Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab has been cutting vinyl from digital since a long, long time ago...

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Ben Adams, Jul 14, 2022.

  1. originalsnuffy

    originalsnuffy Socially distant and unstuck in time

    Location:
    Tralfalmadore
    I had no idea that anybody (including Sony) could edit in DSD. Great news.

    Yeah, I love DSD. Almost all the goodness of analog without pops and clicks. I know vinyl people will hate me for saying that.
     
  2. Jam757

    Jam757 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    “Unauthorized” lol
    Did someone hack their network and pretend to be MFSL employees and send the messages?
     
  3. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    I don't hate anyone for enjoying what they enjoy however they enjoy it. However, I do not experience these clicks and pops you describe as all my records are in true NM condition.
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2022
  4. 4-2-7

    4-2-7 Forum Resident

    Location:
    SF Peninsula
    Your not reading my post correctly, reread the bold writing.
    I did not compare and say they are the best records out of all manufacturers.
    I said they are making better records today than they did in the past, this is about their records only
     
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  5. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    The whole "unauthorized" bit is a huge steaming pile of bull and makes MO-Lie look even worse than they already do. This company is utterly clueless.
     
  6. Oscillation

    Oscillation Maybe it was the doses?

    That is exactly my predilection anyway! And that's exactly what I do, except I use discogs as there are no decent record stores near me.. Sure there's a certain element of nostalgia involved, but it brings me joy.
     
    MikeJedi and Bug80 like this.
  7. Uglyversal

    Uglyversal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney

    No, there is no easy answer to any of that except that they got themselves into it and they should bare the consequences whatever they might be. I agree with you, other than the technical staff and high level management I doubt anybody else in the company knew about it. The less people that know of any wrongdoing the less chances of a whistleblower pulling the lid. The "unauthorized" thing is bit of a joke really, any company found doing something wrong can try to get of the hook by blaming their lower level employees saying they did something unauthorized. What proof is there? I am yet to check my own e-mails because it is possible many years ago I might have asked the same question but I am not sure now. It does not matter, the handling of this situation means that now unless I want something pretty badly I will actively avoid buying their products. When my last pack of MOFI sleeves is finished I will start getting another brand.
     
    VQR likes this.
  8. 4-2-7

    4-2-7 Forum Resident

    Location:
    SF Peninsula
    No, not when your lying to do so.
    I'm an audiophile and like getting records that sound the best I can or a different take on the sound. I don't want a cultish belief system and bias that only AAA records are the best sounding to dictate the evolution of sound quality. That would stop any progress to improving record playback and the manufacturing of records. I would say MFSL lied in order to sell more records to this cultish belief and gave them a lot of weight they did not need to do.
     
  9. Bug80

    Bug80 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Netherlands
    I wish there was more "proper digital" though. A lot of Hi-Res downloads still seem to be (unnecessary, at least to me) remasters.
     
    Leroyd likes this.
  10. Jasonbraswell

    Jasonbraswell Vinylphile

    Location:
    Guntersville
    You can debate the sound engineers with decades of experience who state analog sounds the best. Don't debate me because I take their advice seriously.
     
    VQR and BuyMeVinyl like this.
  11. mpayan

    mpayan A Tad Rolled Off

    Id say that after 23 yrs of making claims on videos, sending emails to customers, never having a face out in front etc etc..Im not sure how any other conclusion could be drawn.
     
    VQR, abzach, NettleBed and 1 other person like this.
  12. DaleClark

    DaleClark Forum Resident

    Location:
    Columbus, Ohio
    I say most could care less. Streaming and publishing brings in the cash. A usage fee for a few thousand albums probably doesn’t make a dent.
     
    patient_ot likes this.
  13. Bug80

    Bug80 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Netherlands
    In all fairness, I don't see that happen a lot in this thread.

    Also this doesn't seem to be the general mood here. Most people seem to admit having no problem with their process if they'd at least been honest about it.
     
  14. Sex Lies And Master Tapes

    Sex Lies And Master Tapes Gaulois réfractaire

    Location:
    Nantes, France
    FYI a few records updated are showing on the Music Direct website and not on MoFi's.
    And vice versa.
    Very handy... :rolleyes:
     
    patient_ot likes this.
  15. Jasonbraswell

    Jasonbraswell Vinylphile

    Location:
    Guntersville
    I think you may be correct but that assumes some broad strokes.
     
  16. Merrick

    Merrick The return of the Thin White Duke

    Location:
    Portland
    By your logic, labels should just provide us all with DSD256 files and forgo the wholly unnecessary steps of cutting to vinyl entirely.
     
  17. lucan_g

    lucan_g Forum Resident

    It's time for Jim Davis to step down.

    At the end of the day... the buck stops there.
     
    DaveyF likes this.
  18. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Don’t be silly, he owns the company.
     
  19. drbryant

    drbryant Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    As a collector, I have been following the sales on Discogs. Looking at sales from August 1 to August 6, there have only been 20 sales of One Steps, as follows. The first three titles (Abraxas, Village Vanguard and Nightfly) seem relatively strong. There seems to be little interest in the other titles. Sellers may have to lower their prices.

