Mike Esposito, owner of Phoenix record shop The ‘In’ Groove, said in a YouTube video that “pretty reliable sources” had told him that MoFi, or Mobile Fidelity, a company that had prided itself on using original master tapes for its reissues, was actually using digital files in its production chain.
This video has completely upheaved the audiophile community. Audiophiles are on a quest to get as close to the sound of an album’s original recording as possible. They cherish high-fidelity sound reproduction. To them, digital recordings might be the greatest sin.
Some people argued that this was impossible and that the video was just clickbait. This was MoFi they were talking about, built upon the legacy and pride of decades of using the original master tapes for its reissues and vinyl, and now this random guy in the desert says they are all a sham without even giving the source of his information?
Shawn Buettner, owner of Intervention Records, another big name in the reissue business, defended MoFi by reporting how he once ran into one of the company’s engineers at one of their studios holding a master tape. Micheal Fremer, the “dean of audiophile writing,” slammed Esposito for irresponsibly spreading rumors and tweeted, “Will speculative clickbait YouTube videos claiming otherwise be taken down after reading this?”
But when Vice President of Product Development John Wood heard the news, he was crushed. Wood had worked at the company for more than 26 years, and he championed its direct-from-master chain. He called Esposito and suggested he fly to Sebastopol, California to take a tour.
In a second video, published July 20, MoFi engineers awkwardly confirmed Esposito’s claims.
MoFi has received immense backlash from this revelation. The leader in audiophile records was using digital records behind their backs. Mastering engineer Kevin Gray says, “It’s the biggest debacle I’ve ever seen in the vinyl realm.” New York filmmaker Richard Drutman, who has purchased over 50 MoFi albums, states, “I never would have ordered a single Mobile Fidelity product if I had known it was sourced from a digital master.”
While most records are made digitally, a few companies including MoFi have stuck with the warmth of analog, earning the praise and respect of audiophiles.
While they were at first slow to respond, MoFi eventually did start updating the sourcing information on its website and agreed to interviews. In an interview with the Washington Post, MoFi states they first used Direct Stream Digital Technology, or DSD, in 2011. By the end of 2011, 60% of its releases used DSD. MoFi says going forward, all MoFi cutting will incorporate DSD.
An apology from Syd Schwartz, MoFi’s chief marketing officer, made an apology. “Mobile Fidelity makes great records, the best-sounding records that you can buy,” he said. “There had been choices made over the years and choices in marketing that have led to confusion and anger and a lot of questions, and there were narratives that had been propagating for a while that were untrue or false or myths. We were wrong not to have addressed this sooner.”
A statement on their website says they are aiming toward a policy of 100% transparency regarding the provenance of their audio products. They will also backfill all previous releases so MoFi customers “can feel as confident in owning their products as we are in making them.”
While the damage has been done to the audiophile community, regular enjoyers of music can still listen without feeling rage. Even in his video, Esposito says some of his favorite records were from MoFi. MoFi president Jim Davis, in a statement regarding the issue, says “We thank you for your past support and hope you allow us to continue to provide you the best-sounding records possible — an aim we’ve achieved and continue to pursue with pride.”
Original Article: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1659888353723x984082876618075100/MoFi%20Records%20has%20been%20using%20digital%20all%20along%2C%20a%20scandal%20in%20the%20audio%20community%20-%20The%20Washington%20Post.pdf
Supporting Articles:
https://mofi.com/pages/a-statement-from-mobile-fidelity-regarding-our-mastering-process
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audiophile
This video has completely upheaved the audiophile community. Audiophiles are on a quest to get as close to the sound of an album’s original recording as possible. They cherish high-fidelity sound reproduction. To them, digital recordings might be the greatest sin.
Some people argued that this was impossible and that the video was just clickbait. This was MoFi they were talking about, built upon the legacy and pride of decades of using the original master tapes for its reissues and vinyl, and now this random guy in the desert says they are all a sham without even giving the source of his information?
Shawn Buettner, owner of Intervention Records, another big name in the reissue business, defended MoFi by reporting how he once ran into one of the company’s engineers at one of their studios holding a master tape. Micheal Fremer, the “dean of audiophile writing,” slammed Esposito for irresponsibly spreading rumors and tweeted, “Will speculative clickbait YouTube videos claiming otherwise be taken down after reading this?”
But when Vice President of Product Development John Wood heard the news, he was crushed. Wood had worked at the company for more than 26 years, and he championed its direct-from-master chain. He called Esposito and suggested he fly to Sebastopol, California to take a tour.
In a second video, published July 20, MoFi engineers awkwardly confirmed Esposito’s claims.
MoFi has received immense backlash from this revelation. The leader in audiophile records was using digital records behind their backs. Mastering engineer Kevin Gray says, “It’s the biggest debacle I’ve ever seen in the vinyl realm.” New York filmmaker Richard Drutman, who has purchased over 50 MoFi albums, states, “I never would have ordered a single Mobile Fidelity product if I had known it was sourced from a digital master.”
While most records are made digitally, a few companies including MoFi have stuck with the warmth of analog, earning the praise and respect of audiophiles.
While they were at first slow to respond, MoFi eventually did start updating the sourcing information on its website and agreed to interviews. In an interview with the Washington Post, MoFi states they first used Direct Stream Digital Technology, or DSD, in 2011. By the end of 2011, 60% of its releases used DSD. MoFi says going forward, all MoFi cutting will incorporate DSD.
An apology from Syd Schwartz, MoFi’s chief marketing officer, made an apology. “Mobile Fidelity makes great records, the best-sounding records that you can buy,” he said. “There had been choices made over the years and choices in marketing that have led to confusion and anger and a lot of questions, and there were narratives that had been propagating for a while that were untrue or false or myths. We were wrong not to have addressed this sooner.”
A statement on their website says they are aiming toward a policy of 100% transparency regarding the provenance of their audio products. They will also backfill all previous releases so MoFi customers “can feel as confident in owning their products as we are in making them.”
While the damage has been done to the audiophile community, regular enjoyers of music can still listen without feeling rage. Even in his video, Esposito says some of his favorite records were from MoFi. MoFi president Jim Davis, in a statement regarding the issue, says “We thank you for your past support and hope you allow us to continue to provide you the best-sounding records possible — an aim we’ve achieved and continue to pursue with pride.”
Original Article: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1659888353723x984082876618075100/MoFi%20Records%20has%20been%20using%20digital%20all%20along%2C%20a%20scandal%20in%20the%20audio%20community%20-%20The%20Washington%20Post.pdf
Supporting Articles:
https://mofi.com/pages/a-statement-from-mobile-fidelity-regarding-our-mastering-process
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audiophile
