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CieloVistaRy
Fireman
USA
4443 Posts |
 Posted - 11/29/2010 : 5:08:29 PM
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Very nice.. very eager to follow the progress of a top-notch modeler!
Arthur |
Arthur
Cielo Vista Railway (on30) |
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Frederic Testard
Engineer
France
16442 Posts |
Posted - 11/29/2010 : 6:21:36 PM
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The project looks interesting, Dan, and I'd say the images showing the first steps have a special didactic appeal.
I love these Aussie trees.
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Frederic Testard |
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BigLars
Fireman
USA
7363 Posts |
Posted - 11/29/2010 : 7:15:50 PM
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Dan,
I will be watching your fine work on this Mini!
Larry |
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danpickard
Fireman
Australia
1101 Posts |
Posted - 11/29/2010 : 7:16:11 PM
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Frederic,
Straight after I went on google to find out what you meant :)
, yes, there is intended to be a lot of educational/teaching content. This layout was intended (first time, and now also the second), to show that a lot of different modelling aspects can still be included in a fairly small footprint. I can use all the same methods and elements in this 4 square feet, as what I will use when I later assemble a bigger piece of around 24 square feet. I guess in particular, this type of layout is very handy to have, given the nature of how we do our displays at exhibition as well. I image in amongst this thread I'll probably cover a number of short SBS tutorial style sections.
For now though, I'm making some room to get the sound system in first.
Cheers,
Dan Pickard |
http://danpickard.blogspot.com/
http://www.lauriegreensweb.com/ |
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Geezer
Fireman
USA
8177 Posts |
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rrkreitler
Crew Chief
USA
803 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2010 : 10:10:21 PM
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This is really great news. I am looking forward to following along on this project. Should provide inspiration for the Red Dog...in fact it already has...coved corners.
Thanks Dan, |
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danpickard
Fireman
Australia
1101 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2010 : 11:02:04 PM
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A couple of updates on this projects progress...
I did manage to find a spare bit of time late after work the other night, so played around and got sound system mounted into the layout. I initially thought I was going to have to fit the sub in by cutting it into the base, and having it buried under a cliff face on the right side of the scene (where the track will be exiting a crude little mine entry). I found though that I had enough room at the rear of the unit to squeeze the sub into the corner, mounted up on some short legs, so there is clearance for the train to pass below it. The bass ports out through the backscene entry on the left side of the scene, which will be where the train enters a large tin shed processing plant (pictures are probably easy to explain). Upon testing this set up, the whole layout, with the curved backdrop, has become a gently rumbling sub cabinet.
That last photo shows the underside of the small shelf/legs that had to be made to lift the sub unit up and allow a clear path for the trackwork. The sub unit has a downward firing speaker, so the base of the shelf was cut out to allow free air movement. Wires and the small control unit for the sound system have been tucked out the way (controller hot glued to the back of the sub cabinet). Not the prettiest of carpentry work I know, but its the backside of the layout...all the pretty stuff is meant to be out the front.
A quick pic of where one of the front satellite speakers is mounted up high on the right side. The speaker had a quick blue paint over to blend into the sky a bit, but will be further hidden by the canopy of a large gum tree in that corner at a later scenic stage. The other satellite speaker will sit inside the processing shed on the left side of the layout.
As far as sound fx for the layout, its set in a small rural river side mining operation. Fairly light industy, not some big heavy mining operation. Sound will likely comprise of some small conveyor belts, crusher units, generator noise, light railway engine and wheel squeals etc coming from the left side of the layout (speaker inside of the shed), while the speaker high on the right will be used for more natural ambient sounds, such as the running water of the river, various birds, perhaps even some quiet conversation and the sound of some light tools being used (that short siding to the right of the layout I was planning to have a small repair shed/engine facility).
Cheers,
Dan Pickard
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http://danpickard.blogspot.com/
http://www.lauriegreensweb.com/ |
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danpickard
Fireman
Australia
1101 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2010 : 11:09:47 PM
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With another spare hour today, had a chance to start building up the rock face that the mine entry with emerge from. I wanted to give carving the rock work a go. I got some foamular extruded foam sheets (similar to the blue or pink boards commonly used in the US), and started to rough in the terrain. Just quickly sliced/snapped out sections and hot glued them together (only got one good burn blister from the session!). The large face has been left as removable at this stage, since it will be much easier to shape it up on the bench, rather than trying to reach inside the box all the time. The small section across the river bank was glued straight in since it has much easier access.
I then thought I'd quickly drop in a few of the gum trees I had already made, to start getting a bit more op a feel for how the box will start to fill out, and where the trees will act as view blocks. The shed is a bit dack for these photos, but I may need to set up some sort of additional from lighting when on display so the front gums still get an even fall of light.
Cheers,
Dan Pickard |
http://danpickard.blogspot.com/
http://www.lauriegreensweb.com/ |
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k27rgs
Fireman
Australia
4257 Posts |
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rrkreitler
Crew Chief
USA
803 Posts |
Posted - 12/12/2010 : 12:10:33 AM
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Well I can see that I work entirely too slowly… You’re already testing tree locations! Great progress Dan, you are at one of my favorite stages of the project – when you start to see the scene take shape.
Adding sound to the display – very cool idea.
So are you planning on mixing the soundtrack yourself or is there something commercial you are planning on using? Also, with a subwoofer in there did you have any problems with loose joints rattling when you tested it?
Speaking of sound, this module looks like it has a basic plywood (or hardboard) top and is basically hollow underneath. Do you ever have trouble with the noise level from the trains running around on that?
