Mobile Fidelity - Interview on Mastering With Shawn Britton, Krieg Wunderlich & Rob LoVerde
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- Опубліковано 19 лип 2022
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Mastering engineers are usually the final QC on a record - they're the "golden ears" with the best reference speaker setup. And it sure seems like these guys really care about the quality of what they're putting out, and using the appropriate tools to do justice to the recordings.
@rikster6971 whoosh
When MoFi is marketing Hybrid SACD and 24K Gold CD they say: ” Our most advanced digital products utilize Direct Stream Digital (DSD) technology. DSD offers much greater resolution and frequency response of DC to 100kHz, allowing our engineers to transfer more information from the source.”
What bothers me is why DSD has not been mentioned on the LP record marketing but in their CD products it is said.
When Mofi is marketing basic Original Master Recording LP’s and One-Steps they say: ”Our Original Master Recordings only utilize actual original masters as source material. The master is played back through our custom electronics to extract the maximum amount of information.”
There is also used following text in the back sleeve: ” The Gain 2 Ultra Analog System”.
These words creates an image for the consumer that he or she is buying AAA! Mofi must have known that almost all buyers think so, because they say that… ”Audiophiles and serious music collectors the world over have enermous respect for our contributions to the analog disc”.
Turns out the greatest contribution to analog discs was digital transferring!
crooks!
That's exactly correct. Even Mike was fooled by the Gain 2 text, and has said they are AAA multiple times.
Get over yourself.
@@NicolauWerneck Yeah, nah
Kreig's whole demeanour during this entire video still tells the entire tale.
To get out of this mess I think MOFI now need to be 100% transparent and present a list of all pressing that are AAA and all those that have a digital step in the process. The consumer deserves to know what they bought.
Yep it's that simple
From my understanding none of their titles are AAA anymore.
I would hazard all releases are cut from the DSD they explained why. Modern releases need it, it's not like in the 50's where an artist would just record everything live. Then you just play and cut off it.
The guy said it at 1:03: ""there is digital".
@@adamhunt4462 I’m taking about the past and the future releases. Everything
The only other questions I would have asked are:
1. Why did you or your marketing people, continue to allude that these Original Master Recordings and were pure all analog?
2. Do you feel that you were disingenuous to your customers? Do you understand some of the outrage now and are you sorry?
3. Why do you continue to call them One Steps?
4. Why do you need those big wasteful boxes for the One Steps?
5. When will you fix the split seam issue?
6. Can we go wine tasting in Sonoma now?
Spazzlov, if there was EVER a step in the 'human chain' that could or should be skipped, it is YOU. Are you seriousl about question One? They lie to achieve their goals, just like you do, you should UNDERSTAND the concept.
What they should have said: "We apologize. We recognize that further transparency was necessary regarding the term "Original Master Recording" and when that is an all analog chain and when that is transferred to the digital domain. There are no excuses. We let down some of our loyal customers, and we will be 100% transparent about the process starting this minute." They didn't say that so... glaring at Mike for stating the truth won't gain back trust.
The way they're using it, it makes the term Original Master Recording pretty meaningless. Every pressing was at some point sourced from the original master tape if you go back a generation or two.
There have been countless studies done that demonstrate again and again that uncompressed digital copies of original analog masters are indistinguishable to the human ear. What you should care about, if you weren't pretentious, is whether or not MoFi pressings sound as good as conceivably possible. Not whether or not a digital step is involved in their process. Because if that process is lossless, it is scientifically impossible for it to not sound identical, analog or digital.
👍
@@Progger11 Yes, and also that they are transparent and let the customer decide
Should have,could have blah blah mucky muck .Damage control starting point established with a emphasis on transparency.Wash rinse and repeat…. Just more corporate marketing talk after customer trust has reached lows similar to recent historic Gallup poll approval numbers of the Biden crime family .
I'm an old pro engineer in the biz and I've actually made transfers using the Pyramix System @4x DSD and I've also witnessed many disc cutting sessions. Although MoFi should have been a little bit more forthcoming, as a consumer who has been a collector of their discs for over 40 years, I personally wouldn't worry because DSD as an intermediary can be virtually indistinguishable from an original master tape. Yes everything in the chain can change the sound and does. If you've ever heard the difference between an original all analog master tape and it's cut Lacquer you would probably not complain at all about the sound of DSD.. In my opinion DSD at a high rate retains all the depth, three dimensionality and bass weight of the original.
Cut Lacquer on the other hand does more to change the sound.
