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Parks Audio Waxwing measurements
- Thread starter dougi
- Start date
Pardon me getting up to speed, I know of Waxwing and Sugar Cube, but what is Magic?
pogo
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MAGIC
This function gently lessens many of the small pops and clicks normally heard during vinyl playback. It consists of a click detector that monitors the music for outlier, transient sound events which are then flagged. An algorithm then determines whether the flagged event was likely noise or musical in nature - perhaps a trumpet or drum snare.
Once it has determined that the event was noise, a selective filter is engaged for around half a millisecond. So the Magic function is not processing 100% of the audio like a normal DSP filter, and actually may only be filtering a few seconds of audio per album side. This gentle method makes the record sound cleaner with fewer artifacts distractions, and doesn't have a processed sound at all since very little processing is actually done.
It will make your best records sound transcendent and some of the well worn ones will be much more listenable. It is recommended to be left on all the time.
Possible Settings:
Off (default)
On
This function gently lessens many of the small pops and clicks normally heard during vinyl playback. It consists of a click detector that monitors the music for outlier, transient sound events which are then flagged. An algorithm then determines whether the flagged event was likely noise or musical in nature - perhaps a trumpet or drum snare.
Once it has determined that the event was noise, a selective filter is engaged for around half a millisecond. So the Magic function is not processing 100% of the audio like a normal DSP filter, and actually may only be filtering a few seconds of audio per album side. This gentle method makes the record sound cleaner with fewer artifacts distractions, and doesn't have a processed sound at all since very little processing is actually done.
It will make your best records sound transcendent and some of the well worn ones will be much more listenable. It is recommended to be left on all the time.
Possible Settings:
Off (default)
On
Thank you … but is it a setting on product ……. ……/ software …:… on Windows / a plugin ……?
It is the feature in the waxwing which minimises vinyl surface noise. You can turn it on or off.
From the manual:
How so? Shannon is continually developing the product, and always replies to questions within 1 or 2 days.
okay, its on the Waxwing
I’d previously read Parks first line in the product description “Magic gently attenuates your records pops and clicks making your LPs sound better than ever”
But thought that just a florid marketing term. Had no idea it’s their florid name for that feature
Of course if it does the job well - on most of the many variations of pop and clicks - it’s not florid.
Variations ie Different levels relative to the music, how many per revolution, etc
And as good as or close to the Sugar Cube.
A moment ago I wrote re pops and clicks “many variations”
Meaning eg different levels relative to the music, how many per revolution, etc
(Again my apologies if its already here - I only came across this thread after it’d been going for seven pages, and while I immediately flagged Watch don’t appear to have seen all posts since then)
Has anyone compared it to the Sugar Cube on a couple of different scenarios aka noise patterns?
Meaning eg different levels relative to the music, how many per revolution, etc
(Again my apologies if its already here - I only came across this thread after it’d been going for seven pages, and while I immediately flagged Watch don’t appear to have seen all posts since then)
Has anyone compared it to the Sugar Cube on a couple of different scenarios aka noise patterns?
undeakyetonde
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Who said SugarCube is the golden standard? It sells for several thousand dollars so it must be very good?
Bob from Florida
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Had to look up the Sugar Cube. The version that has the built in phono preamp sells for $2250 versus $499 for a Waxwing. Most of my records are "pop free" - I am careful and have a record cleaner that helps. I do have a few records that need help. Turning the Magic function on does not completely eliminate the pop or tick. It simply becomes less noticeable and far easier to ignore. This is good enough for me. From a value perspective, the Waxwing wins with ease - even if the Sugar Cube completely eliminates pops. The additional dollars would be better spent on improving your turntable/arm - if you did not already have a good table.
The support to the Waxwing is unheard of in audio. I bought serial number 16 out of the first production run of 20. As an early adopter I was expecting a few "bugs". I found a few and each time I sent Shannon a description, within a few days - it was fixed. If he says he is planning improvements to Magic, I expect that will happen.
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Pretty sure he was referring to the people at SweetVinyl, not Shannon.
There are a couple notable differences. The value of the differences is in the eye of the beholder.
SugarCube offers much higher levels before clipping. Waxwing clipping is governed by amplification or attenuation of the signal prior to ADC. SugarCube advertises 7.7Vrms in on their least expensive model, and it goes up over 10Vrms from there. While headroom isn't unmanageable on the Waxwing, it's something that needs to be considered depending on cartridge and source material.
SugarCube offers USB out directly to a computer. You'll need to have some way of processing coax or optical with the Waxwing.
SweetVinyl has their own recording software. SugarCube (SC-1 Mini and its variants notwithstanding) can pull metadata from Discogs which I assume is incredibly useful when processing vinyl rips to the computer. If a person is digitizing a large collection I imagine this feature could be worth the price alone if it's implemented well.
We don't have any direct comparisons for the click removal yet. SugarCube click removal is variable and could presumably be adjusted to prevent some of the issues processing transients as noted in this thread.
Even if you don't consider the click removal, the Waxwing is still a very good product for its price with perfect RIAA and so much adjustability to the sound. The overall feature set is incredible value when click removal is added. If Shannon is able to further refine the Magic function it will basically make every other phono stage obsolete.
undeakyetonde
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The sole interesting part of the SugarCube is its click removal software, and they chose to bury it inside of an insanely overpriced box. If we had this software as a DAW plug-in then anyone with an audio interface could use it. But milking audiophiles is more profitable
Pulling metadata from discogs or musicbrainz is not rocket science, there is perfectly good free software like musicbrainz Picard, discogs plug-ins for foobar, etc
In my experience Waxwing's Magic is 'good enough' - it attenuates clicks but sometimes does not actually remove them as do Audacity Repair or iZotope De-click. SugarCube is probably better in this regard
Pulling metadata from discogs or musicbrainz is not rocket science, there is perfectly good free software like musicbrainz Picard, discogs plug-ins for foobar, etc
In my experience Waxwing's Magic is 'good enough' - it attenuates clicks but sometimes does not actually remove them as do Audacity Repair or iZotope De-click. SugarCube is probably better in this regard
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For those who have Clickrepair there are several options and settings for click removal. The RTClickrepair has fewer, due to putative less computing power in real-time. Should not be a problem with a modern computer though. If someone with programming skill there could be an open-source software.
Bob from Florida
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I think that lack of headroom in this case is a phantom problem. This forum, however never over complicates anything! That is sarcasm by the way.Wouldn’t it be just as simple as using a phono stage with lots of headroom and the waxwing as line in DSP box ..
just a suggestion for everyone that is complaining about the lack of headroom.
WDeranged
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I was taking about Sweetvinyl.
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