Final Thoughts On the MoFi Debacle + The Severe Changes for this Channel

Marvin Gaye 50th: • Marvin Gaye - What's G...
Muddy Waters Folk Singer: • Muddy Waters Folk Sing...
We at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab are aware of customer complaints
regarding use of digital technology in our mastering chain. We
apologize for using vague language, allowing false narratives to
propagate, and for taking for granted the goodwill and trust our
customers place in the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab brand.
We recognize our conduct has resulted in both anger and confusion
in the marketplace. Moving forward, we are adopting a policy of
100% transparency regarding the provenance of our audio products.
We are immediately working on updating our websites, future
printed materials, and packaging - as well as providing our sales
and customer service representatives with these details. We will
also provide clear, specific definitions when it comes to Mobile
Fidelity Sound Lab marketing branding such as Original Master
Recording (OMR) and UltraDisc One-Step (UD1S). We will backfil
source information on previous releases so Mobile Fidelity Sound
Lab customers can feel as confident in owning their products as
we are in making them.
We thank you for your past support and hope you allow us to
continue to provide you the best-sounding records possible
an aim we've achieved and continue to pursue with pride.
Jim Davis
President, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
From Wkipedia:
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL or MoFi) is a record label specializing in the production of audiophile issues. The company is best known for its reissued vinyl LP records, compact discs, and Super Audio CDs but has also produced other formats.
In the late 1970s, the label earned a reputation for high-quality audio from its Original Master Recording LPs, which had been recorded with a half-speed mastering process. The company was purchased in 1999 by Music Direct in Chicago. In the 21st century, Mobile Fidelity's sales grew with a renewed interest in vinyl.[1]
Background[edit]
In the 1950s and 1960s, it was common for record labels to press relatively heavy records on new or "virgin" vinyl. During the economic downturn of the late 1970s, the cost of record pressing increased, and many record labels cut costs by pressing lightweight recordings from recycled materials, which are considered impure. Recycled vinyl pressings are reported to have more pops, clicks, and surface noise.[citation needed]
Copying sound from magnetic tape to LP is highly complicated. Apprentice engineers typically spend several years becoming experts in disc mastering. A mastering engineer may need to adjust and or compromise the sound quality of a record in order to maintain loudness and make the groove traceable by the stylus of a record player using a low-quality phono cartridge. Often, sounds have been mastered with additional compression, limiting, and equalization. In order to reduce wear on the master tape most discs are not sourced from the original master. The source tape used may be many generations removed from the original. Typically, the engineer will cut the first pressing and a "cutting master" tape in parallel. Subsequent pressings are cut directly from the cutting master. Some pressings are cut from copies of the cutting master tape. Each subsequent tape copy adds tape hiss, and wow and flutter, degrading the sound.
Founding[edit]
Recording engineer Brad Miller (1939-1998) released the first recordings on the Mobile Fidelity label in March 1958, a recording of a Southern Pacific steam locomotive.[2] Later LPs included other steam trains, environmental sounds and orchestral music, which drew interest from audiophiles but gained little attention from the public. While Miller was located in Burbank, California in 1971, the company released a few pop and orchestral recordings. This included a 7" 45 rpm single produced by Miller, "Saunders Ferry Lane"/"Early Morning". The record was credited to "Clare" and sung by British vocalist Clare Torry, who later gained fame from her performance on Pink Floyd's song "The Great Gig in the Sky".
In 1977, Mobile Fidelity began to produce a line of records known as "Original Master Recording" vinyl LPs. These albums were previously released by other companies, licensed by Mobile Fidelity, and remastered using half-speed mastering. During mastering, sound was transferred from magnetic tape to disc while the cutting lathe moved at half speed. The albums were remastered from the original analoquadraphonic Compatible Discrete 4 records, which had been introduced in 1972. JVC Supervinyl was more durable than regular vinyl, with lower surface noise and fewer pops and clicks. Mobile Fidelity packaged their albums in heavy cardboard sleeves, inner cardboard stiffeners, and plastic liners.
vinyl community 2022 mobile fidelity sound labs tone poet series