Conference cookie::notes$archive:cd_v1

re:.0

I haven't gotten any of MFSL's CD's, so I can't comment on those, but I
do have a couple of their analog half-speed masters and they sound great.
There's always got to be an exception, I guess.

DARK SIDE OF THE MOON hasn't, to my knowledge, been released on CD from
MFSL. There are three issues of the CD that I know of: US (Capitol),
UK (Harvest), and Japan (EMI). I have the Japanese one and it sounds
wonderful.

--- jerry

Remember that all of MFSL work has been from analog master tapes (which they
did not produce).  The quality of these masters have been a source of great
pleasure and pain for MFSL in the past. Some of the best music they have
aquired has been almost impossible to remaster properly because the original
tape equipment was set up so badly to begin with.     Also remember how and
why MFSL came to be popular. The accidently mastered a disk for a friend
on the abandoned JVC CD-4 cutter in So Cal. The half speed tape/disc system
was required for CD-4 because the cutter heads had to produce high level
rear channel info up to 50KHz for CD-4 at full speeds. The disc they were
doing as a favor was from an ordinary 2 channel audio tape.  The thing they 
found was that the disc that came out of this process actually sounded better
than the master tape played at full speed.  Some of this improvement falls
on the tape playback system and some on the disc cutter - both of which have
lower demands placed on them at half speed.  I do not know whether the same
improvements are true when creating a digital copy at half speed from tape.

Walt

I own two MFSL disks: Sonny Rawlins "Way Out West" (1957) and "Kenny Loggins 
with Jim Mesina Sittin' In" (1970?). Both are, in a word, excellent! Just like 
computers - GIGO. The Rawlins disk is amazing, considering the masters are 
almost 30 years old.

						Bruce

I have several MFSL LPs, of which "Dark Side of the Moon" is one.  I also
have that on CD.  The LP is extremely good, the CD even better.
	Steve

sort of an FYI:

Although it is not yet available on CD (and I doubt that it will be either) I 
have the MFSL's set of the Victory at Sea albums.  The background hiss is 
horrendous but I imagine that 1955 technology is the reason for this.

I also have, on Mobile Fidelity, "The Beatles Collection", and The Moodie Blues 
"Days of Future Past" and "Seventh Sojourn"

On Nautilus I have "On the Threshold of a Dream" by the Moodie Blues and
Country Joe Mcdonald's Into the fray on Rag Baby.

Only the Victory at Sea set exhibits any objectionable hiss.

Because of this hiss, I doubt that it will appear on CD format.

skip

I have the MFSL CD of Al Stewart's YEAR OF THE CAT.  It is superb; no hiss
problems here.

--PSW

    re .2
       I suppose you have something there....I still have a quad lp
    of Santana's Abraxas (awesome) and Barbra Joan Streisand (terrific)
    - both on CBS, both from mid 70's. I suppose my main complaint is
    that the banners that MFL uses on their records denote either
    Half-speed mastering or Original Master Recording. The latter was
    on the "Heavenly" release. Can't figger out why ?? Could've been
    done half speed you'd think ??!!??
    
    re .6
    
      Have heard nothing but good things about "Year of the Cat", however,
    I was DJ'ing at a station while it was popular - and can't even
    listen to it for another 10 years. Yuk !!!! I can't imagine being
    .....let's say - Mick Jagger and going on tour singing "Satisfaction"
    for the umpteenth zillion time. 
    
      NEW MFL STUFF: Any "DEADHEADS" out there ?? I've heard and/or
    read that their reissued stuff on MFL is just terrible (would say
    GIGO, but deadheads are known to get violent). Just curious !
    
    				Al
    

    Yes, there are Deadheads.  I'll be sending away for the "Mars Hotel"
    CD this week, and will post a comparison with the LP when it arrives.
    
    Violent Deadheads?  Strange.  Perhaps they were really Blue Oyster
    Cult fans who had stumbled into the wrong concert?  Fanatic though
    they may be, most Deadheads are much too distracted by synesthesia
    to be angry for more than a few minutes, let alone violent...
    
    Pat Hardy
    

    Just in case anybody is still interested -- I got "Mars Hotel",
    and yes, it is as bad as everybody says.  I was aghast.
    
    Pat Hardy