Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (website) President, Jim Davis, released a statement today regarding their mastering process and transparency.
Reporting by Eric Franklin Shook
Before we get on about Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs, it bears repeating that our own Dave McNair (senior contributor) has written about the various parts of record production in great detail throughout his column The Ivory Tower. He is qualified to do so because he makes fantastic sounding records for a living, and has been doing so for over forty years. From recording, to mixing, to mastering, to winning thirteen Grammys along the way—Dave’s done it all. If you want to know how the highest quality sausages are made, Dave McNair of Dave McNair Mastering is the guy to talk to, or in this case read from.
- How Recordings Are Produced, and What It Means to Your Hi-Fi | The Ivory Tower
- Why Do Records Sound Better? | The Ivory Tower
- The Loudness Wars | The Ivory Tower
Including some make-you-think-pieces that dive deep into what we hear as audiophiles, what we should listen for, and why it’s all important.
Dave McNair has also appeared several times in our Occasional Podcast to demystify the sound of vinyl and the process of mastering.
- How Records Are Made | The Occasional Podcast
- What Is Mastering? | The Occasional Podcast
- The Loudness Wars: Where Are We Now? | The Occasional Podcast
The statement from Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs is enclosed below.
STATEMENT ENCLOSED
“We at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab are aware of customer complaints regarding use of digital technology in our mastering chain. We apologize for using vague language, allowing false narratives to propagate, and for taking for granted the goodwill and trust our customers place in the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab brand.
We recognize our conduct has resulted in both anger and confusion in the marketplace. Moving forward, we are adopting a policy of 100% transparency regarding the provenance of our audio products. We are immediately working on updating our websites, future printed materials, and packaging — as well as providing our sales and customer service representatives with these details. We will also provide clear, specific definitions when it comes to Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab marketing branding such as Original Master Recording (OMR) and UltraDisc One-Step (UD1S). We will backfill source information on previous releases so Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab customers can feel as confident in owning their products as we are in making them.
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.”
Jim Davis
President, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
