Sweet Vinyl Sugarcube - I Want It!!!

Update: So I finally got the newest software download, and the blinking LED issue is gone. The USB & Record indicator light does cycle slowly on and off. The Sweetvinyl team is checking to see if that is normal.

Now for some good news: Track splitting is at the top of the development priority list for updating the software. It won’t be overnight, but it is the focus currently at Sweetvinyl. Also, level normalization is planned - this is like ReplyGain. If you ever listen to random tracks or albums on your server, you know that not all recordings are made at the same peak or average level. This can be annoying when listening, especially in the car or for background music. Encoding the digitized files with normalization data can enable the playback device (a streamer, player or computer music software) that is equipped to do so to normalize the volume from album to album or song to song, without changing the level balance within an album (so relative levels from track-to-track within an LP remain at the relative levels they were mastered with).

Additionally, I was told that a left-right balance adjustment via the app would be added for the recording process on the SC-2. This is huge, IMHO, as the channel balance from LP to LP and even within an LP is anything but centered or consistent. And there are also left-right imbalances on lots of phono cartridges out there, too. Being able to correct this in the digitization/recording process is a key feature for me, one which I currently accomplish using the ganged left & right record volume pots on my CD recorder. Without this feature in the Sweetvinyl app, I would still have to keep the recorder in the signal chain, just to adjust the balance. It would be great if I can mothball the CD recorder altogether. This possibility is getting closer.

I did learn that one of the processors, the one that controls the front panel indicators and displays, does need an embedded firmware upgrade, which cannot be accomplished via internet download. But Leo from Sweetvinyl will be in my area soon, and I plan to meet up with him, SC-2 in tow, so he can take care of this, as he has so kindly offered to do. No shipping, and no time without my favorite new toy!

As I told Leo, I am really enjoying the beta experience. Patience is important (helped along by the knowledge that I paid half of list for my SC-2 via the Indiegogo campaign), as well as is providing as much feedback as possible to the Sweetvinyl team. The responsiveness of the folks at Sweetvinyl to my questions and feedback make me feel like a part of the collaborative process of fully realizing all of the amazing capabilities of this one-box wonder.

A long overdue update:
First, having been unable to coordinate a meeting with Leo of SweetVinyl for the firmware update, SweetVinyl graciously offered to have my SC-2 shipped out to them and returned it with the update.  Light-show issues solved.
And, drum-roll, please, the beta of version 2.0 came out in January '19.  This beta software includes track editing, track splitting/joining, metadata editing and more.
As a beta tester, I got the new software and have tried it out.  It works more or less as promised.  The app is pretty much useless for the new features, at least in this beta version.  They recommend using a chrome browser to connect to your SC-2 over your LAN.  Easy enough.  What works well is the track editing and metadata editing.  In this regard, it's not all that different than some of the software programs you can buy.  But, what is neat is that when you are finished editing, you save your work, and then you can select the format, resolution and even declicking level, and the program updates your thumb or USB drive that is connected to the SC-2. You can even get the raw file, clicks and all, in full-res WAV, for use in editing with 3rd party software.  You can also save multiple versions, e.g., a 24/192 FLAC file and lo-res MP3 file of the same recording. 

What needs work:  I have alerted the Sweetvinyl team to a loud click that is heard between each track after editing.  Also, the metadata is often wrong, or completely absent, and, so far, none of the track divisions inserted by the software were even close to where they ought to be.  All of this is fixable via editing, but it is time consuming.  Artwork, which has yet to come up correctly by itself, must be sourced from the web, saved on your computer, and then copied into the metadata on the SC-2 files.  The metadata saves recordings by LP side.  Good for purists, but I would rather have tracks 1 through 10, for example, than tracks 1 through 5 on side one, and tracks 1 through 5 on side 2. 

What doesn't work at all yet:  For now, file playback through the SC-2 is not available.  Also not yet available is the ability to render the edited files directly to a NAS.  But these things are coming.  I was able to mount the thumb drive on my laptop, and copy the edited files to my server.  However, the track labeling had to be fixed (as noted above) manually.  Also, none of the artwork on the thumb drive made it to the server, for some reason, so I have to insert that manually onto my server as well. 

Remember, this is still a beta version, so some hiccups are to be expected.  But, I am finally digitizing in FLAC at 96/24, and getting great results (except for the clicks between tracks).  And, it looks like I can finally mothball my CD recorder. 

bondmanp -
Thanks for the update. It looks like progress is being made, albeit slower than promised. I'm a patient person. In the meanwhile, I'll keep enjoying the most excellent declicker feature. Mine has been trouble free so far.

I thought this was one of the more informed reviews:
http://https//hifipig.com/sweetvinyl-sugarcube-sc-1-2/
I intend to purchase one of these once all the kinks are worked out so am very interested in following the progress.

Ok, I just had to post this... I am finally able to digitize vinyl at 96/24 using my Sweetvinyl SugarCube SC-2 and play it back from my server. I am listening to Sting's LP "Nothing Like the Sun" that I digitized from a pretty clean double LP, and I am having a "Holy-Mother-of-Crap" moment, where everything is just about perfect. Clean, effortless, extended, all the buzz-words. Wow! The highs, especially, are so much cleaner and smoother than with my Red Book digitized files using my Marantz CD recorder. Considering my system costs a fraction of what many people here have spent on their rigs, it is really something! I love music, and I love this hobby!  There are some issues in the new beta software I am testing, but the quality of the files I created with this wonder-box is really amazing.