Really enjoying what this sc-1 can do! I'm sure this has been discussed deeper in this thread but only observations I can detect between the audio when a record is being repaired or bypassed is a very slight dip in volume and possibly a very tiny bit of the high end being taken away. Not enough to deter me in anyway from using it, and it's difficult to separate the psychological element since I recall reading that some people (or person) felt there was a slight loss of the 'air' in a recording when being repaired. So I was looking for that. I did find when even using a low setting and engaging the click monitor, I could hear a slight bit of high frequency music along with the pops and ticks. At first I thought it might just be what you hear when you play a record with no speakers on, if you hold your ear close to the record, but it was definitely coming through my speaker's tweeter. I did not detect this on every record interestingly enough. Anyhow, just an observation while I explore this amazing device.
I sometimes think I can hear some top end loss. Though even now I'm not entirely certain. One thing I did do was turn my amp way up with nothing playing so I could hear the hum n fuzz coming through my phono pre. I can easily tell the difference vs bypass in this scenario, but then it's not a fair test. It's normal to hear the music when monitoring click removal. It helps you keep track of the percussion, so you can listen for any drums getting clipped.
I have similar observations. I'm very lucky to be able to A/B test with SC-1 mini in and out of the chain with a remote button so the way I settled on describing what I hear is a slight loss of "texture" and "attack". Like when a trumpet or a sax is playing a long note and I switch the unit in (Repair, level 2) it gets a tiny bit fainter, recessed, less presence (?) with less texture to the tone. It becomes a bit less "there." Can hear it in guitars and vocals as well. Like a bit of "raspiness" gets smoothed out. Still way preferable to the pops regardless.
My SC-1 updated today and having the same issue as some others. When a track ends I hear a pause in audio and then it defaults to bypass mode. The worse part is the sudden complete silence before it goes to bypass at the end of each track. Is there a way to go back to the previous software update or do I need to do a full reset? For now I’ll be taking the SugarCube out of the mix until this gets sorted. Hopefully they will fix it soon!
The 2.3-570 update has a new feature. 'If background clicking is detected, please press 'Bypass' twice to clear the click removal buffers' It's not exactly a fix but nice to know they're still looking at the click issue. You can only roll back to the original factory firmware unfortunately. You might be better off leaving it connected to see if another update is downloaded before trying a reset.
I noticed that my present version of the software on my Sugarcube was not aligning with what was being reported here so I asked the Sweet Vinyl people what the status was and the following is what came back. "The SugarCube population is divided into update groups that are staggered in time so that undetected bugs in new releases do not migrate to everyone simultaneously. So, your SugarCube may be just a few days away from the top of the queue for an update. Meanwhile, today, we just released version 2.3-577 which will be our bedrock release for 2022. There will be minor updates down the road from this for security and bug fixes. The next major update will be for the next Linux OS release of our core operating system. We expect that upgrade to occur sometime in May or June. " As you can see, it answers some questions we may have.
My SC-1 mini has been off the Internet for some time. Is it safe to reconnect with the last update, i.e., the latest update fixed the reported reverting to bypass mode after every track?
I think so. I haven't seen any weird behaviour for a couple of versions. I'd wait for a few users who are stuck with the issue to post before doing it though.
I may finally update my SC1 which is still on the original software! (Saves me reaching round the back of the unit to power off/on). Rather dreading it as I remember how difficult it was connecting to the internet when I originally set up my SC1... By the way, where did you get this information from?
The update that I received yesterday which is causing my SC-1 to switch to bypass at the end of a track is 2.3-523, is this an old version? People's 2..3-5xx seem to be high up in the 5's, if that is any indication of version hierarchy. My full version name is: SugarCube 2.3-523-g25551821-20211224-0742-prod
Honest question, do you guys think there's any reason to upgrade the firmware for SC-1 Mini owners with the factory firmware? I understand recording functionality got some bug fixes for SC-2 owners, but not sure if it's worth fixing something that doesn't seem broken (for SC-1 Mini). Unless the click/pop removal algo got perceptibly better with new versions?
It's from the patch notes for the update. 2.3-545 is suspected to be the version that introduced the issue. I'm on 2.3-570 now, but I haven't seen any strange behaviour since upgrading to 2.3-563. As long as your factory firmware was V2 or above I don't think there has been any changes in the click removal algorith at all. If you're having no issues I don't see there being a powerful reason to update.
If one chooses to take their SC off the grid to avoid updates, that also means we can't use our phones to remotely control it right? Wasn't sure if there was a way to keep it connected, but block updates.
Pretty much. Some routers have the option to deprive a specific device of internet, which would let you keep using the app. Mine doesn't
I'm able to block internet access for specific devices on my ASUS GT-AX11000 router. I've blocked internet access for the Sugarcube, but this still allows local network access meaning you can still use the app.
I decided to test the new buffer clearing feature. It looks like the device now clears the buffers every time you go from bypass back into repair mode. It adds a second or so of dead air before hearing the processed signal. I've got mixed feelings as it makes comparing the unprocessed sound less immediate. Not that anyone sane should be doing this on the regular but there you go. Still. I'm glad they've given us a way to fix the click issue without having to reboot the unit.
I just checked and I had 2.3-577 waiting for me to install. I have been playing LPs all afternoon so my SC-2 Mini was busy with that task. It is downloading as I write this. Thanks to @GuildF512 for the info from Sweet Vinyl.
Still scratching my head why mine updated to 2.3-523 the other day, it was working so well… It’s really acting finicky now, I emailed sweetvinyl yesterday morning for advice, hope to hear something back soon. I’m just curious if I got bumped back to an earlier update somehow, wish I remembered what it was before.
It's pretty nerve wracking isn't it. These things are not cheap. On the bright side Sweetvinyl seem fairly committed to resolving issues, though their communication leaves a lot to be desired. I'd bet you'll be receiving an update pretty soon. If you've never had an issue this is the way to go.
It's definitely a Risk to Rewards proposition. It is good though that we have a choice to stick with the hand we are dealt or try for better.
I've been moaning about Sweetvinyl's issues as a company lately. I do wish things didn't glitch as much as they do. And I do wish they'd be more communicative. But what a product it is. I get ripples of buyers remorse every now and then. But every few weeks I'll buy a record that I wouldn't have kept if not for the Sugarcube.
