The SugarCube Is Here At Last...Clicks & Pops R.I.P.

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by DigMyGroove, Nov 12, 2017.

  1. OK, then I guess it works differently than what I had read.
     
  2. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    I remember talking to Sweetvinyl guys, and I was told that tiny "leak" of record sound is intentional, to help identify exact places of ticks.
     
  3. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    I personally that doubt to be accurate. It's likely a result of their processing that they spin as some sort of advantage.
     
  4. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    So you accuse them of lying, correct?
     
  5. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    Don't be so dramatic.
     
  6. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    I am just asking a question. If you are saying A, you should say B, or correct yourself.
     
  7. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    Nope, not playing this game. I've heard a lot of treated audio in my life and that sort of residual effect is not unheard of (no pun intended).
     
  8. PineBark

    PineBark formerly known as BackScratcher

    Location:
    Boston area
    With most click repair PC software, you can set it to just hear the noise it removes. In my experience, it is extremely rare to hear any of the music, other than some brief sounds that might be mistaken for noise, such as a few sharp drum hits.

    I don't know exactly what SweetVinyl is doing, but it is reasonable to assume that if you can faintly hear all the music along with the removed noise, they're doing that intentionally. If not, and that is actually being removed from the music output, their algorithms must be awful, and it would be evident to anyone doing careful before and after comparisons.
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2022
    r.Din likes this.
  9. Jim0830

    Jim0830 Forum Resident

    When I first got my SC-2 Mini n June of 2020, I don't remember hearing this leaked audio. At some point alone the way I heard it and asked Sweet Vinyl about it. They told me the faint sound was normal and I have ZERO reason to disbelieve them.

    I'm wondering if it was a feature added along the way via a firmware upgrade? This would explain different people having different menus of how it worked.
     
  10. BuddyBoo

    BuddyBoo Member

    Location:
    USA
    Hi! New SC user here w/ the older, no plus version of the SC-2

    Checking out the unit I purchased it looks like it's running Software release 2.0-1064XXXXX-prod+sc2beta

    Glancing on this thread, it appears there are versions 2.3 and higher

    When I attempt to update via the app or desktop, I get a "failed" message

    I am able to record, access to unit. Fully functional.

    Are the later software versions for the newer "plus" model?
     
  11. WDeranged

    WDeranged Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    You should be able to update to the latest versions. Have you got it connected to your router with a cable? If not try that. There is a circumstance where a Sugarcube won't update and you need to do a factory reset, but even in this situation the unit will download the update and at least try to install it.

    On the bright side, after v2 the updates have made almost no changes to the operation of the unit. I suspect they're mostly security updates to prevent theft of Sweetvinyl's algorithms. If it works well you could quite happily stay on that firmware.
     
  12. BuddyBoo

    BuddyBoo Member

    Location:
    USA
    Thank you for the speedy reply, I super appreciate it.

    That's how I have it connected now (no wifi dongle) just LAN hardwired

    Great to know on 2.0+ updates and operation. It feels like Artist Name / Catalog # isn't working well for me (maybe addressed in later updates) but not the biggest deal.

    While I have you here, may I ask one more question on Day 1 of ownership...

    Previous to this unit, I was using a DAC which offered USB recording capability. Never any issues with rumble or noise. Near dead silent

    On a few different recordings I am picking up somewhat significant whirrrrrr in quieter moments (maybe motor noise?). I have the older model so SVNR is not an option at the moment. Any tips or tricks to potentially get this out of there?

    Quick 15 second clip :: SndUp | Post info

    edit : Worth a mention that Audio Level +/- db settings dont have much effect re : this wrumble
     
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2022
  13. BuddyBoo

    BuddyBoo Member

    Location:
    USA
    Solved my own sound/rumble issue, just had to tinker around with my pre-amp...
     
    Strat-Mangler and marblesmike like this.
  14. BuddyBoo

    BuddyBoo Member

    Location:
    USA
    Because I could not be satisfied with running 2.0 (vs 2.3). I did successfully complete a factory reset. Software was reset to : 1.1-73-ga5f5686-20180704-1725-prod.

    And the same update issues persist. Updates fail. Even setup the wifi dongle this time, just in case it was an ethernet issue. Error message reads :

    Last check at 2 minutes ago - failed
    There are no updates.

    Worth a note : I was unable to search or add artist or album names in the "lookup" bar. There may be internet connectivity issues with this unit? But I can still connect and control it via the local LAN.

