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Sweet Vinyl Sugarcube - I Want It!!!

At the NY Audio Show this past weekend, I got to see and hear the demo of the Sweet Vinyl Sugarcube.  This PC-based stand alone unit is amazing.  Here is what it does:


1.  De-clicks vinyl - and does so completely transparently, and is user-adjustable (more or less filtering of clicks and pops). 

2.  Digitizes vinyl - MP3 through 24/192 resolution.

3.  Locates metadata for LPs being played/digitized, including cover art

4.  Inserts track divisions based on the metadata (wow!).

5.  Compensates for non-RIAA recordings

6.  Plug in apps will do even more, like reducing groove noise.

It inserts in a line-level loop or between your phono preamp and preamp.  It has digital (S/PDIF and USB) outputs as well as analog outputs.


Projected retail is $2500, and they plan a kickstarter campaign soon.


If you spend time digitizing vinyl, this thing is nothing short of a miracle.  I want one so badly I can taste it.


(I am not associated with Sweet Vinyl in any way.)

bondmanp
bondmanp OP
1,792 posts
 
thaluza - Have you ever heard a Sugarcube demo?  I have.  Extremely impressive.  The click & pop removal sounded totally transparent to me.  Plus, Sweetvinyl claims they have further improved the process in the last few months.  Hopefully, our patience will be well rewarded.
thaluza's avatar
thaluza
280 posts
 
bondmanp - No I have not. I only have read some posts and Fremer's initial impression. I'm looking for an easy way to digitize my fairly large vinyl collection. The SC-2 is very appealing to me. I just got a Coincident Statement Phono Stage, which has an extra output and a line input, which is perfect for the SC-2. I will be able to compare the click and pop removal feature with the flick of a switch. It's going to be fun!
bondmanp OP
1,792 posts
 

Sounds like you are all set up for your Sugarcube, thaluza. 


One of the cool features on it allows you to listen to the whole, unfiltered signal, the de-clicked signal, or just the clicks being filtered.  This is important, because, using the de-clicker adjustment knob, you can easily select a level of click-removal that does not also remove some of the music signal.  If you hear any music in the click-only setting, you are overdoing it on the filter.  Simply dial it back until the music is gone, and you have the optimal amount of filtering.  Brilliant!

vpi's avatar
vpi
223 posts
 
Are you all suggesting that there is no music in the same frequency range as the ticks, clicks and pops that this device is removing?  

bondmanp OP
1,792 posts
 
vpi - Nope - all the signal paths you can select are full range. You choose from (1) the unfiltered signal, with all the pops and clicks, (2) the filtered signal, which filters out the pops and clicks - more or less filtering as you adjust the rotary filter knob - or (3) just what the Sugarcube is filtering out. IOW, in this last mode, you can hear only the signal that is being removed by the filter. It is full range, so, if you hear any music while listening to just the signal that is being filtered out, you know that you are actually removing some of the music along with the pops and clicks. The trick is to then reduce the level of filtering, on the fly, until you cannot hear any music when listening to only what the filter is removing. That way, you get the maximum amount of pop & click filtering possible without losing any of the music signal. I hope this explains it. This is one case in which a demo is worth 1000 words.
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