torque converters effectively had 2 speeds, and then a lockup.

As delivered, the sound this loco shifts up to "top gear" so quickly you don't hearing the "gear' shift.

The setting of notching was set at 10, there were transistions from 10-11 ss, then 20-21, and at 30-31 steps (128 ss mode of course)

Since I map SS to prototype smph, I changed 55.21.0 to 18, which produces:

0-1 ss (comes off idle)I changed my shift points to every 20 speed steps (128 ss mode)

                    idle range??

18-19 ss (first gear to second gear)

                  (first gear range)

36-37 ss (shift from first to second

                   (second gear range)

54 - 55 ss (should be when prototype locks up)

You will have to bump up the sound levels too, using the stock RDC speaker.

AML USRA 0-6-0 3010, 505

Aristo C16 3010, 542

Aristo Mikado 3010, 551

Bachmann K27 3010, 552

Note: Bachmann copied the Aristo socket backwards on the lights, so you will have to change a "stock" file accordingly.
 

Aristo ATSF 3751 Northern 4-8-8 3010, 631

Aristo Dash 9 1008-434

Custom sound file for PCC car for Nick Savatgy

Start with GG-1 sound file