Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
Encyclopedia
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL or MoFi) is a company known as an innovator in the production of audiophile
-quality sound recordings
. All releases are advertised as being produced from the first-generation analog master recording
s, and using proprietary technology, which MFSL claims allows for improved sound quality. MFSL has produced LP
, CD
, DVD
and cassette tape releases. Each title is licensed from the original record company as a limited edition item. It is manufactured and sold only within a specific period of time.
The emphasis on quality at MFSL has been praised by critics and music fans. The success of MFSL proved that there was a significant market for premium product and encouraged other labels to emphasize quality also. Many other "audiophile" labels soon sprouted up to compete with MFSL, some of these begun by the major record labels themselves.
With some notable exceptions, MFSL uses the original master tape as its source. This tape was then played back at half its original speed (if the master tape were recorded at 30 inches per second, it would be played back at 15 ips.) Simultaneously the record cutting lathe runs at revolutions per minute (half of its regular speed of RPM.)
The Half-Speed Mastering technology allows for cleaner reproduction of high frequencies (by cutting the actual transfer frequency in half) and allows twice as much time to carve a groove that accurately represents the sound on the master tape. It also permits extended high frequency response, extending into the ultrasonic region.
Jack Hunt ("JH/2") mastered many of MFSL's releases in the 1970s and 1980s. Some later titles were mastered by John LeMay and Paul Stubblebine, with a few uncredited releases. Currently, Shawn R. Britton and Rob LoVerde are mastering most LPs for MFSL. CD, SACD, and audio cassette mastering has been done by a variety of engineers, most recently by Britton. The company has only had a handful of engineers in its history.
in Japan on virgin 180 gram "SuperVinyl" LP discs. JVC originally developed this proprietary plastic compound in the early 1970s to reduce record wear on discreet 4-channel quadraphonic LP records. Supervinyl is a harder and more durable plastic than is normally used for LP records. The pressings exhibit a very low amount of surface noise, pops, clicks or other defects. Supervinyl remains a proprietary JVC technology and in the late 1980s JVC stopped production of the product. JVC has declined to license the use of Supervinyl to any other manufacturer, including MFSL.
Brad Miller (1939–1998) created the first recordings on the Mobile Fidelity label during the late 1950s and 1960s. These were highly realistic recordings of environmental and locomotive sounds which drew interest from audiophiles but gained little attention from the public. In 1971, while located in Burbank California, the company released a 7" 45rpm single, MFP-1 "Saunders Ferry Lane"/"Early Morning" by Clare (Torry) which was produced by Brad Miller. (The promotional version used stereo and mono versions of the A-side.) The record was re-issued as A&M Records 1299-S through the Mendes/Graham Association.
MFSL gained a reputation for emphasizing quality at all points in the sound duplication and manufacturing process. At this time MFSL was very unusual in the record industry by offering a premium quality product at prices significantly higher than the major record companies. Simultaneously, most large record labels were forced to lower costs and reduce quality standards. The decline in quality at the major labels was brought on by uncertain economic conditions and high inflation, declining record sales and increasing vinyl costs. In 1977 most major labels were using relatively poor quality disc mastering and duplication methods and had begun pressing their product on thin and often recycled vinyl. These low cost methods led to an unnecessary increase in surface noise and other audio distortions.
By 1977 Miller and entrepreneur Gary Giorgi established Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab as a record company originally based in the suburb of Veradale, Washington
, near Spokane
. MFSL's first four LPs in this series were pop-orchestral titles performed by the Mystic Moods Orchestra. These albums also made extensive use of natural sound effects. Following this MFSL shifted course, offering mostly well known Rock, Pop, and Jazz titles licensed from major record companies. The first of these was Crime of the Century by Supertramp
, originally released by A&M Records
in 1974. Another early success was Katy Lied
by Steely Dan
, licensed from ABC Records
.
MFSL moved to the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles
California in 1978. In 1979 Herbert A. Belkin, a music industry attorney and executive who had previously worked at ABC Records and Capitol Records
, bought the company from Miller. MFSL reached greater recognition and acclaim with their release of titles such as George Benson
's Breezin'
, Fleetwood Mac
's second eponymous album
. Pink Floyd
's The Dark Side of the Moon
was the label's biggest success in this period when it was re-issued on LP in the Original Master Recording series in 1979.
MFSL's releases received increased publicity in 1981 when they released a box set of Beatles
recordings. This comprised all 13 original British versions of their albums, mastered from the original Abbey Road Studio master tapes with the exception of Magical Mystery Tour
which was sourced from a copy of the original US Capitol
tapes. An album-sized booklet displaying the original album covers was also included. This project was the first and only time the Beatles master tapes ever left Abbey Road studios.
