Mobile Fidelity Vinyl One Step of SANTANA, BILL EVANS TRIO, etc.*

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Drew769, Dec 1, 2015.

  1. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    Well, I've pre ordered a One Step of Bridge Over Troubled Water. Will be my third. No denying the sonic improvements of Neil Young's Greatest Hits, and Abraxas.
     
  2. mick_sh

    mick_sh Hackney diamond

    Location:
    Madrid, Spain
    We'll never really know the benefits (if any) of the one step process if we can't listen to the same cut/mastering with "regular steps" process. Much the same applies to UHQR. If the new Axis mono becomes the best Axis mono ever, we can't really know if it's thanks to the UHQR process or because Bernie did his best mastering yet unless we can listen to the same mastering in a regular pressed edition. But, of course, record labels are not interested in doing that.
     
  3. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    Point there.
     
    Myke and Slick Willie like this.
  4. wbhendrix

    wbhendrix Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    In case anyone missed it, simon and Garfunkel can now be ordered online

    404 Error Page
     
  5. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    Bigbudukks likes this.
  6. Mainaman

    Mainaman Well-Known Member

    Location:
    London
    Sorry,but no.The new mastering commits the biggest sin towards an old analogue recording-it sounds digital.Same with the Abbey Road half-speeds.

    Some digitally sourced LPs can almost fool me,but DSOTM is not one of them.I havent heard the 2011 Sax/Gray cut yet,but i am not holding my breath.

    Obscured by Clouds is slightly better.I havent heard the others yet.
     
  7. mick_sh

    mick_sh Hackney diamond

    Location:
    Madrid, Spain
    Hmm... about DSOTM, I’m not saying that you’re not entitled to dislike Bernie Grundman mastering but if anything that’s a quite analogue sounding cut. However, the Sax cut, which I like, can be described as digital soundings (it is digital). The latter is still in print (easily available at least) so do you think that it’s possible that you have the Sax cut?
     
  8. Bigbudukks

    Bigbudukks Older, but no wiser.

    Location:
    Gaithersburg, MD
    Yeah, where would they cut them? It just wouldn't sound right.
     
  9. Bigbudukks

    Bigbudukks Older, but no wiser.

    Location:
    Gaithersburg, MD
    O.K., I finally did it. I asked on the Q & A section for Bridge Over Troubled Water if they still use 1/2 speed mastering. This is the answer:

    "With advances in mastering technology, MFSL utilizes a proprietary technology known as GAIN2 that replaces the former half-speed legacy process that MoFi became synonymous with. Details here: mofi.com/Articles.asp?ID=254

    As to how their One-Step technology is employed, it's best defined this way from MoFI Distribution's Norbert Schmied: "The difference in the UltraDisc 1-Step process (to current plating, and pressing processes used throughout the record industry) is that we still cut directly to a lacquer from the master tape, and then that lacquer gets electroplated, which we pull off and call a convert.

    And that’s what we use to press directly on our vinyl. That becomes our stamper, so we remove three processes/layers from traditional stamper duplication (of creating a father, and then a mother, and then a stamper off the mother). The problem with that stamper is, if it gets damaged (which is a natural effect from pressing LPs) the only way we can press more is if we have another lacquer. Because once you’ve got a lacquer and you’ve created it, and electroplated it, it’s done. That’s it, it’s over."

    That's a long way to say, "No, we don't need to anymore.". But now we know.
     
  10. NorthNY Mark

    NorthNY Mark Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canton, NY, USA
    I can't speak for DSOTM, but Abbey Road seems perfectly suited to the format. Side two starts with "Oh Darling" (nicely separating the two Paul tracks), and side four begins with "Sun King," keeping the medley on a single side.
     
    nfmboss666 likes this.
  11. Bigbudukks

    Bigbudukks Older, but no wiser.

    Location:
    Gaithersburg, MD
    You may be right. I'll have to have a nother listen soon.
     
  12. Slick Willie

    Slick Willie Decisively Indecisive

    Location:
    sweet VA.

    Don't believe Bernie mastered it, he just cut it from a supplied digital file.
     
    AnalogJ likes this.
  13. Mainaman

    Mainaman Well-Known Member

    Location:
    London
    No,it is the BG cut-i bought the latest version and it is on the label too.

    I know that some people like it,but to me it sounds the digital cut it is.It is not bad sounding,but the sonics dont match the quality of the content.I havent heard an older AAA vinyl of the album,just the SACD,which was ok.Anyway,the recording is probably not close to something like "Amused to Death".

    It would be great if Mofi release Abraxas and the others on "standard" 45rpm.It is unlikely,though,even if they have the license as this would hurt the Ultradisc sales.
     