    Bill Evans - Village Vanguard (1) Sealed $599
    Fagen - The Nightfly (2) Sealed $525, VG+ $400
    Simon & Garfunkel - BOTW (2) Sealed $265, VG+ $165
    Texas Flood (1) Sealed $215
    Blood on the Tracks (2) VG+$150, VG+ $150
    Couldn't Stand the Weather (2) Sealed $156, NM $140
    What's Going On (1) VG+ $140
    Fragile (1) Sealed $249
    Eagles - S/T (2) Sealed $180, Sealed $169
    Still Crazy After All These Years (2) Sealed $118, Sealed $148
    Pearl (1) Sealed $157.54
    Folk Singer (1) Sealed $93
    Clapton Unplugged (2) Sealed $130, Sealed $150.

    There were no sales for Santana Abraxas, Portrait in Jazz, Mingus Ah Um, Monk's Dream, Desperado and Tapestry.
     
  20. Nobody is joking about any of that. It just seemed an odd background to this particular story imho. If the article went deeper and longer then maybe it would have fit better. It seemed odd placing that info right after the Fremer quotes.

    Bad edit job imho.
     
    thrivingonariff likes this.
  21. lucan_g

    lucan_g Forum Resident

    I appreciate your take, but I still think he may also wish to consider installing someone else to run the company. I have not studied their corporate structure, but installing someone else at the helm for the purpose of restoring public confidence is not the craziest business move I can imagine.
     
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  22. Adagio

    Adagio Forum Resident

    It was in the context of the second part of the quote. The improved process they are using might be better than what they did in the past (depending on what past means) , but one would think that the new improved process would produce more consistent results. It hasn't IME

    There are a lot of other "premium" audiophile labels that follow a fairly consistent AAA process and generate far more consistent results IME. I named two but there are a lot more...

    Speakers Corner
    Pure Pleasure
    Blue Note Classic / Tone Poet
    ORG Music

    IF the results were 100% good then I would agree that the end justifies the means and I wouldn't care how they got there. But for me that hasn't been the case and I was duped into spending premium prices for less than premium products - partly because of the hype and their reputation.
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2022
    BuyMeVinyl likes this.
  23. 4-2-7

    4-2-7 Forum Resident

    Location:
    SF Peninsula
    What you take seriously is marketing hype, witch has nothing to do with listening. You can also find different mastering engineers with different takes on what sounds best and how they want to approach mastering for records.

    If you just listen to records and picked the ones you thought sounded best, you would probably pick a 50/50 digital and analog mastering mix. The fact is, as long as there is a quality source, and a good mastering job your just not going to hear if it was a digital or analog source to begin with. This has been proven time and time again, and regardless if the AAA cult wants to admit it, MFSL just show it to be true once again.
     
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  24. Blackdagger

    Blackdagger Forum Resident

    Ok, get it. So what's the problem? Digital source on vinyl? I was thinkin' about it a lot. Look, I don't trust vinyl quality made after 80's. I am sure some new vinyl are made from mp3 source, if you are lucky cd source.

    So, basicly, if I listen vinyl I want records which are made full analog directly from tapes, not the one from original tapes converted in digital on computer then converted back on analog or any other similar thing... You can't find those, not even in 80's sometimes. Because, my logic is, if it is digital than it should be listened on CD, if it is full analog than vinyl. What's the point to have digital on vinyl? Or specialy if source is from CD or worse? What's the point?

    So, basicly I like good analog and good digital. Mostly my records are older ones, albums 'til 80's, later stuff I have on cd's. But, I buy records new if that album is made new. For example; Band Disciplin A Kitschme, great underground stuff from former Yugoslavia, they made new album, recorded that album on tape, than make some changes mix digital and convert that back in analog. Yes, some data is lost in that proces, but I am fan, so I buy that kind of new vinyl. And it sounds good. Band really try to vinyl sound good. This kind of new vinyl's I buy because there is no choice, new albums are recorded that way, all others are old first press pre 1985 on vinyl.

    Second thing about digital source is this: Hawkwind recorded in 1980 with Ginger Baker on drumms digitaly album "Levitation". Yes, I bought that because they wanted it to record that way. What can I do? There is no analog version of it because it is originaly recorded digital. Same thing is about new albums last 20 years or 30, I have them mostly on cd, because they are recorded orginaly on digital way. There is no analog.

    In Yugoslavia, from 1983, many albums are recorded digital and put on vinyl. I remember in those days, everybody were talking how digital sound is superior, so until 1993 we didn't have much places to buy cd's, so from 1983 albums were recorded digital and released on vinyl so people can hear digital sound.

    But today, except new albums from bands like I did describe Disciplin A Kitschme band, I don't buy new vinyl's. Why? If I can buy some vinyl from 1975 true analog on vinyl why should I bought that same album digital version on new vinyl? It doesn't make sense. New recorded albums on new vinyl ok 'cos you dont have a choice, old albums only first press from that analog era on vinyl.

    I did bought new vinyl also from bands which albums are so rare that cost few hundred euros first press, I also see this that I don't have a choice.
    So, basicly old stuff on first press vinyl, or new albums which bands are realy careful about quality of vinyl. Other stuff from late 80's and later I have on cd's. From 1991 til 2000 it was gold era for cd's and you find realy good digital sound from them.
     
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  25. Jasonbraswell

    Jasonbraswell Vinylphile

    Location:
    Guntersville
    I mean if someone with stature like Grundman says digital step degrades the sound, how many people here are saying he's full of it?? Seriously!
     
    jeff kleinberg, VQR, Elofan and 7 others like this.

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