I imagine the trains are tiny and running fairly slow so probably not but as I have been looking over your photos of the various modules you have built (for this and other projects) I am curious if this has ever been a problem. With some of our N scale modules we encountered problems when running long trains at speed; some of the lighter built modules would act like giant resonators and could be surprisingly noisy. I suspect that with these display type layouts where you’re not likely to have trains running at 60 mph noise is not a problem but I am curious if it is something that you need to watch out for.
Looking forward to see how your rocks turn out.
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danpickard
Fireman
Australia
1101 Posts |
Posted - 12/12/2010 : 01:00:51 AM
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Hi Dave,
The soundtrack will come from a custom recorded CD. Before I got back into modelling, a previous hobby was electronic music production. I sold off my room full of studio equipment for a software based virtual studio, which is still running on my PC. Difference is that these days, I produce natural soundscapes instead of heavy duty drum'n'bass dance tracks!
I source the sounds I want (samples), spread them across the keyboard, and loop them into a soundscape. Each soundscape is usually only a few minutes long, and then just plays back through the portable CD (just visible in these photos, sitting on the foam block on top of the sub unit) played on loop mode. The soundscape comes out similar to the ones that are available at Fantasonics, but I've customised them for the layouts I've built. Totally different sound to what you get from a DCC onboard situation, creating more of an atmospheric scene, rather than the cute nature of a chuffing loco.
Layout noise isn't much of an issue. The scenery deadens the noise a fair bit, and the trains are really small and slow, so not much chance to get big vibrations/resonations happening. The ambient noise of the sound system kind of eliminates those unwanted sounds anyway. The sub doesn't really get a big blasting, but the bass presence is certainly there. Put it this way, the backscene doesn't quite get shaking when its running (unlike in my music days when I would gig at volumes that actually had glass panes popping out of windows!...true story).
Cheers,
Dan Pickard
Dan Pickard
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http://danpickard.blogspot.com/
http://www.lauriegreensweb.com/ |
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kirk
Fireman
Sweden
4526 Posts |
Posted - 12/12/2010 : 01:36:45 AM
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| Looking good! Again nice to see the effort you go to soundwise... I had a couple of fellow modelers visit my train shed just the other day, and at one time they both intensely tried to find the speakers by the lighthouse... they studied the cliff sides, the back of the buildings etc, not noticing the two speakers hanging openly down from the ceiling (the valances are down at the moment)! Speaker placement is important! The sound focuses exactly to seemingly emanate from the sea by the cliffs... Jim at Fantasonics made a fine mix... |
Troels Kirk
Näsum, Sweden
http://coastline.no13.se |
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k27rgs
Fireman
Australia
4257 Posts |
Posted - 12/12/2010 : 01:54:29 AM
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Hi Dan. Looking good. The gum trees came up well, especially with the added trunk colour and finish. Glad to see your using some as view blockers, something I feel that is important in any diorama or layout. The Melbourne NMRA expo could easily end up being the place to attend in October 2011.. as there are many Narrow Gauge Modelers both North & South of the border.
I never did catch up with you, regarding your music recording ventures.
Look forward to following along with this project, especially seeing the details that maybe added...
I'm always on the lookout for new ideas [:-bigeyes]
cheers mate
"M"
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http://www.modvid.com.au/html/body_modvid_photo___dvd_.html |
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danpickard
Fireman
Australia
1101 Posts |
Posted - 12/12/2010 : 01:58:40 AM
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Thanks Troels,
I had a quick view of one of your recent youtube efforts, and some of the ambient sounds come up on them ok, but of course never as "there" as they would be in real life. My soundscapes aren't quite as intricate as the pieces that Jim can compile, but the philosophy is much the same. I've listened to a Fantasonics CD before, and perhaps the one thing I find with them, is they maybe struggle a bit when competing against crowd noise at an exhibition, but thats just my impression with my ears (great in the quietness of a home layout setting though...having you hear things you didn't even notice you were hearing). The soundtracks I've done in the past are still subtle enough, but are maybe a bit more "deliberate" with the sounds, if that makes sense.
I think with this layout, the sound is also just one of the elements I'm trying to put into it, that attempts to make it a little different from the more traditional style of exhibition layout presentation I see at shows.
Cheers,
Dan Pickard |
http://danpickard.blogspot.com/
http://www.lauriegreensweb.com/ |
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danpickard
Fireman
Australia
1101 Posts |
Posted - 12/12/2010 : 10:54:36 PM
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Hi Mario,
Well the music recording thing certainlty is a distant memory now. I'd happily still be tinkering in the sound lab, but my day needs to be about 40hrs long these days. After family, work and household commitments, there isn't much free time for hobbies, so the modelling takes preference over the music. Besides, I get most of my modelling done after 9pm, and I can't exactly fire up the sound system after that time anyway (unless I want a handful of grumpy kids sitting on my lap!).
As for the NMRA convention, I'm looking forward too it. I haven't had the chance to attend an NMRA show before (only our monthly BBQ meetings), so I'm keen to experience the different format of show. I wont be going to the Narrow Gauge Convention next year up in Queensland for a number of reasons, so I need to get a convention fix somewhere next year! There is a fairly healthy number of narrow gaugers in the Melbourne NMRA collective, so I think there will be plenty of NG influence at the show anyway.
Cheers,
Dan Pickard |
http://danpickard.blogspot.com/
http://www.lauriegreensweb.com/ |
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Digger's Bend...an On30 mini project