The issue is Mofi knowingly deceiving. And setting pricing as if it was AAA because of limited runs. No one is saying they don’t sound good, but they are priced as being AAA, and customers have been lied to.
THEY HAVE BEEN LIED TO. There's an argument by the public and experts like you asking why they should n't be to put out since the sound is comparable, even better. However, one could argue about whether a person that buys a hand made rug, dress, ceramic, or even a painting is n't actually drawn by the talented artist you thought it was, that it's maybe even made better, by a new technic. Would that person that pays a premium for that original piece, created under deceitful circumstances, be wrong in being disappointed, if not outraged enough to declare fraud? Especially when the vendor purposely withheld or fraudulently sold it as something it was n't, despite many thinking the fraudulant item is as good as, if not better?
I don't want a re-issue of The White Album, I want the original, with the pops and crackles and the cover that just feels different (stickier, not necessarily better) in my hands.
Solid take. I'm sure you're spot on. But, this is less about technical facts and more about emotions like trust and sense of betrayal. For an analog purist, it's like buying a dozen eggs and finding out there are metal filings inside. I know that's hyperbolic, but in an area where passions are so powerful and deeply seated, for hundreds of thousands of us analog fans it really is about trust. And that's been evaporated.
Exactly. My experiences has been much the same.
Geez! Why pay 120 for a vinyl aka CD copies when you can get real CD for 20?? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Here we go! I’ve been waiting for this.
I always bought MFSL and MOV pressing simply because I always knew what quality I was going to be getting. The digital/analog piece doesn't bother me. The fact that, and their initial responses and looking at each other so strangely, told me that the knew they were being deceptive in how they presented it. Being lied to intentionally is just never something that sits right. I think one great way to earn that back is don't put the info "on the website" as you KNOW everyone doesn't go read the website. Especially if they don't order from the website. 90% of my over 100 mofi pressings came from stores or secondary market. Simply put it clear as day in the packaging...an not HIDDEN! Show us that clear honesty and we can continue to show you our support as consumers.
A 15 year run of deception...er...unspoken truth? Oh their obfuscation definitely had help and their enablers will be here and/or posting new videos of their own in 3...2...1...
Very well said Brandon. I'm not upset about a digital component in an otherwise analog chain but the dishonesty and lack of ever feeling the need to clarify their process has left a very bad taste in my mouth. When you consider how upfront and transparent Intervention, Impex and Acoustic Sounds records are, it makes me feel even angrier at MOFi. I don't know how this will affect them in the future but they have, in my opinion, done some damage to their label.
You said it man. They knew people considered them analogue and they made a conscious choice each and every day to not correct that info. Damn. Still working my way through the video… but I hope he goes into why he feels the spars (sp?) code is not sufficient. In any event. There is a way to do exactly what mike was/is asking for.
Great job mike. You are the best. End of story.
Where's the LIE?
People made ASSUMPTIONS.
Their website and products never claimed to be all analog at all times.
That's hilarious.
"You didn't warn us that your groundless assumptions about us were wrong!" 🤣
I’m not upset at their mastering process, I’m upset that they let retailers, advertisers, the press, and the public think these releases were AAA for the last 10 years and never thought to correct the record once. To be fair that’s not their job, that’s Music Direct’s job, so they’re the one that really dropped the ball here.
This exactly the point in all this. Audiofools and their idiot followers will continue to make it about analog vs digital though. Oh, and if it was Music Direct's job, why wouldn't it also be Lord Fremer's job too??
Exactly bud 👍. I might add, we've also had annual or semiannual international vinyl tradeshows over decades and opportunities to bring up the need, as MoFi proclaims, to transfer to DSD first yet they (and others) did not broach the subject though many in the industry assumed it was an oft used process.
Not just music direct, just by looking at their faces in the first 5 minutes they looked like they had gotten caught with their hand in the cookie jar. They were all in on it and they perpetuated their dishonesty. Like you said, as long as it sounds great that’s all that matters, but this interview really shows some of dishonesty they have been carrying for over 15 years.
@@ab2abblank607 The reps lied directly to Fremer in their email correspondence. It’s silly to blame him, the only reason they came clean was the leaks and public outrage.
You're spot on there. Those three guys are responsible for many great sounding records but not for this horrible mess in terms of the customer relationship.
There are other people in this company that have to answer the uncomfortable questions that should follow out of this video.
OMG You should hear the bashing being done by Fremer on 45 RPM channel. I think there is a lot jealousy as he didn’t get the scoop. I fear there may be a slow down in MOFI sale for awhile but we shall see. God on ya Mike for being able to get MOFI to talk.
