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Open sound data - Support site

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How to program OPEN SOUND DATA

OPEN SOUND DATA uses ESU's LokSound V4 and Lok Sound 5 series. If you want to write this data to your LokSound, please check ESU's instruction manual. You can easily write sound data using LokProgrammer and your PC.

Sound volume, locomotive motor parameters are following to LokSound. Please check LokSound Manual.

OPEN SOUND DATA MANUAL (PDF)

Desktop Station provides OPEN SOUND DATA MANUAL as the following PDFs. However, we do not support how to use and trouble shooting. please access Japanese Digital Model Railway Forum.

Language rev. DOWNLOAD COUNTER
Japanese 6 (Dec 26,2021) DOWNLOAD
Chinese 5 (Feb 14,2021) DOWNLOAD
German 5 (Feb 14,2021) DOWNLOAD
English 5 (Feb 14,2021) DOWNLOAD

The OPEN SOUND DATA Manual is now available for public editing on Github. We look forward to your participation in the editing process. (https://github.com/desktopstation/osdmanual) If you would like to participate in editing, please create a Github account and submit a contributor to us on Github.

Leaflet, Catalog

We are providing OPEN SOUND DATA sound list as the following PDF. You can find locomotive sound easily.

Language rev. DOWNLOAD COUNTER
Japanese 0 (Apr 17,2021) DOWNLOAD
English 0 (Apr 17,2021) DOWNLOAD

We're providing kiha261's English Instruction.
Kiha261 Sound Data Instruction (2MB, PDF, English),

Q & A

  • I don't know how to get or use a device to write sound.
  • Where can I buy a cheap LokSound5 decoder or LokProgrammer?
  • Can I write open sound data in another company's decoder?
  • My friend does not own a LokProgrammer and I would like to write it instead.
  • I run a model building business. Do I have to pay for the license?
  • Does it cost anything?
  • I am a model builder or model building company. I would like to sell it as a sale item.
  • I would like to use it for the diorama layout of my store (museum).
  • I have created an original by modifying the sound data. Can I sell it freely?
  • I can't get the sound to work after writing it in LokProgrammer.
  • I don't know how to put it together.
  • I don't know the address.
  • The volume is too low and I want to adjust it.
  • I want you to provide the sound data of XX.
  • Please correct the sound data of XX.
  • I have created (adjusted) XX's sound data, and I would like you to post it.
  • I made a recording of XX and I would like to make it available.
  • Can you make it work in analog?
  • Can I siphon data from the LokSound decoder?
  • Can I write to a series like LokSoundV4 or LokSound5 micro?
  • Does it support LokSound SELECT or LokSound V3.5?
  • There are many LokSound products, which is the best?
  • Where can I get support and ask questions?

    • Q & A

    Q. I don't know how to get or use a device to burn sound.

    You need ESU's LokProgrammer hardware and software, which costs about 20,000 yen in Japan, or it can be purchased for a little over 10,000 yen when imported from Germany. As for the AC adapter, the accessory cannot be used in Japan because the plug shape is different, but it can be used as an alternative in Japan. HREF="https://desktopstation.net/wiki/doku.php/dcpowersupply">The one recommended by the DesktopStation control center can be used as is.
    The LokProgrammer software can be downloaded for free from the ESU website. It only works on Windows, Mac is not supported.
    Sound data can be written to the LokSound decoder via the track while the decoder is mounted in the vehicle. The LokProgrammer can also be used as an operator station.
    For details, please refer to the PDF manual (in Japanese) on this page.

  • LokProgrammer Starter Guide ver 1.02 ( PDF)
  • Creating a sound slot in LokProgrammer that only sounds when the function is turned on
  • How to use the LokProgrammer
  • LokProgrammer manual translation notes Fujigaya2's wiki.

    • Q. On which manufacturer command stations can I run Open Sound Data?

    DCC-compatible decoders and DCC-compatible rolling stock can be used with DCC command stations and DCC controllers from all manufacturers worldwide. However, the operation and methods of use differ from one command station to another, so please refer to the manual for the device you are using.

