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How to build a train tone


SimoneCarini

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Can anybody help? One of my song has a train at the beginning and at the end, so I need to create a train tone on the PX-560

I had a Roland Sound Canvas module when I recorded the song and TRAIN is a variation inside the main tone helicopter 

So... Hex-layer.. EDIT LFO from Helicopter?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Best way to recreate a timbre in the real world is to consider two things:

1) The ADSR Envelope

This is the different between a short, sharp sound like a drum hit versus a more gradually fading in sound such as a bowed violin. Adjust the ADSR / Amplitude Envelope of your synth sound.

2) The type of waveform used

For example the closest thing to a brass type sound is usually a triangle wave, other sounds have sort of 'close-ish' wave-form types that you can tinker with.

As for the complex sound effects like a train, they are usually very complex and can often be made from several different parts put together. You just have to use your ear to pick up things like amplitude and pitch modulations as well as different effects like  distortion, reverb, pitch change for the Doppler effect etc.

It's a lot of trial and error but it also very fun and rewarding - you just need to put in the time to make it happen. 

Or just use a recording like Brad suggested. LOLOLOLOLOL :D :banana: :lol:

Best of luck.

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On the various Roland Sound Canvas models, the raw "train" sound was not based on or "fabricated" from the helicopter sound.  They are two entirely separate wave samples (digital recordings).  When moving from one Sound Map to another on those units, the TRAIN sound wave sample was simply substituted for the HELICOPTER sound wave sample on its particular "map".  That is to say, the Sound Canvas units had BOTH a helicopter wave sample PLUS a train sound wave sample, but modern day units have ONLY a helicopter wave sample, so you are not going to get a train sound from those units unless they have sampling capabilities.  Whether that train sound is a "real" train sound or something that resembles a train sound is of no consequence here.  What is important here is the knowledge that neither the PX-560, nor any of the other current Casio units, nor any other current keyboards or sound modules, to my knowledge, have such a wave sample to begin building on, so there is nothing on which to base the finished sound, and the PX-560 is not one of the "sampling" units that can "import" and process such a wave sample. The forte of all the Sound Canvas models was that they used the Roland GS sound set, which vastly expanded upon the General MIDI (GM) sound set of 128 instruments/tones/sounds, but the GM sections of modern day keyboard and sound module voice sets (including Roland) adhere to the original 128 tones of the GM spec.  So it is not at all unusual to find sounds, especially SFX sounds, on a Sound Canvas module that are just not reproduceable on modern day non-sampling models.  As Scott and Brad have already suggested, a Google search on "train sounds" will reveal dozens of sites with various recorded train sounds (MP3 and WAV): interal passenger car rail/wheel noise, external passing train rail/wheel noise, external horn noise, etc, that can be loaded into a player and played back as a backing track.  This is a typical practice of model railroaders, but your problem with this on the PX-560 will be triggering it on and off exactly when you want.  Most WAV and MP3 players have a delay of at least several seconds from the time the PLAY button is pressed and playback actually starts.

 

 

 

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3 hours ago, tnicoson said:

 but your problem with this on the PX-560 will be triggering it on and off exactly when you want.  Most WAV and MP3 players have a delay of at least several seconds from the time the PLAY button is pressed and playback actually starts.

 

 

I would actually suggest a sample player app or "sound board" app -- those make it very handy--- they usually have a big button you press and it plays right away.

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I agree with you all...

about the waves...

about the plenty of train sound on the net in all of its nuances

http://soundbible.com/tags-train.html

http://www.grsites.com/archive/sounds/category/29/

https://www.audioblocks.com/royalty-free-audio/trains-sound-effects

but... I will try to create something that resembles a train...

so that it wil be more rewarding,,, 

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just get a sound canvas cheap on ebay and hook it up to midi,  midi out from px560 and in to SC, set midi channel u want ( upper tone 1 = 1 , upper tone 2 - 2 ) and match on SC and there you go, much easier !!! for what u want

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Thank you Julian but I will definitely... create a creature... even though it will hardly resemble a train...

besides this train tone goes onto a track of a midi file, so that I cannot use a registration with arpeggiator filtering for instance
but I can save control changes in the midi track...

 

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