Crew talk

I hate crew talk. Period….lol

Tom

Lionel crew talk does not come on unless you activate it. Unfortunately yes all crew talk/ tower com is radio based. While this isn’t in any way shape or for correct but can be fun or some. I would point out I don’t recall any other scale having any form of “crew talk” (this is the part where people prove me wrong) so there isn’t much of a standard. However MTH’s PFA sequence may be considered way more prototypical

By the way you can see my layout at strasburgmuseum.org.  I donated my home setup 15 years ago and have been rebuilding it ever since.  CTT did a story some years ago.  I use a lot of MTH sound during the programmed shows I run, concluding with my switcher heading into a yard area for "an intricate operation," only to take the wrong siding and crash head on into an old dead rail king engine.  The MTH "train wreck" gets lots of laughs.  Gomez Aadams would be proud 😃!

I call it "Cringe Talk".......

Just too phony and corny for me. I never use it.

Can always hope Lionel will offer downloads of preferable sound files like the ancient MTH...lol 😆

@jps32016 posted:

Can always hope Lionel will offer downloads of preferable sound files like the ancient MTH...lol 😆

Lionel's system is not setup to allow downloaded sounds.

I always enjoyed the random MTH realistic radio chatter that they use on diesels and I've noticed Lionel is starting to do that as well.  I'd like them to do it for steam and drop the radio part.  Just random and accurate crew call outs.

@RSJB18 posted:

I call it "Cringe Talk".......

Just too phony and corny for me. I never use it.

I agree...completely.

What irks me the most about the feature is the ridiculous non-scale perspective of the chatter.   At the perspective of our 1:1-ness compared to the 1:48-ness of the engine (IOW, the scale distance from which we are observing the engine), I seriously doubt you'd hear any  cab blather at the volume the Bad *** speakers and volume settings are cranking it out.  It's like playing it through a station/yard PA system...May as well put some miniature PA speakers on station/yard/engine terminal structures, light poles, etc., to justify the grossly audible yakety-yak.  'YO, everyone within 50+ yards!...now hear this!!!'

Dial the volume way down?  Suits me!...until the visitors, young and old, complain they can't hear what they're sayin'.  'Can you turn it up?'   Why?...so you can label it "cute"?

But, hey...that's just one man's opinion/perspective.  TEHO, of course.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As well as being sound, and welcomed, constructive criticism this whole thread is also unfortunately one massive bellyache.

Why bring it to fellow forumites?   It's been this way for ages.  The rest of us will simply say if you don't like it turn it off.  Or better yet, buy something else.

However, there is another way to fix Lionel's "problem".  Take it directly to them.  Call or e-mail your complaint.  Perhaps they'll listen.

If they don't then you have no choice but to buy something else in order to stop the bellyaching.  This issue has come up many, many times over the years.  And still to this day, unlike most questions posed or issues reported on this forum, the rest of us aren't able to help you fix it.

Sorry we can't help but thanks for trying anyway.

Mike

I brought it up because I was totally unfamiliar with Legacy until a couple weeks ago and was checking it out.

@jps32016 posted:

Can always hope Lionel will offer downloads of preferable sound files like the ancient MTH...lol 😆

There is no capability with the current hardware for Lionel to offer field upgradeable sounds.

As for the crew talk, Mike is right.  If you don't like it, don't use it.  The constant carping about it won't change anything.

well tale it out of Lionel and I might start buying some of there engines

@Dave Koehler posted:

well tale it out of Lionel and I might start buying some of there engines

Just don't trigger it, problem solved.

n guess I will just buy some one else's  product and put in my  own choice for sound

Will and way.  My layout is inside a restored vintage baggage car at the Strasburg Museum, and I run shows for visitors on weekends.  There are several sound modules playing through 2" speakers all along the 55' layout (barnyard, Jug band, river, factories...)  Recording a number of mth crew talk and sfx sequences on an mp3 that I can play through a jack to the speaker when the non-mth engine is near.  Still working on it but think it'll fly.

You can play your custom crew-talk from the train, just add one of these to a car in the train.

MP3 Universal Sound Module

MP3 Universal Sound Module Documentation v1.8

While I must agree that crew talk is not "scale" from an acoustic point of view and an anachronism for older models - I must say it's just plain fun!

OK, hearing radio chatter from a 19th century "General" is absurd - but I love it! Visitors never fail to smile when they hear the cab chatter and doesn't that make it worth while?

Zachariah - my Marklin HO locomotives also have a digitally controlled station announcements and cab chatter, so this is not unique to 0 scale.

You got it Don, the folks that really like the crew talk are visitors.  I get lots of smiles with my custom remote control Polar Express sound car, everyone knows those clips.

Another option is these little recordable sound modules but the sound quality and volume night be too weak. Might try one.

What Don and John said about pleasing the young fans, they love it. I never considered it as feature primarily for adults -except for polar express of course.

Really appreciate all your input on this.  The whole issue was a blessing in disguise.  I have 6 permanent ambient sound modules from ITT throughout my long thin layout, two of which are visitor activated.  I'm getting two 3-recording modules for the only locations where they would be needed, using some mth stuff and other sfx.  Underneath the layout is a small but strong sound system which plays four music and sfx items in high fidelity for an airplane, fire, sunrise and solar eclipse, and the program ends with Kate Smith's God Bless America, from of course, 1939, the year for the layout.  Outside on the platform you hear a condensed broadcasting day from 1939 eminating from a period radio carcass, and at the far end of the layout a drive-in is playing a very famous 1939 movie.  I joke with visitors we don't make much money on the drive-in because it only has space for 12 cars, but of course you know how much space a full 0 scale drive-in would take.

Hey Hokie, I was on the air at WFIR radio 80s-early 90s.  The nucleus of my RR started there, and the VA Transportation Museum is a must if you visit Roanoke, right?  Lots of great RR stuff there.

When they start adding the four letter words it will then be "realistic".

John

MTH has crew chatter in their PS2/PS3 locos. Lionel has added the feature to their newest locos. I actually like the Crew-talk and Tower-com, especially since my two Legacy engines are more modern diesels. I still want Lionel to bring back the road-name/road #-specific dialog. They have that in the Vision Line locos and my older Legacy ATSF Dash 8.

True, but the problem is radio communication didn't exist during most of the steam era.

I have an answer.........Purchase Lionel prewar or postwar trains. No crew talk......Just a wonderful smell of Made In America quality.