Do Mobile Fidelity Vinyl Re-issues Have a Digital Step in the Process?

davidavdavid · Aug 18, 2022

Music on Vinyl is an Audiophile vinyl label based out of the Netherlands. They produce re-issues and current releases to concise with present-day CD/DVD releases.

In their own words:

"Music On Vinyl is a vinyl-only record label that releases high quality 180g LP and 7" vinyl pressings of titles licensed from a wide range of record companies and artists who control their own repertoire."

On March 30th of 2016 Music on Vinyl was rather detailed in answering questions they've received on how their records are made. In the third paragraph of this post under the heading CUTTING ROOM is this

"From the supplied master tape, or hi-res digital files are taken directly from the original masters, an experienced mastering engineer makes a cut in the cutting room..."

Now that wasn't so hard. And this post was published 6 and a half years ago. Perhaps this becomes the template for all other audiophile record labels out there generating reissues and/or new releases.

Here is the link to the post in full: How Music on Vinyl Records are Made

Alrainbow · Aug 18, 2022

jbr7 said:
Just adding my two cents to this discussion. Was I disappointed there is a digital step involved? Yes. However, in mitigation, I turn to the 45 rpm MFSL2-466 "Dire Straits" double LP in my collection. Based on recent reporting, this item has a digital step. To me, even with that black mark, lol, it is still one of the best sounding LPs that I have. I use it for demonstrating, to guests, how amazing properly made vinyl can sound. As long as the final product provides good listening, the digital step does not concern me that much.

Has anyone compared this mofi to analog products vinyl 45?

jbr7 · Aug 18, 2022

Alrainbow said:
Has anyone compared this mofi to analog products vinyl 45?

I'm not certain that Analogue Productions ever released this title. I've only seen Mobile Fidelity editions.

Alrainbow · Aug 18, 2022

Has any one used any kind of audio analyzer for past not on the list releases ?
to me this is not just about sound
it’s about protecting our music
if any tape is aloud to be digitally converted does anyone think more copies are not made and sold
it kills me to read yet again more lies of produced music
in released formats.
we the buyers always suffer from this.
Why can’t the chain of custody be kept to not let false releases
be sold. the only reason I see it’s allowed is greed of sales
to me the owners of the tapes used are as guilty as mofi and perhaps more in my view
the term best sound is the goal is garbage as a good reason

Alrainbow · Aug 18, 2022

jbr7 said:
I'm not certain that Analogue Productions ever released this title. I've only seen Mobile Fidelity editions.

Good point made

jeromelang · Aug 18, 2022

Alrainbow said:
Has anyone compared this mofi to analog products vinyl 45?

This boxset was released in Europe.

Every album in it, despite being only 33rpm sounds better than the mofi. You'll hear more space, greater contrast in dynamics, and more grittiness in the gravelled voice of Mark Knopfler.

BIA and OES are 2-disc.

Unfortunately the CD boxset is audibly compressed...

jbr7 · Aug 18, 2022

jeromelang said:
This boxset was released in Europe.

Every album in it, despite being only 33rpm sounds better than the mofi. You'll hear more space, greater contrast in dynamics, and more grittiness in the gravelled voice of Mark Knopfler.

BIA and OES are 2-disc.

Unfortunately the CD boxset is audibly compressed...

Well, the info on the box set notes that the LP "Dire Straits" was was mastered from analogue. Even though it's at 33rpm, I would love to hear how it sounds compared to mine. I just don't feel like springing for about $200 for the set to find out, lol.

Mike Lavigne · Aug 18, 2022

i listened to the 'Simply Vinyl' 33rpm pressing of 'Dire Straits' earlier today, had it for a decade or more. pretty fine sounding.

astrotoy · Aug 19, 2022

IIRC Brothers in Arms was a digital recording. For vinyl issues, the mix down was often done to 2 track tape and the 2 track tape was either used as the master for the vinyl lacquer or a production master tape was made from the master tape to make the lacquer. I don't know whether mastering engineers who were cutting lacquers for local vinyl releases (think a pressing done for Jugoton in the former Yugoslavia) would have the mixing equipment and expertise to do a 2 track mixdown to directly cut a lacquer from the multitrack digital files, tweaking EQ and volume and panning tracks, etc. needed to accurately reproduce the mix down that the original studio engineers did at the recording.

I have a 2 track 15ips safety master of Paul Simon's Graceland which I have been told was at least partly originally recorded digitally. The mix down to two channels was done to tape and then the master tape was copied to make production and safety masters for the vinyl and CD issues. I also have copies of the production or safety masters of Donald Fagen's Nightfly and Beck's Sea Change which were both digitally recorded. They came from a recording engineer who has many safety and production masters and makes copies to order for tape buffs like me. He told me that Beck was a great mastering engineer and did the digital mixdown to two track tape himself.

