# Aristo Generic steam announced/available



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Sounds like the one I heard last time. Bell only rings 8 times just like the Generic diesel... 
Whistle sounds good, but seems to also be pre-programmed for a grade crossing only, no single toots, again like the diesel.


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

I think the steam sound sounds ok but the whistle is a kind of sick and the bell sounds like when i go to the fridge to get my third 6pack and fall over some dishes! 

Manfred


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## eheading (Jan 5, 2008)

I was just surprised to see that they now have the generic steam receiver. I had no idea that it would be coming along this soon. I do notice that there is a different part number for the diesel and the steam sounds so I assume that one cannot download from the internet yet.

Ed


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I wish them luck with it. It will sell wellI I suspect. The whistle has a metric ton of reverb on it, which I always find annoying. Why does the whistle sounds like I'm in a medieval cathedral? Aristo's not alone in doing this, but that whistle sounds especially reverberant .


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

What is that... roughly two chuffs per driver revolution?


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm sorry but that chuff sounds like someone beating on a metal drum.


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## W3NZL (Jan 2, 2008)

Well from what I've heard of both the steam & diesel sounds, I don't think I'll be swithching from Phoenix anytime soon...
Of course I've not heard either in person, so best not to make a final judgement until I do... Think it'll likely be another 
case of "ya get what ya pay for" though...
Paul R...


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## bdelmo (Oct 21, 2010)

Perhaps, I should offer AC the sound file with my recent video of a run on the Wilmington & Western RR to improve the AC steam sound?



Bryan


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## eheading (Jan 5, 2008)

Paul, I agree that I don't think I'll be getting rid of my $180 Phoenix soundboards either to get the new $7 Aristo sound. However, going forward, being a Revolution user, I will have to think long and hard whether I want the $180 Phoenix sound system or whether I'll just go with the $7 Aristo sound. For me, that price difference makes the choice a little harder.

Ed


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Think it'll likely be another case of "ya get what ya pay for" though... 
Precisely, and Aristo will tell you that straight up. These are in no way designed to go head-to-head with Phoenix, QSI, etc. They're basic by design--a way to get simple sound to those who just want something that resembles prototypical sound coming from their locos as they run through the garden. They're more designed to expose people to the notion of having sound with their trains, which--to my thinking--will ultimately help the "big boys." 

Later, 

K


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

My statement was purely on sound,not price or value. That is up to the consumer. With that said I will add more. The whistle seems to play three long blasts. Thats not a grade crossing,what is it? Why two chuffs per revolution or something close to that ? Aren't those things that could have been addressed in software?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yeah, looks like triggering the whistle give you 3 long toots. 
Bell is exactly 8 rings long. 

On the Diesel one, you get 5 toots and 8 rings. 

You think someone would have pointed the Chinese engineers to an AMERICAN train video? 

Also, the video says the first test is with magnets, yet it needs 2 laps to trigger, and without magnets, no whistle. I'd have tested it a bit more and made the video match the actual operation. 

On the other hand, looks like Scott (narrating) and Navin (switching wires in the tender) wanted to get it out right away, can't blame them for getting the news out quickly for Christmas sales, just could have been done better with a few more minutes of testing in my opinion. 

(Scott, next time, fedex the stuff to me overnight and I'll make it look better, seriously) 

Greg 

Greg


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Greg, I'm pretty sure the magnets and reed switches they refer to are for the chuff. There's no provision for magnetically triggering the bell or whistle. (Why would there be? That's what the transmitter is for.) When they slide the loco forward midway through, you can hear the chuff being triggered by a magnet on the axle tender. I know there's a plug on the sound board for an external chuff trigger. My guess is that they only used one magnet on the tender axle, which being about half the diameter of the driver, would give you close to two chuffs per revolution as we're seeing. Add a second magnet to the tender axle, and you'll get much closer to 4 chuffs per revolution. With the reed switch disabled in the second half of the video, the chuff appears to react to the motor voltage, though it doesn't exactly sound like a linear relationship. Whether that relationship can be fine-tuned to the specific locomotive remains to be seen, but my gut tells me not to expect it. 