Nice work - no-one else got them to this point to discuss their process - props for that.
This definitely will influence my future MOFI purchases! I'm not completely bent out of shape that there may be a digital step involved, as long as it is as clean and true to the source as possible, just stamp that on the bottom of the back cover, or disclose the process within the package!! Just simply be honest!
Yes...and they should just hype dsd in the chain. It's amazing what they create regardless. Pure analog is hype. CD was hype. High resolution digital however not hype....you can hear everything when digital is done right. And you can hear more than vinyl can contain
Hires is hype as all other formats in the past..
Lets move on....old news at this point 👉 👈
I would do EXACTLY the opposite, as long as they remain as close as possible to the original recording doesn't matter what support they used to bring the original to their studio. Some many .."audiophiles" miss this important point!
@@anthonynicholson5523 my friend you forgot SACD..
They seem 3 very nice gentleman with a uniquely extraordinary knowledge of the process, very few people will understand the process or practice as these gentleman do. They are craftsmen and it’s nice to hear what they have to say, thank you for the great interview.
They seem like tools
Paid goons ..if their that good they could find work elsewhere…
Just high paid lap dogs …
It’s the MoFi marketing team that should have been in front of the camera - they’re the ones responsible for the comms not these blokes.
@@bondi5000 Well said. 👏
These 3 gentleman are just swindlers
The thing that bugs me is I find it hard to believe not one person at MOFI has seen or read any of the 1000's of retailer or audiophile videos/reviews stating the albums are "all analog", and didn't find it necessary to correct them. That would have been a great question for these guys, "Does anyone at MOFI ever watch reviews of your albums? Have you every heard anyone, retailers or fans, saying your albums are "all analog"?" Of course the albums sound amazing, so here's my question.. You are buying an all original 1959 Cadillac only to find out later it's not all original..maybe it has modern brakes or a modern engine or transmission, and yes it is probably now way better than when it was new, but does the fact it's not all original (analog) affect the value or collectibility? Did we get Milli Vanilli’ed?
What Shephard said....
THIS is the biggest problem
EXACTLY!!! Brilliantly put for real.
That’s exactly the point here that needs to be brought up!
Totally agreed with Aaron, I have said in the past, if I bought a Tesla Car, when I go inside the vehicle I don’t expect to see a logo on the steering wheel from Chevrolet or VW or Chrysler but a Tesla Steering Wheel logo, or when they give you the keys I don’t expect a different than what I’m purchasing, bottom line is if a wanted a DSD or digital I will purchased the SACD that is less expensive than the Vinyl presentation at the end yes I agree is the sound what it matters but if both are digital and digital is my thing I’ll go with the SACD less money out of my pocket, why until now, this is ridiculous
Just solid dude and I can't believe you pulled this off! Looking forward to follow up/fallout videos from you. Thanks
Excellent interview. Thanks for asking the tough questions. It was definitely enlightening and I have a better appreciation for what these companies do. I look forward to more transparency in describing their process. It should have been that way from the beginning.
Thanks for posting! You've done a great service for the vinyl community here. Just the facts, from the engineers themselves. 👍👍
💨
Thank you Michael for getting to the bottom of this. Consumers can now make an informed decision about their purchase going forward.
Thank you Mike!
Great job Mike, you accomplished something big that the industry journalists never did.
Thanks Mike 45 too
There is a good reason why journalists were not invited to this. Mike did the best he could. However, he had them dead to rights on Santana and Mike did not know how to hold a formal line of questioning.
What we needed here WAS an actual journalist. Good on Mike but he’s not an interviewer and these guys took advantage of that. I have more questions now than I did going into it.
That’s true Mike is not a interviewer by profession. He’s not a journalist either. I think the guys knew that he would give pretty much softball questions. He never gave them any really tough questions or followed up on what he had to stay on Santana at the beginning. But he did get them to admit that they were doing a lot of DSD files.Not pure analog. I don’t think all of this controversy will hurt their sales too much. Certain people will stop buying from them to purists this is a bad thing. But most everyone else will continue to buy from them I think they have known that all along.
Did we watch the same thing? Mike just ran a commercial for them. Being a stooge for this public relations nonsense. "What was your favorite record you worked on? " What?! And then they can identify an album and how awesome it was, and oh, hey, that was digitized, see how awesome digital is? Come on now. This was just insulting.
Thanks Mike!
