Mobile Fidelity Quality - Am I just unlucky?

I’ve got that one too, incredible pressing.

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Since someone else was brave enough to ask who GZ is, I’ll ask what VMP is.

Personal experience is everything. It’s why we don’t buy speakers until hearing them. I’ll vow strongly for these releases from VMP (who I don’t categorize as cheap (even as a member), and don’t even know that they were GZ pressed until proven otherwise:

Buena Vista Social Club - S/T
Johnny Cash - Folsom
John Prine - S/T

I wouldn’t be hard pressed to name more (full disclosure: I don’t have more than 10 total VMP releases, they are all in the last 2 or so years, and don’t have any professional affiliation with VMP or the audio industry)…but these 3 are completely awesome.

…and two cases of surface noise.

  1. Reba McEntire - Specifically on one song…If I had only known. Deep sad song that is almost too much anyway, but core to the album. Bummer. It’s also the inner most track…candidate for distortion with most tone arms.

  2. ATLiens by Outkast. Funny, they use a vinyl clip in the mix. Non-issue.

The only reason I initially brought up VMP, is because it’s FLAT…AF. At least with my 10 or so in the last couple years. :slight_smile:

Here’s this:

https://vinylmeplease.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360012430412-Who-presses-the-records-for-Vinyl-Me-Please-

…so all GZ is incorrect, though apparently the majority. Anyway, cheers! Wonder if there are any markings that tell the owner where it was “born”.

I’ve now had two copies of the Carol King’s Tapestry MOFI Original Master. The first had impurities in the vinyl on side 2 and track 1 was unplayable. The second is not flat or may be slightly thicker on side 2 near the edge and again track one is affected. Both were serial numbered between 12000 and 12050. May be a problem with a batch. Also for both the record was not very circular. I complained to MOFI and they just asked me to clean the records properly! No interest in addressing these issues.

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Not my experience, see my post above.

I’ve had mine for a long time (#1530), and I didn’t have either of those problems. I was disappointed nevertheless, because I’d hoped they might have been able to shine up the highs a little, which seem absent from every version of this recording that I’ve ever heard, all the way back to its original release, when my ears were still young. :wink:

I don’t doubt it. Long time I thought at least Quality Pressings doesn’t suffer from the usual vinyl hype problems, but meanwhile I also got totally warped records from them.

It’s unbelievable how long the record pressing industry takes to be able to ensure quality.

Hey - welcome to the forums @bkshah!

Sorry to hear you have had similar issues to me. I will say, haven’t given up fully on them as I do have some brilliant pressing from them (including the Janis Joplin one-step and the Rickie Lee Jones box) but in comparison to say, Analog Productions, I’ve had more problems.

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The irony is that I enjoy seeking out used first pressings and trying to use various cleaning methods to get the best from them. From about 50 (not all first pressings) in the last year I’ve only had one that was warped! But I’ve now also had two warped copies of the new 45rpm Eva Cassidy Blues Alley from Amazon. Very frustrating.

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Well, I suppose there is a bit of a selection-process going on for a record that’s been around for decades and has major defects too. Some good soul will do the right thing and not try to pass it off as something its not :wink:

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From what I recall of Carol King’s Tapestry, and bear with me as I have not listened to it in eons, it was a rather flat recording. The highs were subdued, and it sounded compressed. My understanding was it was the recording, possibly multi-track solid state typical of the mid-sixities yet used for Tapestry.

It would be interesting to hear from Senna1 as when he upgraded his turntable he went all in on the MoFi reissues. I have a handful, and for the most part no complaints. A bit pricey though. The ones I have consistently had pressing issues with are from Craft. To get a replacement from them I needed to send in a video, an inconvenience. I t would be great if they would just get it right the first time. Record, as in LP, QC has never been the industry’s strong suit.

I’m from the UK. Charity shops are very popular here. I often use these for my purchases, no QA involved here! But I appreciate what you’re saying. The screening by ebay sellers, is probably also variable.

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I have three versions -.recent UK reissue, US first pressing and now two MOFI copies. I don’t have an issue with tonality, I enjoy the orchestration. But agree the main song, Feel the Eatth Move, is obviously compressed probably for best listening using old fashioned FM radio!

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I think that’s probably a fair assessment of the original recording. It’s likely the highs aren’t there to be “restored” in the first place.

As disappointed as I was in “Tapestry,” I’m not one to denigrate MoFi’s Original Master LP program in general, though. I have several that are gems (though they’re admittedly old). Two that come to mind are Supertramp’s “Crime of the Century” and Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled (the first with Buckingham/Nicks). Their “Abbey Road” and “Dark Side” are great, too, though I think they’re rivaled by the original British pressings. “Crime” is far and away one of the very best pop/rock recordings I own, though. All of these (except “Tapestry”) were bought back when I had my first “real” system in the late '70s/early '80s (Maggie MG1s and GAS electronics).

yeah - perhaps not the best recorded album ever, but I think @bkshah and I are talking more about physical issues with pressings. I’ve had multiple warped MoFi records and even some dead-wax (I hate dead-wax). My Miles Davis Kinda Blue blue-vinyl edition (to match my cartridge, of course) was so badly warped I would not even consider putting it on the turntable. That started a downward slide for me and MoFi… but they redeemed themselves in my eyes with the Janis Joplin Pearl one-step :slight_smile:

In the UK, the MOFI Original Masters are 2 or 3 times the cost of normal issues and One Step issues are 9 times the cost. So it not unreasonable to expect exceptional quality for pressings.