This may seem like a small thing, but at the price of the One-Step you'd hope they would make the whole package a premium product. Makes you appreciate the packaging and art work of Music Matters Jazz.
I wish MOFI and AP would just copy Music Matters' presentation with the One-Step and UHQR series. They already get very close to that with their standard releases, with the Stoughton tip-on jackets. (Though they use the white-in option, which is cheaper than the brown-in.) Actually, the AP gatefold for the UHQR Axis: Bold as Love is already at that level of quality. Give me that for a reasonable upcharge for the carbonless vinyl formula, and I'm in. Again, they could copy what Music Matters does with their SRX series. These ornate boxes aren't for me.
I don't think the ornate boxes are for anybody here. I'm curious (and perhaps I'll create a poll regarding this), how many here like or even prefer the ornate box presentation vs a great gatefold presentation such as what Music Matters does?
Gatefolds anytime. I do have some boxes (not these) but I find I rarely play them. They are a pain to pull off the shelves and spin and then put back again.
I don't like the space the boxes take up but they look really nice! I don't have an issue with them, nothing is too much of a problem to play good music well produced. Id be less than thrilled if the record was sub par!
I buy them in spite of — not because of — the presentation. Running out of shelf room and haven’t found an optimal way to protect them as they’re prone to scuffing.
I did just post a poll on this matter. I'm curious as to the results, and I'm wondering if the producers of these premium records will read the results with interest. I put the poll up for 4 months.
I'll look for your poll but there may be at least 2 different things here: gatefold vs box - I prefer gatefold for all the reasons others have expressed) AND artwork - although I haven't opened my PIJ or examined the cover closely, the MMJ's I've seen have been excellent and it sounds like at least the cover of PIJ is underwhelming.
I think it’s marketing, pure and simple. Makes it look like it’s worth far more than it is. The irony is that I agree with AnalogJ...they aren’t for us, but I think “us” is actually 90% of people that buy them. I don’t think for most it’s an impulse purchase, and packaging like that is really the purpose of it, to push you to buy because of that one extra element. But I don’t think people paying $125 for one album is going to go either way because of a box...I think their well done gatefolds are both fine and preferred. I personally like the box, but I think I’m a rare exception and am kind of a sucker for that kind of packaging but I doubt that’s typical for this product, and I’m fortunate that I can spend the dough if I choose to. But at the same time, as I said before I’m out at $125 so if they need to get rid of the box to return to $99, I am fine with that. There is a perceived value on all things and for me, box or no box, they crossed it. There is only one album I would spend that on, and there is little chance I will see it happen. I’m fine with their MFSL products at up to $50 or whatever. Blood On The Tracks will be interesting to watch because I think there will be more appeal for that album, hence the larger run. At the same time, I personally think at 9000 copies they will see many sitting with no takers because of the price, however. I think the Marvin Gayes hung around longer than expected. I would have taken one at $99. If they sell out over a few weeks and it isn’t flippers buying them out, which we will be able to tell if there are tons on ebay, then I will have to concede I completely misread the market. Geez, you are supposed to be in the position of lowering your price on a larger run, not raise it. Corporate America is so good at killing good things off by getting so greedy. This product really smells like a cash grab, which is their prerogative, but I’m sorry many will likely buy this at that price. I still think there will be many left.
I have many Mosaic box sets. But those contain several discs inside, plus wonderfully notated, full-sized booklets. THAT'S what a box should be used for. I wish MoFi had gone the extra step of compiling things like recording notes, historical notes, etc. I feel like, in a way, MoFi cuts corners (including the reproduction of the cover art). In contrast, the wonderful Nat King Cole sets done by AP (and Steve Hoffman) each had notes about the recording sessions and a piece by Michael Fremer). They added value.
For the price and the opulence of the box i have to admit I was expecting some more goodies when I opened the Simon and Garfunkel one step. For the price, there should have been more notes or something.
And an added irony, only The Nat King Cole Story got an opulent box presentation. It's the same as the single LP UHQR, with the pull-out box. The others in the series were just in single pocket jackets, in spite of being 2LP sets.