Really nice of them to explain the process amd why they really love what they do
I appreciate that MoFi agreed to explain the process. Going forward, fulfill the pledge to include the gear used in the remastering, either on the product or website. I always assumed DSD was part of the chain and accept that the original mater tapes get digitized due to their delicate nature. But consumers deserve to know what they’re getting.
This is a PR nightmare for THE audiophile boutique label. When one spends $125 (or even $40) on (at best) a lie of omission, or at worst a false pretense, there is a BIG problem. Why tf are they charging $125 for one steps? I guess it's cool that they laid this to rest, but there's really no excuse for lying to your customers for years.
"I appreciate that MoFi agreed to explain the process." They're a business. They had no choice. If they didn't explain, they'd be out of business. You think they're doing people a favor by talking?
The first 2 minutes said it all. Thanks for digging into this.
These Guys are a CLOWN CAR SHOW with a traveling suitcase recorder. Of course they stutter and can't even speak.
You need to be open minded. So what if they were a little nervous? They are true professionals and they have pride in their work. Listen!!
And at 45:36
Wow. I have not seen that much dancing since Singin' in the Rain.
Thanks for this contribution and effort Mike! The interview was maybe not the best interview possible, but listening between the lines we get a lot of interesting information. Yes, they should definitely up their game and start issuing information how a certain record pressing came to be. I would almost argue including an additional insert for that specific record (including the cataloguemumber, etc so that you can always refernce it against the sleeve and LP itself (so no generic information) that gives us the information we like to see. For that matter: any re-issue label that releases audiophile records should do this. So in the end 2 things matter: a) being transparent about the whole production chain and b) experiencing a record that blows you away and leaves you in awe! But the fact you and Mofi made the effort and got information from the source (although they sometimes love to dodge the direct information) made for a very nice insight into the inner workings at Mofi. As Rob put it....'try to get a master as accurately possible compared to the original master', is where it's at. So if thats includes 4X DSD that's fine by me.....the pressings have proven themselves. Remember; original tapes can't run forever; at one point they deteriorate and will be useless, so better preserve them!
So in the end 2 things matter: a) being transparent about the whole production chain and b) experiencing a record that blows you away and leaves you in awe! Thanks again Mike !! Regards from The Netherlands
Mike achieved his aim. Watch from about 18:50
Intriguing dialogue. Thanks Mike
Absolutely surreal hearing Stan's name brought up. I knew the man well. In fact, I spent a number of years living under his roof where he had his home mastering studio in the garage. He was a kind soul and had a passion for music, actively playing bass in the local community orchestra with his daughter. I remember him in the garage for hours on the lathe cutting laquers up until his last days. I only recently realized what an impact he had on the vinyl world with this recent MoFi controversy.
Mike, you are a legend for getting this interview! Holy crap. Thanks times a million.
He was a soft touch for those three smug guys.
What would you have asked?
@@FleagleSangria " why didn't you tell us the truth? Why did you lie? Since when does all analogue include dsd? And why with a lot of your customers upset right now do you all look so fucking smug?"
Then...dsd is the future, we get it, but.....
Thank you for this interview, Mike. Nice to have the clarity as a consumer but like you, it’s always been about “how good does this sound”.
Excellent job Mike.
Incredible work, Mike! I have no problem whatsoever with their processing. But they should definitely take this opportunity to raise the bar on transparency. Well done everybody!
did not hear a SORRY from them because marketing lied
They seem to be very intent at jokin' around and "not going into very much detail." My take is that they were initially vague on message for years and awful from a promotional standpoint. Why should it take a guy like Mike to bring all this to light? Why couldn't they make a video themselves? It's all pretty ridiculous.
For the record, I am not a audiophile vinyl reissue buyer but have been very pleased with the quality of their SACDs.
These clearly aren't "marketing" guys. It's a small nerd shop.
they shouldn't talk to a record shop guy
@@escaton74 This is my point. Once the accusations came out, why didn't Music Direct issue a statement that was professional as possible?
@@escaton74 why not? No one else got them this close to the truth
Thank you for this very interesting interview and video series. What amused (but didn't bother) me was the slightly warbly-ness of the audio. Now I feel like building up a little vinyl collection, especially the vinyls that were mentioned highly here. Thank you!
Thanks for the interview, Mike. My takeaway? MoFi = NoBuy.
What a great job Mike ! And thanks also Mofi team for explanations!
Im starting to think most are mad because they have been telling everyone how much better their all analog MOFI version is and are now realizing they didn't have ears good enough to decipher a digital step. Instead of all the hurt egos, I say thats a testament to how well they apply that step in the chain when they do. Even with this conversion step, I feel like im getting a superior analog experience on playback through and analog system.
