MoFi controversy


I see this hasn't been mentioned here yet, so I thought I'd put this out here.  Let me just say that I haven't yet joined the analog world, so I don't have a dog in this fight.

It was recently revealed that Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs one step LPs are being cut from digital masters (DSD) rather than being straight analog throughout the chain.

Here is one of the many Youtube videos that discusses it

 

To me, it seems that if MOFI is guilty of anything, it's "deception by omission."  That is, they were never open about the process and the use of digital in the chain. 

One thing to mention is that hardly anyone is criticizing the sound quality of these LPs, even after this revelation.  Me personally, I wouldn't spend over one hundred dollars for any recording regardless of the format.

 

ftran999

It will make a lot of harm for the record industry. Especially for premium products. Sales was rising so well especially for premium records, now this trend can change.

 

 

I love my 2K+ vinyl but I confess, I don't own any MOFI ultradisk. I was about to purchase Hendrix are you experienced for $125, but then I thought of jasonborne and ended up buying a cable for twice that money. 

@tomcy6 

"In order to be transparent (very important in this discussion),, I have learned that Chad Kassem, owner of Analogue Productions, only does reissues of albums that he can get the master tapes for at his facilities."

You are correct in the strictest sense of the word "reissue".  In the case of the AP release of SD Two Against Nature there never was an analog release.  In fact the entire original chain was digital.

I know this because I happen to know Scott Hull at Masterdisk and was at the studio when he received the first TEST pressing of the analog that he mastered and cut on his lathe.  Scott also mixed the original digital and won a Grammy for it which is why SD came back to him to remix for analog and cut the original lacquer.

Regards,

barts