    Q. How can I buy a LokSound5 decoder or LokProgrammer at a reasonable price?

    You are on your own, but the cheapest way is to buy from a store overseas. In particular, the DCC-only versions that are not compatible with Merklin, such as LokSound5 micro DCC and LokSound5 DCC, are sold a bit cheaper in the US. They can be used with open sound data without any problems.
    If you have any problems, you need to contact the foreign store and do the exchange and other procedures yourself in English.

  • EURO LOK SHOP(USA)
  • Modellbahnshop Lippe(Germany)

    • Q. Can I write open sound data to another company's decoder?

    No. OpenSound data is created specifically for ESU's LokSound V4 or 5 series.
    It cannot be written to sound decoders from other manufacturers such as ZIMO, Digitrax, SOUNDTRAXX, Uhlenbrock, etc.

    Q. My friend doesn't have a LokProgrammer and I want to write instead.

    If you are not in a modeling business and want to write sound data into your friend's decoder for free, you do not need permission. Feel free to do so. If you are in a modeling or model-related business and provide writing services for a living (whether free or for a fee), please ask permission.

    Q. I operate a model store. Is there a fee for the permit?

    Note: As of November 2020, due to the effects of the corona virus, it is difficult to conduct in-person registration interviews until further notice, so we are suspending the registration of new model stores.

    We do not charge for the permit. There is no charge for this service and permission is granted only after a face-to-face meeting with a member of DesktopStation or the DCC Electronic Arts Coalition. If you have had a meeting with us in the past and have cooperated with our Open Sound Data activities, we will automatically register you with a simple request.

    The reason we ask for permission is that there are rare cases of people not cooperating in promoting DCC, or vendors not paying, doing shoddy work, or reselling at auction for a high price.

    The following is an overview of the DCC project.
    In addition, we would like to ask for your cooperation in the Open Sound Data activities when permission is granted.

    Please note that. Please note that Open Sound Data only provides the data. We do not provide support for various issues that may arise in model shops, as this includes many things that should be handled by ESU. If you report errors in the open sound data we provide, we will try to fix them as soon as possible, but we cannot guarantee that we will succeed.

    Open Sound Data is not for profit. Open Sound Data is not a for-profit activity, but a voluntary effort by a group of digital model railroad enthusiasts who have pooled their human and financial resources to promote the use of DCC.

    Q. I am a model store or model builder. We want to sell our products.

    Note: As of November 2020, we are suspending the registration of new model stores until further notice due to the difficulty of conducting in-person registration meetings due to the effects of the corona virus.

    After prior approval and registration in the list, we will indicate in the product description that the sound data comes from this site, and also we will give the approval on the condition that the value of the sound data itself is not reflected in the price. Please inform us in advance if you sell the product.

    Please note that. Please note that if an unregistered model store or model maker hires a subcontractor, collaborating company, or sole proprietor to produce, edit, or write a product (whether for free or for a fee), and then sells the product it receives, the company selling the product must be registered on Open Sound Data's list of registered stores. Registration is mandatory for anyone who derives any benefit or advantage from the use of Open Sound Data.

    Q. I want to use it for the diorama layout of my store (museum).

    Note: As of November 2020, we are suspending the registration of new model stores for the time being due to the difficulty of conducting face-to-face registration interviews due to the effects of the Corona virus.

    We will grant permission on the condition that you can use the fact that you are using our sound data for promotional purposes with prior approval. Please let us know in advance when scheduling. Please note that we do not allow the use of this site by diorama/layout companies known to us that repeatedly commit malicious acts such as non-payment of fees, or by people related to such companies.

    Q. I modified the sound data and created an original. Can I sell it freely?

    Any modifications you make using the sound data on this page are not original data, but a secondary work. You may modify the data, but that does not mean the copyright has passed to you.

    However, exceptions are allowed if the modified creation is written and provided to the customer as a one-time service of a model railroad store or model manufacturer. The instructions, specifications, sales page or store must clearly state to the customer that the modification is based on open sound data. This clear statement makes it possible to obtain payment from the customer for the difference (added value). However, the added value should be proportionate to the modification work and within the generally accepted range.

    Q. I can't get the sounds to work after writing them in LokProgrammer.

    In rare cases, you may not be able to get the sound to work after you have written it in the LokProgrammer. Please check the following things and try writing again.