MOFI could not sound better if they were still using the old, outdated AAA system from 40 years ago.
I might go watch some Fremer videos now and have a laugh
Bingo. This is ultimately about the pretentious analog cultists being shown to be either full of it, or self-deluded. The sound is indecipherable between analog and digital when the digital process is a lossless copy. That's been demonstrated in study after study for years. MoFi makes some of the best-sounding pressings on the market. Period. Everyone thought so before, and they shouldn't feel any different now.
100%. This is all about analog only snobs who can't admit that digital can actually sound pretty good. They're still crying that MoFi claimed the releases are all analog when they never did.
@@johnbrentford5513 you may not understand completely what that means
Good interview, good answers, enjoy the music!
Great Interview... it opened my eyes up to the process in making great sounding records too enjoy!! I will still buy MOFI records.
Nice BBQ party. 🥩 🍗 🍖
THANK YOU Mike Esposito for all that you do! Great video as always!
Still great works and efforts. Thank you Mofi! 🙏💕 Respect.
great job Mike!
An excellent discussion! Lots of valuable information shared. Well done, Mike!!!
They are still not taking this seriously! Amazing.
These Guys are a CLOWN CAR SHOW with a traveling suitcase recorder.
WOW ! :) thank you for the video !
Fascinating interview, great job.
Mike
Thank you for an insightful and also cordial interview
You did a great service to all us record collectors
Please AVOID all the naysayers, those who attacked you etc
Step back, you don’t need to defend yourself from those less civil
Again thank you
This is completely off topic, but...
right after I got the notification that this video dropped, the mail lady dropped my first order from the in grove in which I took advantage of the ultrasonic cleaning service. It's such a good feeling to get 4 discs (from the Ennio Morricone Themes collection) that I don't have to clean myself. And the packaging was second to none. Mike making this video happen AND offering kickass service...totally fking rad. Thanks, Mike!
Didn't know TIG offered that service via mail. That's cool. I used to have records cleaned there when I lived in PHX. Those machines are huge, noisy, and expensive but man do they do a great job. Saved a few records from being trashed too (might have spilled beer on one of them in a late night session - sounds flawless after a US clean). Glad to see Mike is keeping it real here with this story. He's the one that recommended Dire Straits LOG MoFi to me instead of Japanese pressing. I naturally thought it was 'all analogue' as detailed in his 'Top 100' video post. Still sounds amazing but can't help but feel a little duped by the whole process now.
Thanks for doing this Mike, hear in the UK. Interesting but I still like their product and will buy. Look forward to hearing more.
Now that things are put to bed. Mike keep giving us your recommendations of great sounding music, no matter how it came to market. Thank you because this video has caused MoFi to at least rethink the way they do business (transparency) and understanding the expectations of it’s consumers. In the end, their overall mantra is to produce the best sounding album and that they have been doing across their product lines.
Amen, my brother. Couldn’t have said it better.
Absolutely.
I totally agree which is why I have been buying their records and cds since they started sell high end records and cds. No bad ones in anything I've purchased.😁
I only trust Bernie Grundman and Kevin Gray for true analog audiophile masters. From here on, Mofi needs to come clean what they are selling consumers.
Just wanted to say Thanks Mike, you set out to find out if their is a Digital Step in the process - and you did. Job Done!
Lack of transparency, apologies, and consumers still being consumers in the future is now up to MoFi and us.
I have no reason to buy a $125.00 record. I’ve been buying vinyl since 1970 and I never stopped buy vinyl. Even in the 1990’s and 2000’s. This was the only way you could get great House music. From the King Street Sounds label and Wave music. By the way I never liked the Beatles or some of the classic rock bands or artists.
First comment by mofi "Is this under oath?"
THIS SAYS IT ALL.
Amazing interview Mike. You have done the record-buying community a great service. The engineers were tremendously generous with lifting the veil, and I suspect that is because a) you are a sincere, no BS guy and b) your store buys a helluva lot of MoFi records! TBH, the only thing that surprised me is that all of their current issues are DSD. I thought occasionally there would be a full analog release. The reality is that the master tapes of epic albums have significant historical and monetary value. They are also fragile. They don’t own the music. They borrow it. If I was the owner, of, say, the KOB masters, I would be very reluctant to let them out of my sight. That said, now I understand the “Mobile” in Mobile Fidelity..
