SoundTraxx has been designing and manufacturing the latest in state-of-the-art
sound systems for the discriminating model railroader since 1990. SoundTraxx’
corporate entity, Throttle Up! Corp., was founded in 1989 in Pocasset,
Massachusetts. Our first product was a powerful little lighting system called
the Hyperlight. The Hyperlight was the first lighting system to use a
microprocessor, not only to provide brilliant lighting effects, but also to
allow the user to select the desired effect from within one model. This
allowed model railroaders to purchase one item, but one that could be
configured into a multitude of different lighting systems. It also allowed for
multiple effects to be used at the same time! Although we no longer sell the
Hyperlight, the effects we designed for this wonderful lighting module have
been rolled into our Digital Sound Decoders and continue to be enjoyed by
modelers everywhere. In 1991, SoundTraxx introduced the SoundTraxx D220-IR
Diesel Sound System. This was the first sound and throttle system to
incorporate wireless control. This was followed a year later by the SoundTraxx
S220-IR Steam Sound System, the first digital sound system to offer ‘playable’
whistles. In 1994, the company moved to Broomfield, Colorado, a suburb of
Denver. The DSD-2408 Digital Sound Decoder was the first DCC decoder to be
integrated with sound and lighting functions. Model Railroaders heard, for the
first time ‘polyphonic’ sound – no longer did the playing of one sound
interrupt another. Along with the introduction in 1996 of the DSD-2408, came
Dynamic Digital Exhaust, a method of adjusting the sound volume and ‘cutoff’
of steam exhaust chuff automatically, further enhancing the illusion of a
steam locomotive ‘coasting’ into the station. In 1997, the DSD-050 and the
DSD-150 Digital Sound Decoders were released. In this same year, SoundTraxx
forayed into the large-scale sound market with the introduction of SoundTraxx
Sierra. In addition to being the first large-scale sound system with realistic
lighting effects built in, Sierra was also the first sound system to
incorporate a coupler-activated sound effect. With the focus now being clearly
on sound, the SoundTraxx name was more identifiable as well as appropriate,
and in 1998, Throttle Up! took a back seat as the company began marketing
under the SoundTraxx name. This same year, SoundTraxx introduced the DSD-150
Diesel Digital Sound Decoders. We moved to Durango, Colorado and purchased a
new SMT (Surface Mount Technology) line of manufacturing equipment. In 1999,
SoundTraxx introduced a varied line of Digital Sound Decoders meant to be
easier to install, many following a ‘plug and play’ format. Known as the ‘LC’
line, many of these decoders were lower in cost and included such things as
speakers and speaker baffle kits. SoundTraxx new line of Tsunami Digital Sound
Decoders offers more features, sound effects and a host of other goodies to
further enhance your modeling experience.

TSU-1000 1amp Diesel Digital Sound Decoders -- Tsunami for EMD 567 Diesel Engine (1st Generation) The Tsunami sound system is SoundTraxxs new high-performance, onboard locomotive sound system. Like the DSD-150 it replaces, Tsunami integrates a full-featured sound system, four Hyperlight lighting effects, a motor controller and a DCC decoder into a single, integrated package and is compatible with the NMRA DCC standards and Recommended Practices. Unlike the DSD-150, the Tsunami sound system can also be used on Analog layouts and controlled with a conventional power pack, though it really shines on DCC controlled layouts. At Tsunamis core is a true 32-bit Digital Signal Processor, or DSP, capable of executing over 120 million instructions per second. With this new level of performance, SoundTraxx was able to give Tsunami 14 functions, over 22 individual sounds, and 4 special effects including the ability to alter the exhaust sound automatically in response to changes in the engine load. The motor controller received numerous enhancements as well, including the use of high frequency PWM and load compensation. To keep the size down, only components available in highly miniaturized packages were selected for use in the Tsunami resulting in a form factor that measures almost 30% shorter and 50% thinner than the DSD-150.

TSU-1000 1amp Diesel Digital Sound Decoders -- Tsunami for EMD 645 Diesel Engine (2nd Generation) The Tsunami sound system is SoundTraxx’s new high-performance, onboard locomotive sound system. Like the DSD-150 it replaces, Tsunami integrates a full-featured sound system, four Hyperlight lighting effects, a motor controller and a DCC decoder into a single, integrated package and is compatible with the NMRA DCC standards and Recommended Practices. Unlike the DSD-150, the Tsunami sound system can also be used on ‘Analog’ layouts and controlled with a conventional power pack, though it really shines on DCC controlled layouts. At Tsunami’s core is a true 32-bit Digital Signal Processor, or DSP, capable of executing over 120 million instructions per second. With this new level of performance, SoundTraxx was able to give Tsunami 14 functions, over 22 individual sounds, and 4 special effects including the ability to alter the exhaust sound automatically in response to changes in the engine load. The motor controller received numerous enhancements as well, including the use of high frequency PWM and load compensation. To keep the size down, only components available in highly miniaturized packages were selected for use in the Tsunami resulting in a form factor that measures almost 30% shorter and 50% thinner than the DSD-150.