Later, 

K


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Ahh, you get the Sherlock Holmes award. I did notice the chuff when they slid the loco forward, but was focusing on bell and whistle... 

Makes sense now. 

Greg


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## K.A.Simpson (Mar 6, 2008)

I am waiting to see what is offered for the website for software to see how to change the sound around to what you want. 

I need a slightly different sound for each loco as well as different whistle pitch. I also found to many whistles & bells over a time will drive me nuts, so I like to turn them off after a while and I would like to turn the volume down as reqiured. 
Aristo have chance to grab a larger portion of the market if this is "done" right.

Andrew 
Sandbar & Mudcrab Railway


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

The ability to load different sounds is a "future enhancement" they are planning with no date given. 

The Aristo system allows 3 different remote volume levels... not settable... low, medium, high ... (and off if you count the slide switch on the circuit board itself) 

Greg


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## aopagary (Jun 30, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 26 Nov 2012 03:37 PM Whistle sounds good, but seems to also be pre-programmed for a grade crossing only, ...


sorry, but that's not a grade crossing which should be two long, one short and one long whistle.
version 2.4? pretty pathetic for being at least their 5th attempt.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yes Gary... if you noticed, they botched the grade crossing idea... that was the point... 

You cannot perform a single "toot" to save your life... weird. 

Greg


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## Doug C (Jan 14, 2008)

"...more designed to expose people to the notion of having sound with their trains, which--to my thinking--will ultimately help the "big boys." "

Like how many rolled into model railroading with just a starter set and progressed to the small empire in the backyard they have now .....


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## Bobdsjr (Aug 14, 2012)

I recently Purchased the Aristo Steam system from thier web site with a 20% discount they were offering for three days last week. As my first foray into remote control world, all went smooth. I fitted the reciever into a slope back tender and wired it to an old Rogers 2-4-2 loco via some micro plugs scavanged from the original sound board. Sound on/off is controlled by pressing #1, Bell #2, whistle #3, Volume by #'s 7 ,8, & 9. I didn't set up the reed switches yet or the smoke control board and cab light. It does what I want, remote control with battery operation for a price I could afford. It will be interesting to see if they allow upgrades or customization of the sounds in the future, the whistle is kind of annoyingly long and the ability to do short toots would be nice. 

A little history about me. I aquired most of my train stuff 25 years ago for my son and it has been laying around the house for the last 15 years or so. This summer I pulled it out and set it up in my garden, so I'm just restarting an old hobby in a different setting, outdoor vs. indoor and repairing all the damage from the childhood era on what I have.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

So a question: what is the whistle pattern? 2 longs, a short and a long, or is it 3 toots, or 5 toots? 

Seems to be varied reports. 

Thanks, Greg


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## Bobdsjr (Aug 14, 2012)

A link to a short video with the sounds


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Sounds like three longs to me.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

8 dings total on the bell, 4 sets of 2 dings, exact same recording 4 times in a row. 

3 longs it is. 

Not giving Aristo a hard time, but let's be accurate in our reporting... I know some enthusiasts want to say it's a normal grade crossing... maybe in China... 

The diesel is 8 dings too and 5 toots.... so maybe since the number 4 is between 3 and 5 they will "home in" on a normal grade crossing... I'd vote for a momentary horn and a latching on/off bell, like other decoders. 

Greg


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## Bobdsjr (Aug 14, 2012)

I tried latching the bell to see if it would just repeat the same 8 dings after it finished the first 8, that didn't work. The whistle sounds kind of nice outdoors, at first when I tried it indoors it sounded like there was way too much reverb in it, but once it get's outdoors it sounds much better. 
I have ordered a new speaker for the tender to see if I can get a little more bass sounds, I'll let you know when it gets here and installed.


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