When I got back into this hobby about six years ago, I purchased a few of the lower-priced MoFi offerings of a few of my favourite rock albums but I haven’t bought any since I learned from another collector that “some” were digital transfers. Instead, I buy AAA from labels like Blue Note and Analogue Productions. But this is only for reissues of “unobtanium”. If I can get an OG or analog reissue from a few years after the album’s release, I tend to enjoy those more.
HiFiNews & Record Review, the UK magazine, ran an article some 6 years ago, where they went to a London-based record pressing plant and the managers there went on record saying that 95% or more of all records being cut there were done from digital files. If I recall correctly, this was for convenience and cost, as it appeared so much easier to cut laquers from digital. If you just take Abraxas as an example, that master is over 50 years old now and if I were the manager of that sort of tapes, I'd never let them out of my sight. MoFi's process, where they ship an A80, ADC & engineer to site, does sound like a carefully considered process to yield the best possible transfer of that invaluable mastertape.
Mike, thanks for having our back and getting some revealing information about the DSD step in the process. You are truly a passionate music lover and are willing to put yourself out there to get us some answers. What is disappointing is the name calling and criticizing the interview that I wasted my time reading. Keep rocking Mike I am proud to be one of many customers. When Mobile Fidelity puts those stickers on the LPs revealing source we know where it came from.
“Trust us, we’re professionals of digital pressings.”
A terrific interview. Fascinating, engrossing and highly informative. Thanks for taking time to get together to record this. The guys do a fantastic job- if only more in the industry had the skills and dedication to their art these dudes have. Thank you for the terrific (audiophile) music.
You're the best, Mike!
1) If the DSD process wins out in sound tests then why did you deny its existence? 2) Why are you making bogus scarcity with 2,500 or even 40k copies when this is a digital file that can be reproduced ad infinitum with no loss in quality?
Indeed. “Limited…to the number of records we can sell.”
Yeah they still use the bogus moniker of "awaiting repress" as if they are going through the usual timestaking analogue processes of that routine when they have no excuse for not manufacturing non stop since its a digital mastering process 🧐
Bear in mind if there had been digital copies of master tapes backed up on the cloud we would not have lost so many masters in the Universal fire from years back. Its just a good idea to have digital copies of some things.
Nothing wrong with digital copies of the of the ORIGINAL ANALOG Reel tapes... I got mine backed up.. 3 times 8 Track 1/2inch tape.... The original still KICKS FKN ASS !! 😝🤘
But yes, once digitized from the original sour, you get both worlds. 😎👍🏻
This was a very informative video in my opinion. Thanks Mike for doing this!! I am happy with what I heard here even though I’m sure others won’t feel that way.
Do these guys realize how serious this issue is to their company? I don't think they do
MOFI is going DOWN. DOWN!!!!!
Serious ramifications? Legal ones?
Apparently they don't. All laughs and smirks at the start!
They do, that’s why they are doing this
@@Portekberm If they truly realised, they would’ve apologised. Which is the bare minimum.
What an amazing experience that must have been. Thanks Mike for doing this for all us vinyl lovers it was illuminating to say the least.
Thanks for this Mike. At the end of the day. the quality of the record is what matters to me. This doesn’t change my mind at all. I’ll still support them as they continue to deliver stellar products.
I totally agree
Lol
Well said.
I feel the same way, been collecting vinyl since 1969
Great job Mike. Thanks for getting to the bottom of this.
Great job, lot to take in but it all makes sense. A few years ago I heard an interview with the guy who compiled collections for Time/Life (Sounds Of The 70’s etc), he explained the process of obtaining the master tapes and making sure it’s the correct mix. Not as easy as it sounds. In fact on those collections you will find the random alternate mix because it was mislabeled or the wrong tape was pulled. There is a lot that goes into putting this stuff out. I think a lot of people hear digital and turn their nose up. As the guys explained, it’s not that simple. Great video and at the end of the day product on your turntable sounding the best it can is the ultimate goal.
Mike you are awesome for getting this interview and having the “brain trust” at MOFI explain their process. I do understand their thought process behind the HiRes transfers, but it looks like I’ll be investing more in MoFi SACDs
There there. It’s okay. Digital is your friend.
40yr old digital! Donald Fagan's Nightfly is a great example... attention to every signal detail, a proper well executed process is what's vital.
Much effort was put forth deciding the capture platform to use; new 3M digital, or the best Studer analog.
They went to great lengths A/B testing perfect tape formulations, freshly calibrated machines, they compared the direct signal, vs the Studer, vs 3M.
The new 3M rig clearly was superior and that's the chosen platform.
Point being, attention to detail, and a "well executed" recording... proper gain staging, etc. is amazingly capable.