  14. FashionBoy

    FashionBoy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Disagree about the Grundman cut. I thought it sounded great and I am comparing to the 30th anniversary all analog & an early Wally cut U.S. Secondly, the recording itself is superb — engineered famously by Alan Parsons, and recorded at Abbey Road — you owe yourself to try an AAA pressing if the Grundman didn't suit you.

    Third, if MoFi released Abraxas @ 45RPM I doubt it would impact the Ultradisc sales — it's long been sold out!

     
  15. SteveSDCA

    SteveSDCA Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego
    So what tape is being used for BOTW? I read the original master was in such bad shape not even the whole tape was used for the Mastersound CD. I did use the search function but could not find an answer.
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2017
    Paully, MrRom92 and Joti Cover like this.
  16. Mainaman

    Mainaman Well-Known Member

    Location:
    London
    I have an eye for a mint AAA lp,which doesnt cost the earth.BTW Alan Parsons' "I Robot"(Mofi) sounds much better than this DSOTM release.

    If they release them without the One-Step and people are hard pressed to hear a degradation,guess what will happen with the sales of the upcoming Ultradiscs.
     
  17. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    The 30th Anniversary DSOTM was a mess. Much better alternatives out there. But agreed, an excellent recording.
     
    FashionBoy and Echoes Myron like this.
  18. Slick Willie

    Slick Willie Decisively Indecisive

    Location:
    sweet VA.
    Not sure I would call it a mess, but agree that there are better all analog options out there.
     
    Alex Zabotkin likes this.
  19. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    It WAS messed up. I knew a couple of reviewers who heard the test pressings for it and it was supposedly fantastic. Those were plated at RTI. The lacquers were then sent to Holland for the standard pressing, with results far inferior. Those reviewers were astonished as to how much worse the actual release sounded.

    I took part in a shootout of numerous pressings, including the 30th Anniversary pressing and even a CD, which was posted in the Audio Asylum forum. If I recall correctly, even a US original pressing came out ahead of the 30th Anniversary edition overall, although there were certain aspects of the 30th which we liked. The MFSL was far down as well. We didn't have access to an original UK stereo, but my UK quad copy was the clear winner. It was played stereo, and while it's perhaps not the fairest comparison since we're talking about a different mix, in of itself, it showed that the original recording is really good.
     
    kronning likes this.
  20. MrRom92

    MrRom92 Forum Supermodel

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    The confusing thing is right in the page they link you to, it claims they the half-speed process is an integral part of the gain2 system, even though they say they no longer use their “legacy half speed process”. I’ve long suspected they didn’t do half speed cuts anymore (and don’t care that they do or don’t) but I wish they could just be a little more straightforward. Yes, our records are cut halfspeed, or no, they aren’t.
     
    AnalogJ and Paully like this.
  21. Slick Willie

    Slick Willie Decisively Indecisive

    Location:
    sweet VA.
    Well, you lost me on the Quad as the winner. I've had the pleasure of spinning one on my system and the mix is so different, not really sure what could be learned comparing it to any stereo pressing.
    And while I've never heard a bad DSOTM, the 30th LP ranks a tad below the SACD IMO. With the Wally being the 2nd best I have experienced (behind my A3/B3 UK).
    And, with it's faults, the MoFi would follow.
    Still waiting to experience a JPN press.
     
    Echoes Myron likes this.
  22. FashionBoy

    FashionBoy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    I haven't heard the I Robot — I'm sure it sounds great as that was cut at 45RPM.

    Have you heard any Ultradisc releases? The noise floor is substantially lowered because of the one-step.
     
  23. Mainaman

    Mainaman Well-Known Member

    Location:
    London
    I havent,i dont live in USA and they are beyond my league.Imagine paying more than 150 dollars per title and importing it over the Atlantic.I draw the line at the "normal" 45rpm releases from Mofi and AP.I would bite if they release more interesting titles.

    I have some albums with very low noise floor.

    I was referencing the BG cut of DSOTM,not the 30th Anniversary,which i havent heard.Apparently first press,second press or the Japanese Pro is the way to go.Too bad a NM on Discogs is 1500 pounds!Maybe one of the reasons is that all these later releases suck.I am glad that AP did the "Doors" albums and they are even better sounding than the originals(bar the S/T).Apparently it is not going to happen with British bands like Pink Floyd and the Beatles,which are stuck with digital cuts and overhyped anniversaries.

    Mofi have already killed the exclusivity of the future titles.They will still sell 7500 per album,but the "investment potential" will be greatly reduced.
     
  24. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    Harry T. Moss. I have one as well.
    .
     
    AnalogJ and kronning like this.
  25. kronning

    kronning Forum Resident

    The UK Quad DSOTM is my only copy of this LP. I never got the Quad setup I wanted so I've only heard this great sounding record in stereo through the years. So are you saying I will hear a different stereo mix if I get the new reissue?
    And if so, are the mixes different enough that you prefer one over the other?
     

Share This Page

molar-endocrine