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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
tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
2,539 posts
 

@mahler123, You misunderstood my post. johnss made a post about MoFi converting its DSD files to PCM for mastering, adding more conversions to their mastering process. I just stated that at this point MoFi says they do not convert their DSD files to PCM for mastering, they convert the DSD files back to analog for mastering. I can’t vouch for MoFi, we’ll just have to wait and see how this all plays out.

I don't have any problem with DSD, PCM or analog.  They all can sound great.

johnss
564 posts
 

they could convert back to analogue to edit and eq the file, then when done convert back to DSD. A lot of steps of A to D, D to A to edit then back to A to D. Then D to A again when you cut the lacquer. Each step misses a little bit of info each time. 

 

 

karl_desch's avatar
karl_desch
422 posts
 

My understanding of the process, but who really knows...  

Start with Master tape, record with DSD while adjusting for tape head azimuth, splice together in digital domain, ?convert to analog?, ?master in analog domain?, cut lacquer.

larsman's avatar
larsman
1,751 posts
 

I don't care one way or the other, but I thought the main point of this MoFi controversy wasn't so much the sound - a lot of these vinyl guys are saying the sound is excellent on a lot of these - but that they are paying large amounts of money for something that is different from what they thought they were paying for. 

tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
2,539 posts
 

Yes some people are really upset that MoFi vinyl has a digital step in the process that no one was informed of.  There is a thread on this over a thousand pages long on the Steve Hoffman Music Forums.  I suggest that anyone who wants delve deep into this matter seek out that thread:

Steve Hoffman MoFi DSD Vinyl thread

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