40yrs of digital development since, even back then in a controlled A/B it bested the analog platform for that element of the process.
It's remarkable what that production achieved.
That said, the dubious sleight of hand bullshit ... is a bad look.
Thanks Mike for spending your valuable time to do this man
Stuff still sounds good. Nice work gentlemen.
Great video.
I think it's rally great that they master in dsd 4x.
Its the absolute best.
And much beter for archival use than analog
This is a conversation between vinyl/music enthusiasts. A journalist would have held Mofi’s feet to the fire and asked the tough questions like how is transferring to digital not a production step in the one step process? And surely they were aware that consumers thought their product was all analogue so why didn’t they address this misconception about their product?
What misconception? They state "mastered from the original analog tapes". What part of that is incorrect? Master tape to DSD4. It's still from a master tape. Yes yes?
I trust that these guys knows what they're doing, whatever comes out of this studio will be as accurate as it can be. It's great to hear in this interview how they are doing it. I do not care that there is a digital stage in there. It's there for good reasons. Keep up the good work, and gimme that one step Bitches Brew soon.
wow ....TY Mike for this
Thanks Mike! Always thought Analogue Productions sound was head and shoulders above MOFI and now I know why.
Same here, I've always found Mofi Pressings to be hit or miss tbh
These Guys are a CLOWN CAR SHOW with a traveling suitcase recorder.
@@jimbennett2795 LMAO!!!!!
Does the source matter if it’s a great-sounding product? IMO, no, but transparency does. I appreciate their honesty. Thanks, Mike, for bringing this to light.
It’s not really ‘honesty’ if you only come clean after you are rumbled, bang to rights.
What Honesty??? These Guys are a CLOWN CAR SHOW with a traveling suitcase recorder.
The Brother in Arms MOFI vinyl sounds great and it is always sold out. Most people know it is from a digital source because it was recorded digitally, and MOFI doesn't say on any of the MOFI titles that there isn't a digital step. My concern is with the One-Steps, there is no sign of a digital step in the flyer. Not sure if it is greed or whatever, but announcing that there will be 40K of MJ's Thriller as a One Step was just too much for inquiring minds to avoid asking the questions "WTF, how can this be?"
@@jimbennett2795 ???
An amazing meeting of the minds. Great work as always.
Mike, I want to hear your opinion on this interview. Follow up video is a must.
I’m sure he’ll just say they were great, they were open to his questions, gave him a great tour and a nice lunch and spent a lot of time schmoozing
@@cradio52 YEP Mike got sucked in. Couldn't even ask a decient question the whole time. Listening to These Guys a CLOWN CAR SHOW with a traveling suitcase recorder.
@@cradio52 - and don’t forget, a nice pat on the head for being such a good boy with his lowball questions.
@@mpi5850 You mean softball questions.
@@mpi5850what should he have done? Run in there, slam the door and start screaming at them?
So much to unpick here, the big take for me from this is how much of the Emporers New Clothes mentality has existed around these super expensive re-issues. In the end you have use your own ears and not be distracted by price or production technique. It puts into perspective some of the stuff Miles Showell is doing at Abbey Road which has come in for a bit of criticism lately, too me they sound great despite all the flack concerning hte digital transfer process. To quote Talking Heads "Same as it Everv Was" use your own ears and be aware.
That's the idea, so much info, but not a true answer to the real question.
I never shelled out the dough for Mobile Fidelity, but this video makes me want to buy some, These guys are genuine and I can respect their company.
absolutely incredible -
ears > eyes
any day of the year
For me, the bottom line is honestly getting the best sound possible. Having said that, MFSL SHOULD have been far more transparent on the DSD transfers. I've lost a certain amount of respect for the label having watched this. I also understand it's a hell of a mine field out there for these guys. One more thing: Friggin UA-cam commercials GRRRRRRRRR.
Ad blocker or UA-cam premium
Why?
Based upon your assumptions?
Switching to UA-cam premium for ads and playing audio in background was one of the biggest come ups in life for me hahahaha
No commercials for me , I have "UA-cam premium"!
They transfer from the original master tape to 4X DSD to make their vinyl. It that is not good enough then there is no satisfying you.
I can’t wait for the analog purest to go nuts so I can finally afford these records
Haha...right!? 😅👍
You think a few of the secondary market prices will inch down?
My exact thought.
The hemming and hawwing with plenty of caveats before answering if the process is all analogue.
That told me all I needed to know without having to watch the whole hour long interview.
I don’t mind if there is digital in the process.
Some of my old JVC and Denon digital mastered records sound fantastic.