I’m with you there, though if memory serves it was $99. Interesting we felt that way for a $99 product and now we’re at $125 with the same packaging. It’s funny...no idea why I’ve given this so much thought but every time I look at this thread obviously it crosses my mind, and it’s a pet peeve of mine anyway that companies are so obsessed at squeezing every last dollar out of their customers instead of offering the best they can provide at a fair price. I just read a very maddening article in Billboard (I should have started a thread). Many artists are now allowing promoters to charge extra for end seats, and up to three connected to those seats. It is adding a couple extra millions of dollars to the bottom line for some artists. It isn’t so much that which angers me because one can simply buy a different seat, it’s the ridiculous justification given by the promoters. Taylor Swift’s prices went up supposedly to stop the scalpers. Really? Now, they are saying they are adding a fee for end seats to give customers “more choice” and “greater convenience”. With a straight face. As if they care in the least about the customer. I think the concert industry is the last industry that cares about the concert goer. It is usually the artist the initiates some kind of nice perk for the goer, like Taylor providing a 360 view so anyone can see her because she can move around...more artists are doing this now. I believe the One Steps are $125 for one reason: they see the flipper prices on ebay and they are charging it because they can. I just don’t understand folks. Stop buying and prices will become reasonable! Stop going to concerts and prices will drop by half and ridiculous things like charging for an end seat will stop. Tired of the terrible air line experiences we all have? Stop flying. A small sacrifice to see a huge improvement or better pricing. And it wouldn’t even take long. Can you imagine if people just didn’t buy the Dylan album? The next one would have sleeves that don’t scuff, and a $99 price point, if they knew this was the reason. I think with this release it’s going to be somewhere in the middle: I think it will stall out at around the normal runs we’ve seen though they seem stuck on those sleeves. We’ll see what happens...will be interesting if you are into marketing and retail, as I am.
Thanks for bringing this up! I should have said there may be 3 issues with the packaging: Gatefold vs Box: Although I prefer the gatefold like many here, I can see this as a personal decision, and it doesn't necessarily speak to quality. Artwork: For a premium product, Mofi should take a page from MMJ. Additional material such as recording and historical notes, etc.: What does MOFI offer here? I'd like to underscore the comments by @AnalogJ here - especially the last point. With a premium product and this kind of price, it would be nice to see some extras - which may also make more sense to justify some kind of box. As another example, the KoB 50th Anniversary set included a beautiful hardback book with tons of notes and photos as well as other extras. Even the box itself was well designed so you could remove the book... or a gatefold cover that included the record without removing the whole box from the shelf. Or if you so chose, you could put the gatefold in with your other records and put the box and/or book on a completely different shelf.
I suppose the intent was to mimic the UHQR releases of old. But back then the 'basic box' seemed special. Now that it has been done to death, these one step's just seem to have average packaging at a premium price. Not even a simple pull ribbon to lift the contents. No gatefold replica of the cover. At the very least why not include a outer sleeve to protect our investment? At least with my AP UHQR I could keep the shrink on it.
The original PiJ cover is crisp Nice color palate. Thanks for the indepth review AnalogJ I always thought the B Evans OJC riverside lps sounded nice I have the 1Step but haben't opened it Was waiting for the first reviews I slightly preferred the AP SNatVV to the 1Step as we talked about I have an original so i may get curious 3xs on the klaudio - i only do one Do you do this for sll records or just the premium ones? I would like to see a 45 vs 33 1/3 poll I'm in for the slower speed done right
If you opt out in sufficient numbers the next one is in smaller numbers / there are less Flights etc and the market shrinks.
AudioTom: 3x at a minimum.....lps with vocals 4-6x...…...very dirty(nicotine! smoke! other spray-on products!) albums like A-1 PROMO Columbia Armstrong, ProUse DSOTM, Sgt Pepper UK original that I thought were just "noisy", many more cleaning cycles. I just listen ever so often to monitor "same? or better?" Some are just damaged with bad cartridge set-ups or worn out styli but I salvaged that ProUse PF (and a few others) so far which will just about pay for the RCM if/when I sell them. It turned from G to NM with zero noise on either sides' inner grooves. with my version, you can dial 0-5 minutes on either clean or dry. I just turn to zero dry, and engage another cycle when I walk past. it's in another room down the hall so no noise pollution. I always clean even "new" they just sound better afterwards. I also use Reagent water. PM with any questions let's not clutter this fine thread.
Perhaps, so in this case maybe it wouldn’t work. I’m sure they are studying the numbers. The Dylan release will really give them interesting data. And it would depend on what reason they would go with if the numbers plunged. In my business it’s better to sell less with bigger margins. They have to figure out what the volume potential is to come up with whether it’s a volume business or if they can make more with a higher price with lower volume. Blood On The Tracks will likely tell them.
I'm playing my copy for the first time today. Sound is lovely. I'm nearly finished with the first disc, I did notice some ever so slight back and forth movement on my tonearm, but it is not causing anything audible to me. I have noticed a handful or two of ticks per side, nothing very loud, and not sure how much of it is due to the pressing or due to static/debris (I did give it a thorough wet clean and a few zaps with the zero stat). Has anybody noticed the "dehorning" MoFi speaks of when playing their copy a few times over? To be honest, while I hear the lowered noise floor of the vinyl formula, I'm not sure I am a huge fan of the Super Vinyl or SRX formulas. They are just total static monsters and it gets tough to deal with here in Colorado where it is bone dry year round.