The box set was followed up with similar box sets of Frank Sinatra
and The Rolling Stones
. In addition to the regular-weight LP releases and box sets, MFSL also released eight UHQR (Ultra High Quality Record) title on LP. Each was a single-record box set limited to 5000 copies and individually numbered. UHQRs were pressed on heavy-weight (200 gram) "virgin" vinyl and pressed on the master stamper, also at JVC in Japan.
Prior to the release of Queen
's A Night at the Opera
in October 1992 each Ultradisc branded CD release was manufactured in Japan
. From this point, discs were made exclusively in the US and given the Ultradisc II designation. Many of the early Ultradisc titles were re-pressed in the US, as Ultradisc II.
As with the company's record pressings, no dynamic range compression was used in the production of the CDs. For the most part, no equalization was used either, so CDs are essentially straight transfers of the original master tape.
The late 1980s and early 1990s was the most successful period for MFSL. In 1988 the company headquarters moved to Sebastopol, California
. Sometime in the late 80s or early 90s JVC closed its LP manufacturing plant in Japan. MFSL then built its own LP manufacturing facility in the United States. Belkin retired from MFSL in 1994.
At this time many unsold items were liquidated as cut-out
items through discounters. At the same time other dealers also charged premium prices on the collectors market for the most rare and highly acclaimed titles. In 2001 the company's assets were acquired by the audiophile products company Music Direct, of Chicago
, operated by Jim Davis. Music Direct now owns rights to the technology used in the proprietary mastering chain and all intellectual property owned by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab.
Belkin died in 2001 of a heart-attack at age 62. Mobile Fidelity has continued to produce Super Audio CD
s, GAIN 2 Ultra Analog Limited Edition vinyl, Ultradisc II Gold CDs and Ultradisc CD-R
s since the company was re-established.
Super Audio CD
/CD hybrid discs contain both an SACD layer and a standard CD layer. The SACD layer is sourced from a DSD
recording of the original master tape. This version has a digital bit rate that is three to four times higher than a standard CD. The CD layer is a digital conversion of the DSD recording at the normal CD standard bit rate. Current MFSL releases include SACDs
and LPs, as well as the traditional Ultradisc II gold discs.
Audiophile
An audiophile is a person who enjoys listening to recorded music, usually in a home. Some audiophiles are more interested in collecting and listening to music, while others are more interested in collecting and listening to audio components, whose "sound quality" they consider as important as the...
-quality sound recordings
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
. All releases are advertised as being produced from the first-generation analog master recording
Master recording
A multitrack recording master tape, disk or computer files on which productions are developed for later mixing, is known as the multi-track master, while the tape, disk or computer files holding a mix is called a mixed master.It is standard practice to make a copy of a master recording, known as...
s, and using proprietary technology, which MFSL claims allows for improved sound quality. MFSL has produced LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
, DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and cassette tape releases. Each title is licensed from the original record company as a limited edition item. It is manufactured and sold only within a specific period of time.
The emphasis on quality at MFSL has been praised by critics and music fans. The success of MFSL proved that there was a significant market for premium product and encouraged other labels to emphasize quality also. Many other "audiophile" labels soon sprouted up to compete with MFSL, some of these begun by the major record labels themselves.
Half-Speed LP Mastering
MFSL initially became known to the public for the Half-Speed Mastering technique, which has since been employed by many other record companies. It was the first label to use this as standard on all of its LP releases. The use of this technique was pioneered by engineer Stan Ricker, who mastered all of the early MFSL releases. Ricker's work can be recognized by the signature "SR/2" carved between the run out grooves.With some notable exceptions, MFSL uses the original master tape as its source. This tape was then played back at half its original speed (if the master tape were recorded at 30 inches per second, it would be played back at 15 ips.) Simultaneously the record cutting lathe runs at revolutions per minute (half of its regular speed of RPM.)
The Half-Speed Mastering technology allows for cleaner reproduction of high frequencies (by cutting the actual transfer frequency in half) and allows twice as much time to carve a groove that accurately represents the sound on the master tape. It also permits extended high frequency response, extending into the ultrasonic region.
Jack Hunt ("JH/2") mastered many of MFSL's releases in the 1970s and 1980s. Some later titles were mastered by John LeMay and Paul Stubblebine, with a few uncredited releases. Currently, Shawn R. Britton and Rob LoVerde are mastering most LPs for MFSL. CD, SACD, and audio cassette mastering has been done by a variety of engineers, most recently by Britton. The company has only had a handful of engineers in its history.