Just wish MOFI had been upfront about it.
So if you like MOFI AND you really want the best sound, just buy their DSD/SACDs because their vinyl can only *hope* to be as good but never better than their DSDs. Also you save all the hassle that goes with vinyl.
@@chessnord7934 But... DSD can not be edited. Did they transfer the DSD files to PCM for tweaking and back to DSD or did they go to the analog domain to tweak and back to DSD? All I am looking for is the transparency of the process.
@@vinylrules4838 Those are industry secrets and they are not going to tell us.
@@SDsailor7 So again, Mobile Fidelity is not being transparent. There should be no "Industry Secrete" how they process the file.
@@vinylrules4838 Email Coke and ask for their exact recipe, if they don't give it to you they're not being transparent.
When I used to listen to vinyl when young (pre digital era) it was great to sit and read the info in the huge gatefold cover about the recording process and some of the equipment used and the people involved. I think this info actually ADDS to the appreciation of what’s been achieved. It shouldn’t be looked at as a chore. Having said that if 4x DSD is virtually transparent then buying that file makes more sense than buying vinyl, although I understand the whole vinyl lifestyle choice which is almost a fetish. ! Whatever you do, enjoy the music. R
I'm retired from Warner Bros Television Burbank. Having been to many television recording studios, control booths it's all familiar to me. Warner Bros masters ,many, are in a very secret location in the San Fernando valley.. I have seen how they restore many of the great MGM & Warner Bros. classics. It's just so time consuming in the film world. Music it's very understandable. The tape speed, studio recording references etc...it's very true. One of them said, "They want the tapes to be flat, no eq etc...it's the optimal for a good accuracy tape mastering. Here's one question not asked, are all tapes they master, first generation true un mixed master tapes? Or safety copies, 2nd generation and on. Look at hundreds of thousands of tapes lost forever across the lot from us at Universal Studios. Gone forever Buddy Holly, Eagles...Chess, Decca masters!!! A well know incident in our recording industry.
According to Fremer the Buddy Holly's weren't destroyed, watch the interview with Fremer here: ua-cam.com/video/R-a0jPl5ncw/v-deo.html
Great job on bringing us this content! I’ve been agnostic when it comes to AAA vs Digital step vinyl. If it’s mastered, cut and pressed great it will sound great. I do agree there should be a coding on all record outer sleeves with the vinyls origin.
Thank you for being such a pioneer and making this happen. Your passion is above top notch. Truly awesome.
As for me, and I think loads of others, it is really all about the sound!!
This was a disappointing watch. I really appreciate Mike for taking the time to get answers. MOFI treated this like a joke. I think it's safe to say that no one knows "what is what" I wish MOFI would of went about this differently.
On a separate note - I could listen to these guys talk about this stuff all day long . . . it's fascinating 👍
What a great group of professional engineers/magicians. That was awesome. Audio ain't easy.
Don't forget shady salesman
No surprises really. Whilst I do feel a little lied to...at the end of the day it's all about the mastering and the sound. Am glad they were honest. Thank you Mike for making it happen 🙏
Honest after the fact, eh...
Has MFSL ever lied about their process?
@@mrcell61 Other than the ‘OneStep’ not being a OneStep, the Original Master Recording being a copy of a copy, and the Ultra Gain supposed analogue system being sourced digitally? Nope: honest as the day is long, I’d say.
Mastering is the keyword, the final sound is what matters…
@@mrcell61 Mike keeps deleting this post about Shawn Britton lying that their records were ALL ANALOG. Please repost. Mike gave MoFi a pass cuz he got bought.
ua-cam.com/video/z-td3Uk5TIQ/v-deo.html
We were misled
, and thats not ok. Regardless how great the records sound, buyers were led to believe they were cut from analog tape in an all analog process.
And the 1 step, is NOT a 1 step, if theres ANOTHER STEP, that no one was ever told about! WTF?
The title Original Master Recording was definitely very misleading, no doubt! They are only talking about it now because they got caught, they only make a transfer from the original tapes, after that it's whatever they have to do to make it sound the best, which is fine but they should have been honest, they knew what they were doing. Makes me wonder about Analog Productions, I'd like the get Chads take on this, are the sneaking in DSD also!???
probably they are.
Over the last few years, Mike has been the ultimate champion for record buyers. He’s out here doing the audio god’s work and should be treated as such.
Seems like a good guy to me who is more concerned about the truth and protecting the consumer than his own wallet.
Thanks!
Nice! Been looking forward to this
Vintage pressings just got even more expensive.