TSU-1000 1amp Diesel Digital Sound Decoders -- Tsunami for EMD 710 Diesel Engine (3rd Generation) The Tsunami sound system is SoundTraxxs new high-performance, onboard locomotive sound system. Like the DSD-150 it replaces, Tsunami integrates a full-featured sound system, four Hyperlight lighting effects, a motor controller and a DCC decoder into a single, integrated package and is compatible with the NMRA DCC standards and Recommended Practices. Unlike the DSD-150, the Tsunami sound system can also be used on Analog layouts and controlled with a conventional power pack, though it really shines on DCC controlled layouts. At Tsunamis core is a true 32-bit Digital Signal Processor, or DSP, capable of executing over 120 million instructions per second. With this new level of performance, SoundTraxx was able to give Tsunami 14 functions, over 22 individual sounds, and 4 special effects including the ability to alter the exhaust sound automatically in response to changes in the engine load. The motor controller received numerous enhancements as well, including the use of high frequency PWM and load compensation. To keep the size down, only components available in highly miniaturized packages were selected for use in the Tsunami resulting in a form factor that measures almost 30% shorter and 50% thinner than the DSD-150.

TSU-1000 1amp Diesel Digital Sound Decoders -- Tsunami for ALCO 244 Diesel Engine The Tsunami sound system is SoundTraxx’s new high-performance, onboard locomotive sound system. Like the DSD-150 it replaces, Tsunami integrates a full-featured sound system, four Hyperlight lighting effects, a motor controller and a DCC decoder into a single, integrated package and is compatible with the NMRA DCC standards and Recommended Practices. Unlike the DSD-150, the Tsunami sound system can also be used on ‘Analog’ layouts and controlled with a conventional power pack, though it really shines on DCC controlled layouts. At Tsunami’s core is a true 32-bit Digital Signal Processor, or DSP, capable of executing over 120 million instructions per second. With this new level of performance, SoundTraxx was able to give Tsunami 14 functions, over 22 individual sounds, and 4 special effects including the ability to alter the exhaust sound automatically in response to changes in the engine load. The motor controller received numerous enhancements as well, including the use of high frequency PWM and load compensation. To keep the size down, only components available in highly miniaturized packages were selected for use in the Tsunami resulting in a form factor that measures almost 30% shorter and 50% thinner than the DSD-150.

TSU-1000 1amp Diesel Digital Sound Decoders -- Tsunami for ALCO 251 Diesel Engine The Tsunami sound system is SoundTraxx’s new high-performance, onboard locomotive sound system. Like the DSD-150 it replaces, Tsunami integrates a full-featured sound system, four Hyperlight lighting effects, a motor controller and a DCC decoder into a single, integrated package and is compatible with the NMRA DCC standards and Recommended Practices. Unlike the DSD-150, the Tsunami sound system can also be used on ‘Analog’ layouts and controlled with a conventional power pack, though it really shines on DCC controlled layouts. At Tsunami’s core is a true 32-bit Digital Signal Processor, or DSP, capable of executing over 120 million instructions per second. With this new level of performance, SoundTraxx was able to give Tsunami 14 functions, over 22 individual sounds, and 4 special effects including the ability to alter the exhaust sound automatically in response to changes in the engine load. The motor controller received numerous enhancements as well, including the use of high frequency PWM and load compensation. To keep the size down, only components available in highly miniaturized packages were selected for use in the Tsunami resulting in a form factor that measures almost 30% shorter and 50% thinner than the DSD-150.

Surround Traxx DSP-80 HO DSP SurroundTraxx sound system provides realism of high-fidelity sound moving with the locomotives as it travels, without installing speakers on board each locomotive. Six independent sound channels reproduce sounds of up to six different locomotives simultaneously. Using the latest DSP and advance block detection technology SoundTraxx reproduces the sounds made by each train on the layout and directs the sound to the speaker closest to that trains' location. Continuous adjustments are made to the sound level of each speaker so the sound appears to follow the train. This is the only sound system designed specifically to work within the DCC environment. It is the only system able to mix and match prome movers in a multiple engine lash-up. he system is designed to work with Digitrax command and control systems. Other DCC command and control systems will be supported in the future.