    Stumped as to why it can reach the internets
     
  15. WDeranged

    WDeranged Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    It's possible that sweetvinyls servers are down, I'm not sure as my unit is on its way back there for repair.

    I'd email them if I were you. But be prepared for a possibility long wait.
     
  16. BuddyBoo

    BuddyBoo Member

    Location:
    USA
    Keeping my fingers crossed with the recent-ish software/firmware update - at least that they are kind of around. I really want to get started with this.

    Any idea if Rom flashing is a potential workaround? I assume they likely do not have downloads just out and about given the proprietary nature
     
  17. BuddyBoo

    BuddyBoo Member

    Location:
    USA
    Well that was quick! Just got a reply. Same day response!

    The original user was not updating their unit. They fell quite far behind, as the unit was eventually locked out of all future updates / internet connectivity.

    So you were on the right path. The server was down (just to me). I'll have to mail the unit back for an in person manual update. At which point, I'll be back to being eligible for internet downloads and updates.

    Lucky for me they are only a few hours away.

    I really appreciated your help along the way to figuring this out..
     
    quicksrt, captouch and WDeranged like this.
  18. r.Din

    r.Din Seeker of Truth

    Location:
    UK
    Ouch! Better unbox mine and see if I can still receive updates...
     
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  19. BuddyBoo

    BuddyBoo Member

    Location:
    USA
    FWIW, the last update on this machine was made three+ years ago in 2019. I don't think original owner kept in the know with the added features and changes :confused:
     
  20. PineBark

    PineBark formerly known as BackScratcher

    Location:
    Boston area
    Why would SweetVinyl lock out any unit from getting updates? Or was this unit never previously able to get updates via Internet and needed hardware updates?
     
  21. BuddyBoo

    BuddyBoo Member

    Location:
    USA
    From what I was told, there were changes in later software updates that fixed open vulnerabilities with their update server / how the machines received those updates. Unfortunately, the older systems that did not receive those updates are now locked out from the server and cannot receive over the internet software updates (until they are manually updated) . Once I get the machine back, I'll be back to normal updates etc

    The original owner did mention to me, that he brought his unit in to receive an update. I wonder if this was a VERY early unit and did not get the benefit of later updated software which was pre-installed
     
    PineBark likes this.
  22. Jim0830

    Jim0830 Forum Resident

    I am running version 2.3-667 on my SC-2. This was an update I received about a month ago now. I just noticed quite a big delay when I drop the stylus on the LP. There used to be about a 1 second delay between the unprocessed vs. the processed signal from the Sugar Cube. Now it is at least 2-3 seconds. You could hear the faint sound of the stylus beginning to play the music. The delay was long enough that I started checking that my phono pre-amp and integrated-amp were both powered up and set to the right inputs. They were. After a 2-3 second delay the music finally started playing through the speakers.

    I never remember this much delay between the processed and unprocessed signal. Am I just crazy and it was always there or is this a new "feature"in the latest firmware. It is harmless but a little annoying.
     
  23. YourMainDude

    YourMainDude Forum Resident

    SC-1 Plus updated to 2.3-671 today.
     
  24. Jim0830

    Jim0830 Forum Resident

    I had reported that the version 2.3-667 for my SC-2 had a 2-3 second delay between the unprocessed vs. the processed signal from the Sugar Cube. I received version 2.3-671 a few days ago now. This has reduced this delay back to under a second where it used to be. This is a good thing because the 2-3 second delay was just enough to cause me to start checking the settings on my phono pre-amp and integrated amp to see if they were wrong.
     
  25. wallabeing

    wallabeing Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    I for the most part love my SC-2 Mini - it's saved many, many records from being purged because of surface wear. But my god it is buggy and the whole software side just feels a bit bootleg. e.g. the static-y main display screen when it's booting up - kind of cool looking I guess but not exactly polished. Or the left channel clicking issues that others have noted that occurs seemingly when the gain coming from the photo pre is too high (not sure conclusively that that's the issue). And on mine, from time to time, the "Remove" function just stops working and doesn't output audio, requiring a reboot to get it working again. Then there are the phone and desktop apps which are totally useful, but aesthetically terrible. I get it's a small company and I/we are early adopters, but it feels like with just a bit more aesthetic polish and software QC the Sugarcubes could be truly fantastic products.
     
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