Supervinyl
Early MFSL titles were pressed by JVCJVC
, usually referred to as JVC, is a Japanese international consumer and professional electronics corporation based in Yokohama, Japan which was founded in 1927...
in Japan on virgin 180 gram "SuperVinyl" LP discs. JVC originally developed this proprietary plastic compound in the early 1970s to reduce record wear on discreet 4-channel quadraphonic LP records. Supervinyl is a harder and more durable plastic than is normally used for LP records. The pressings exhibit a very low amount of surface noise, pops, clicks or other defects. Supervinyl remains a proprietary JVC technology and in the late 1980s JVC stopped production of the product. JVC has declined to license the use of Supervinyl to any other manufacturer, including MFSL.
Early History and the LP Era – 1971 to 1984
Recording engineerAudio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
Brad Miller (1939–1998) created the first recordings on the Mobile Fidelity label during the late 1950s and 1960s. These were highly realistic recordings of environmental and locomotive sounds which drew interest from audiophiles but gained little attention from the public. In 1971, while located in Burbank California, the company released a 7" 45rpm single, MFP-1 "Saunders Ferry Lane"/"Early Morning" by Clare (Torry) which was produced by Brad Miller. (The promotional version used stereo and mono versions of the A-side.) The record was re-issued as A&M Records 1299-S through the Mendes/Graham Association.
MFSL gained a reputation for emphasizing quality at all points in the sound duplication and manufacturing process. At this time MFSL was very unusual in the record industry by offering a premium quality product at prices significantly higher than the major record companies. Simultaneously, most large record labels were forced to lower costs and reduce quality standards. The decline in quality at the major labels was brought on by uncertain economic conditions and high inflation, declining record sales and increasing vinyl costs. In 1977 most major labels were using relatively poor quality disc mastering and duplication methods and had begun pressing their product on thin and often recycled vinyl. These low cost methods led to an unnecessary increase in surface noise and other audio distortions.
By 1977 Miller and entrepreneur Gary Giorgi established Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab as a record company originally based in the suburb of Veradale, Washington
Veradale, Washington
Veradale is a former census-designated place in Spokane County, Washington, United States. The population was 9,387 at the 2000 census. Since 2003, the area has been incorporated as part of the city of Spokane Valley.-Geography:...
, near Spokane
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
. MFSL's first four LPs in this series were pop-orchestral titles performed by the Mystic Moods Orchestra. These albums also made extensive use of natural sound effects. Following this MFSL shifted course, offering mostly well known Rock, Pop, and Jazz titles licensed from major record companies. The first of these was Crime of the Century by Supertramp
Supertramp
Supertramp are a British rock band formed in 1969 under the name Daddy before renaming to Supertramp in early 1970. Though their music was initially categorised as progressive rock, they have since incorporated a combination of traditional rock and art rock into their music...
, originally released by A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
in 1974. Another early success was Katy Lied
Katy Lied
Katy Lied is the fourth album by Steely Dan, originally released in 1975 by ABC Records. It went gold and peaked at #13 on the US charts. The single "Black Friday" also charted at #37....
by Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
, licensed from ABC Records
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
.
MFSL moved to the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
California in 1978. In 1979 Herbert A. Belkin, a music industry attorney and executive who had previously worked at ABC Records and Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, bought the company from Miller. MFSL reached greater recognition and acclaim with their release of titles such as George Benson
George Benson
George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
's Breezin'
Breezin'
Breezin' is an album by jazz/soul guitarist George Benson.The album marked the beginning of Benson's most successful period commercially. Breezin topped the Pop, Jazz and R&B album charts in Billboard and spun off two hit singles, the title song and "This Masquerade," which was a top ten pop and...
, Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
's second eponymous album
Fleetwood Mac (1975 album)
2004 Re-issueOn 24 March 2004, Warner Bros. Records re-released the remastered album, with the following bonus tracks:"Jam #2" – 5:41"Say You Love Me" [single version] – 4:03...
. Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's The Dark Side of the Moon
The Dark Side of the Moon
The Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in March 1973. It built on ideas explored in the band's earlier recordings and live shows, but lacks the extended instrumental excursions that characterised their work following the departure...
was the label's biggest success in this period when it was re-issued on LP in the Original Master Recording series in 1979.
MFSL's releases received increased publicity in 1981 when they released a box set of Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
recordings. This comprised all 13 original British versions of their albums, mastered from the original Abbey Road Studio master tapes with the exception of Magical Mystery Tour
Magical Mystery Tour (album)
The soundtrack was far more favourably received than the film. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for best album in 1968 and reached number 1 in the US for eight weeks...
which was sourced from a copy of the original US Capitol
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
tapes. An album-sized booklet displaying the original album covers was also included. This project was the first and only time the Beatles master tapes ever left Abbey Road studios.
