I bought a Sugar Cube SC-1 vinyl noise reduction "box" a few months ago. I was hoping that it would clean up the sound of my thrift store finds enough to justify it's use. And -yes- I have a VPI 16.5 and it helps a lot - but some records are damaged enough that they are still distractedly noisy. So - if on balance - whatever faults the Sugar cube had were less objectionable than the storm of snap crackle n pops that are on some great (But abused) recordings - I'd be happy. I have installed it using the tape monitor function of my Bryston BP-26 -my expectation was I would only switch it in as needed. So-does it work ? Actually -quiet well! Much to my surprise - it seems to be transparent - this has been my only "problem" with it . I keep it switched in for all LP listening and that means when SWMBO'd switches it to video - lips are moving out of sync. Does it remove ALL clicks n pops - no. It reduces the number of them very dramatically and seems to make what's left less obnoxious or obvious to the ear ? I do have a few records that are frankly irredeemable -not sure WHAT was done to them to damage them this way ( not one of my 40-50 year old personal collection exhibits this noise) -but I call it groove roar it's sorta like surf in the background -pretty damm loud surf. Fortunately -out of a few thousand records -i don't seem to have more than half a dozen that exhibit "groove roar" -probably time those got turned into candy dishes. What's really interesting is how visually unpredictable near complete click n pop removal is. I have records that look like someone has tried to polish them -repeatedly-with a wire brush. Run 'em thru the Sugar Cube and they are enjoyable as the source of music. And another record that looks damaged - but maybe not visually as bad as the audibly restored miracle next to it - will have more clicks left. What the SC-1 does do is ALWAYS dramatically improve the damaged vinyl played thru it and (much to my surprise) it.s so good that I find myself getting hooked on playing all my LP's thru the SC-1 -it doesn't make any of them sound worse and fresh vinyl is completely noise free played back this way. No- Lp's don't sound like CD's with the Sugar Cube - they just sound like LP's minus mistreatment.
And yes - I could do this with my own computer. I have heard some really nice efforts at doing this - takes a really good sounding A/D converter - a sound card that isn't a better broadband radio receiver than audio device - enough processor power and memory and a good D?A converter and buffer. None of the units I've
heard were as not there as the SC-1 . Finally - I just don't enjoy computers -as a friend put it- computers are what god gave us 'cause we quit using mules. What i do enjoy is 2 oz of irish whiskey - throw on a record and everything either flips, pushes or rotates to get me music - program nuthin. SC-1 has only one control I ever use - it's a rotary control to select just how much click n tick processing you want. Sweet Vinyl has a app for your phone to control the SC-1 - haven't bothered installing it yet - may not get around to it. OK - I admit remote volume control is sorta nice.
And yes - I could do this with my own computer. I have heard some really nice efforts at doing this - takes a really good sounding A/D converter - a sound card that isn't a better broadband radio receiver than audio device - enough processor power and memory and a good D?A converter and buffer. None of the units I've
heard were as not there as the SC-1 . Finally - I just don't enjoy computers -as a friend put it- computers are what god gave us 'cause we quit using mules. What i do enjoy is 2 oz of irish whiskey - throw on a record and everything either flips, pushes or rotates to get me music - program nuthin. SC-1 has only one control I ever use - it's a rotary control to select just how much click n tick processing you want. Sweet Vinyl has a app for your phone to control the SC-1 - haven't bothered installing it yet - may not get around to it. OK - I admit remote volume control is sorta nice.