    Dirty rails, dirty wheels, bad contact.
    The firmware is old and incompatible with the LokProgrammer (update the firmware with the LokProgrammer).
    LokProgrammer is too new to write properly (loss of backward compatibility, writing LokSoundV4 with LokProgrammer 5 or later, etc.)
    LokProgrammer is too old to be written correctly (loss of upward compatibility)
    CV is not reset properly
    .

    Q. I don't know how to put it together.

    We have an assembly example. Please refer to this. Please let us know if there are other sites that show assembly examples.

    Q. I do not know the address

    The default address for Kiha40 is 40, other decoder addresses are set to 3. If it is different, it will be indicated on the sound page. In addition, please write one of the address values from 1 to 100 in CV1 when you set the address to 1 to 100. You can confirm the set address by reading CV1. Alternatively, you can use the CV readout function of the command station or the address check tool distributed by MODELS SHIMA and others.

    Q. I want to adjust the volume, mute or silence while driving.

    If you want to adjust the volume while driving, you can turn F7 on and off repeatedly (double click) to temporarily adjust the volume to a lower level. You can adjust the volume in 5 levels, from soft to maximum volume.

    .

    Q. How can I adjust the main volume of a sound?

    Please rewrite CV63 using the CV write function (programming function). The default value depends on the sound data, it can be set from 1 to 192, 100% volume is 128, 192 is 150% volume (maximum). You can experiment and set the value according to your needs.

    Q. I want you to provide the sound data of XX.

    We do not accept requests or opinions from users. We do not accept requests or opinions from our users, but in consultation with the creators, we provide typical sounds that meet our quality standards.
    We do not accept requests or opinions from users.

    Q. I want you to fix this part of sound data for XX.

    If you have suggestions for improvements, we would be happy to hear them in the Digital Model Railroad Forum thread. However, we cannot guarantee that the improvements will be adopted. To account for the overall movement of the open sound data, in some cases we have intentionally changed or deformed the actual car.
    The open sound data is released so that you can modify it yourself, so please modify and use it yourself.

    Q. I have created (customized) the sound data for ________, and I would like it to be released.

    The prerequisite is that you have recorded all the sounds yourself and used copyright-free sound sources, but we will be happy to discuss this with you in detail. In addition, we will confirm the quality of the sound data with experts other than us.

    Q. I have a recording of XX and would like to provide it.

    If you have recorded all the sounds by yourself and there are no copyright problems, please donate the sound data for the development of open sound data. At the same time, please indicate and agree to the transfer of copyrights (ancillary copyrights) and unrestricted usage rights.

    Even if you provide Open Sound Data recorded sound data, we do not guarantee that any sound data will be developed at all for the vehicle. Please keep this in mind before providing your data.

    Q. Can I use analog sound data?

    In some cases, PWM power supplies do not work stably. If you want to run it with pure DC analog power supply (including pure analog adapter), you have to adjust the data with LokProgrammer. Therefore it is possible to run a vehicle with open sound data in an analog environment, but we cannot guarantee that it will work with all analog power supplies. Please use it on your own responsibility. We are not able to respond to requests. In addition, there is a case that although there is the original support of the registered model store, it is not the one that officially guarantees the operation of the Open Sound Data. In addition, it has been reported that some power supplies (the type that emits special PWM pulses) do not work properly even when using an adapter.

    Q. Is it possible to suck data out of the LokSound decoder?

    Due to the specifications of the LokSound decoder, it is not possible to suck sound from the decoder to a PC. Only the setting data (CV) can be sucked out.
    This is a common specification in all LokSound decoders, not only in Open Sound Data.

    Q. Can I write to a series like LokSoundV4 or LokSound5 micro?

    LokSoundV4 and LokSound5 are available in unmarked, micro, XL and M4 and all are compatible with LokProgrammer. However, it is not possible to write sound data created for LokSound5 to LokSoundV4.

    Q. Is LokSound SELECT or LokSound V3.5 supported?

    The SELECT series, which is the cheaper version, cannot write sound data freely; please do not use the SELECT series decoders.

    The V3.5 and V3.6 series are also available.

    The V3.5 series and earlier series do not allow writing open sound data.

