Just when I thought I could narrow down my choices from 4 current offerings, between the SLU, DBC3+Benedini, IBU, & Mako, I have to learn about the TK-20.
Wow, if it wasn't hard enough to make a decision for upgrading a HL tank already, this is yet another option to highly consider ... not a bad thing at all, but now my head is starting to hurt again!
The firing, turret, gun barrel, reload, hit & death sounds are improvements over stock HL sounds from what I can tell from some videos showing off this TK-20 unit, but when I was looking at this one video of a running tank with the TK-20 in it (Driver Test, the first vid below), I figured the engine sounds (start-up, idle, running, shut-down) were still going to be the basic HL sounds, not really any excitement from that aspect. The engine sound didn't seem to really ramp up with throttle, no squeeking track sound, etc., just HL vanilla really.
TK20 sound module Driver Test
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAmBRGbz8JI[/youtube]
Then I was informed by a rep from Clark Model to watch the Elephant video for a better idea of the current engine sounds.
HB Elephant sound
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtBpp4G4AaI[/youtube]
Much better audio quality could be noticed in the second video, & better sounding than a stock HL. But then he rumored even those are outdated sounds, as they are developing an even newer engine sound driver that will be a WOW to the market!
So when the new TK-20 modules start shipping in force soon, expect to be WOWed even more by the new sounds too.
The thing I'm not sure about ... the sounds might be much better, but do all the TK-20 have the same sounds like all RX-18 do, or do you order specific TK-20 for different models of tank. How many tank models for sound do they support ... etc???
I was also told that the TK-20 is programmable like their
CSCII module (here), & if so, to put it lightly, this upgrade seems absolutely fantastic with all the features for just a flat out $60 price-tag!
Seriously, a fully featured single card that completely replaces the RX-18 electronics, adds 2.4GHz Tx/Rx ability, tank classes with proportional reload times, slows movement for damage simulation, reduces the hit response judder & recoil, replaces
ALL the cheesy HL sounds with much better sounds ... & all for about $60+ shipping? ... someone pinch me, I must be dreaming again!
~ Craig ~