Larry

adrianywu · Aug 19, 2022

Bruce B said:
I do the same thing... but you would be hard pressed to hear a difference... I'm using the Merging Horus

As I am only using the lowly Tascam DA-3000, it could very well be that the ADC is better for DSD than PCM. I should borrow my recording partner's Horus to try. He is the digital guy.

bonzo75 · Aug 19, 2022

Is there a list of people who use Patricia Barber for evaluation

Al M. · Aug 19, 2022

bonzo75 said:
Is there a list of people who use Patricia Barber for evaluation

The only listeners qualified to comment on the issue, that's right.

microstrip · Aug 19, 2022

Bruce B said:
I do the same thing... but you would be hard pressed to hear a difference... I'm using the Merging Horus

A naive consumer question - what is the minimum hardware and software involved in using the Merging Horus in digital tape dub?

microstrip · Aug 19, 2022

bonzo75 said:
Is there a list of people who use Patricia Barber for evaluation

I bet it is much longer than the one of those who use Scheherazade!

davidavdavid · Aug 19, 2022

bonzo75 said:
Is there a list of people who use Patricia Barber for evaluation

Assuming such a list does exist, what you would like to see done with those listed? The possibilities are indeed numerous, so if you wouldn't mind winnowing that number a bit. It would make things more manageable and in the right context provide for some heretofore unexplored weekend activities.

Bruce B · Aug 19, 2022

microstrip said:
A naive consumer question - what is the minimum hardware and software involved in using the Merging Horus in digital tape dub?

A Pyramix computer, A-D and D-A cards in the Horus. I also have the Doshi Tape Pre going out from the Studer A80RC MkII.. Disregarding the Studer... about $50k

microstrip · Aug 19, 2022

Bruce B said:
A Pyramix computer, A-D and D-A cards in the Horus. I also have the Doshi Tape Pre going out from the Studer A80RC MkII.. Disregarding the Studer... about $50k

Thanks. Can we conclude that the Horus must be forcefully merged with the Pyramix?

Do you think that this old WBF thread is still up-to date https://www.whatsbestforum.com/thre...e-best-analog-to-digital-a-d-converter.16452/ or do we have newcomers that challenge the old stuff?

Rt66indierock · Aug 19, 2022

Alrainbow said:
Has any one used any kind of audio analyzer for past not on the list releases ?
to me this is not just about sound
it’s about protecting our music
if any tape is aloud to be digitally converted does anyone think more copies are not made and sold
it kills me to read yet again more lies of produced music
in released formats.
we the buyers always suffer from this.
Why can’t the chain of custody be kept to not let false releases
be sold. the only reason I see it’s allowed is greed of sales
to me the owners of the tapes used are as guilty as mofi and perhaps more in my view
the term best sound is the goal is garbage as a good reason

Before I get banned, nobody with ownership of the masters’ cares about protecting “our” music.

How many copies can be made is written in a contract.

When has anybody in the record music not lied? You walk into a meeting with the labels, you ask yourself how are they going to lie to me today?

Buyers of music are considered complete suckers by the people who produce it.

There never was adequate inventory control over master tapes. Creating it now would be cost prohibitive and require expertise not available to anyone storing master tapes.

A few artists tried to hold Universal accountable over the loss of their masters over the fire in 2008. They failed.

The owners of master tapes aren’t guilty of anything, they just don’t care as I said above.

Alrainbow · Aug 19, 2022

I thank you for an Honest answer sad but honest
I’m not mad and I feel I’m not qualified to know better always
I’ve learned to be very aware of reissues and direct to disk as well.
SHM who I thought made a great product seems to sound less great then others anyway
I know shm is about the m medium used as well too.

but it seems there are a few who always seem to make great sound for us , I wonder why or how this is ?

im still waiting on anyone making comments on analyzing our beloved audio lol

I know some here can and do
but Your opening comment said a lot

Bruce B · Aug 19, 2022

microstrip said:
Thanks. Can we conclude that the Horus must be forcefully merged with the Pyramix?

Do you think that this old WBF thread is still up-to date https://www.whatsbestforum.com/thre...e-best-analog-to-digital-a-d-converter.16452/ or do we have newcomers that challenge the old stuff?

I still stand by my recommendations in that thread. I've tried every new converter that has come on the market. Merging is still the best... IMHO... There hasn't been much advancement in the A-D converter realm in the upper echelon. There have been many mid-price PCM converters that have come on the market, but Merging, Prism, PBD and DAD are the only high-end A/D converters.

Pyramix can be used with other converters... but who wants to? Pyramix has MassCore and Native systems. I have both... they sound the same, just one is more powerful ... up to 128 tracks of DSD. Grimm, EMM Labs and others have gotten out of the game.

Do Mobile Fidelity Vinyl Re-issues Have a Digital Step in the Process?

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