    Q. There are many types of LokSound, which one is the best?

    There are three types of LokSound: unmarked, micro, XL and M4, with the micro being the only option for Japanese N-gauge trains. Therefore, you will need a small one to get the detail. For Japanese HO plastic cars (No.16), micro is not a problem because of the low current consumption. The difference of function is also not affected for Japanese type. For more than 3 brass cars or die-cast bodies of HO or 16 locomotives, we recommend the MTC21 type (LokSound5 unmarked).

    Q. Do I need a license from ESU for commercial use?

    Open Sound Data is developed and distributed using our own recorded sound samples. Open Sound Data uses its own sound samples for development and distribution, and has developed the data in such a way that there are no restrictions in the license document that would interfere with the ESU license. Therefore, you do not need a license agreement with ESU as long as you use the Open Sound Data.
    The LokProgrammer license document also states that sound data created with LokProgrammer is the intellectual property of the creator if you record and create all data yourself.

    To make commercial use of ESU's Open Sound Data itself or the Sound Library (a database of sound recordings containing a variety of sound samples, also called template packs), you must have an agreement with ESU. Open Sound Data does not use sounds or sound sources that are the intellectual property of ESU. These restrictions are detailed in the license documents (there are two, one for the sound data and one for the LokProgrammer) on the ESU website, so you can read them yourself.

    Q. Do I need permission from the railroad company?

    If you want to incorporate any part of the railroad company's intellectual property rights into a product, good or data, whether it is a paid or free product, you must obtain permission from the railroad company. Intellectual property rights include copyrights, neighboring rights, trademarks and patents. For model railroad vehicles, logos, etc., the railroad company usually holds the design and trademark rights, so model manufacturers must obtain permission.

    On the other hand, if a company owns the rights to a design and the number of years protected by the Copyright Act has elapsed since the design was published (*), or the trademark rights are not maintained, so some model manufacturers sell model cars without obtaining permission. For example, the rolling stock of the Japanese national railroad has been removed from the scope of protection until about the middle of the Showa period as early as 2020.

    Open Sound Data does not include protected intellectual property rights of railroad companies (logos, car designs, departure melodies, etc.) or music held in trust by copyright management organizations. For example, if a train name is registered as a trademark, it is replaced by the name in common usage. In addition, the trademarks of the respective companies are clearly marked.

    However, for elements that are already in the public domain, or for elements for which copyright is not held by railroad companies, rolling stock manufacturers, or other entities as defined by the Copyright Act (e.g., machine sounds, elements treated as noise by general definition, non-musical sounds, buzzers, warning sounds, etc.), We use them to the extent that there is no problem.

    *Note: If an individual holds the copyright, the term of protection of the copyright (50 years or 70 years, depending on the revision of the law) is fixed after the death of the individual. If a company or organization holds the copyright, the term of protection is determined from the date of publication.

    Q. What is the copyright of the sound data?

    Please refer to the Copyright and Performance Rights for Sound.

    Copyright. Not everything is automatically protected by copyright. As stated in the law, certain conditions must be met for it to be covered by copyright law. For example, machine sounds, things that are treated as noise by general definition, non-musical sounds, buzzers, warning sounds, etc. are not copyrightable. For more details, see the overview page of the above blog, which features websites with the views of intellectual property experts.

    On the other hand, when recording a sound that is out of copyright, the recorder is subject to the so-called ancillary copyright. For this reason, in Open Sound Data, sound source providers and creators make their own recordings available (in principle Creative Commons CC0) and use them after editing by the creator. Since the copyright arises from the editing and processing work, the creator has the copyright to the open sound data. Please understand that in addition to the sound itself, there is also a copyright in the edited and processed sound data.

    Q. Where can I get support and ask questions?

    We do not accept email, so please contact us at Digital Model Railroad Forum, "Talk about Open Sound Data" thread. There is no charge to use the Digital Model Railroad Forum.
    Also, volunteers may hold consultations and listening sessions for Open Sound Data, so please watch for event notices. For event information, etc., please visit the person's private blog in the DesktopStation "Electrician's Daily".

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    Management and administration of open sound data.

    Open Sound Data is managed by Desktop Station and volunteers.

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