The box set was followed up with similar box sets of Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
. In addition to the regular-weight LP releases and box sets, MFSL also released eight UHQR (Ultra High Quality Record) title on LP. Each was a single-record box set limited to 5000 copies and individually numbered. UHQRs were pressed on heavy-weight (200 gram) "virgin" vinyl and pressed on the master stamper, also at JVC in Japan.
Compact Disc Releases – 1985 to 1999
While continuing to sell LP product, MFSL first entered the CD market with its line of aluminum CDs in the mid 1980s. MFSL located the master tape for each title, and the tape was digitally transferred then copied directly to the CD master. The aluminum CD line continued into 1987, when the first disc in the "Ultradisc" series was released. The Ultradisc was a gold plated disc. MFSL claims that the gold surface is more reflective than that of other CDs and that Ultradisc titles sound superior to the standard release counterparts. However, the company has never pressed both aluminum and gold versions of the same title to allow for direct comparison.Prior to the release of Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
's A Night at the Opera
A Night at the Opera (Queen album)
A Night at the Opera is the fourth studio album by the British rock group Queen, released in November 1975. Co-produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Queen, A Night at the Opera was, at the time of its release, the most expensive album ever recorded...
in October 1992 each Ultradisc branded CD release was manufactured in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. From this point, discs were made exclusively in the US and given the Ultradisc II designation. Many of the early Ultradisc titles were re-pressed in the US, as Ultradisc II.
As with the company's record pressings, no dynamic range compression was used in the production of the CDs. For the most part, no equalization was used either, so CDs are essentially straight transfers of the original master tape.
The late 1980s and early 1990s was the most successful period for MFSL. In 1988 the company headquarters moved to Sebastopol, California
Sebastopol, California
Sebastopol is a city in Sonoma County, California, United States, approximately north of San Francisco. The population was 7,379 at the 2010 census, but its businesses also serve surrounding rural portions of Sonoma County, totaling about 50,000 people...
. Sometime in the late 80s or early 90s JVC closed its LP manufacturing plant in Japan. MFSL then built its own LP manufacturing facility in the United States. Belkin retired from MFSL in 1994.
Bankruptcy and purchase by Music Direct – 1999 to present
In November 1999 MFSL was forced to close its doors after it was unable to collect a large sum of money and product upon the bankruptcy of M.S. Distributing, one of its biggest distributors.At this time many unsold items were liquidated as cut-out
Cut-out (recording industry)
In the recording industry, a cut-out refers to a deeply-discounted or remaindered copy of an LP, cassette tape, Compact Disc, or other item.- History :...
items through discounters. At the same time other dealers also charged premium prices on the collectors market for the most rare and highly acclaimed titles. In 2001 the company's assets were acquired by the audiophile products company Music Direct, of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, operated by Jim Davis. Music Direct now owns rights to the technology used in the proprietary mastering chain and all intellectual property owned by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab.
Belkin died in 2001 of a heart-attack at age 62. Mobile Fidelity has continued to produce Super Audio CD
Super Audio CD
Super Audio CD is a high-resolution, read-only optical disc for audio storage. Sony and Philips Electronics jointly developed the technology, and publicized it in 1999. It is designated as the Scarlet Book standard. Sony and Philips previously collaborated to define the Compact Disc standard...
s, GAIN 2 Ultra Analog Limited Edition vinyl, Ultradisc II Gold CDs and Ultradisc CD-R
CD-R
A CD-R is a variation of the Compact Disc invented by Philips and Sony. CD-R is a Write Once Read Many optical medium, though the whole disk does not have to be entirely written in the same session....
s since the company was re-established.
Super Audio CD
Super Audio CD
Super Audio CD is a high-resolution, read-only optical disc for audio storage. Sony and Philips Electronics jointly developed the technology, and publicized it in 1999. It is designated as the Scarlet Book standard. Sony and Philips previously collaborated to define the Compact Disc standard...
/CD hybrid discs contain both an SACD layer and a standard CD layer. The SACD layer is sourced from a DSD
Direct Stream Digital
Direct-Stream Digital is the trademark name used by Sony and Philips for their system of recreating audible signals which uses pulse-density modulation encoding, a technology to store audio signals on digital storage media which is used for the Super Audio CD .The signal is stored as delta-sigma...
recording of the original master tape. This version has a digital bit rate that is three to four times higher than a standard CD. The CD layer is a digital conversion of the DSD recording at the normal CD standard bit rate. Current MFSL releases include SACDs
Super Audio CD
Super Audio CD is a high-resolution, read-only optical disc for audio storage. Sony and Philips Electronics jointly developed the technology, and publicized it in 1999. It is designated as the Scarlet Book standard. Sony and Philips previously collaborated to define the Compact Disc standard...
and LPs, as well as the traditional Ultradisc II gold discs.