Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL or MoFi) is a re-issue record label known for the production of audiophile-quality sound recordings. MFSL recordings are released under the trademark name 'Original Master Recording' and are usually sourced from first-generation analog master tape played through highly specialized equipment. MFSL has issued titles on LP,cassette tape, DAT, CD and SACD. Each title is licensed from the original record company for a limited period of time, with production runs restricted to a few thousand units.

After the label's initial success in the 1970s, other record labels began producing Half-speed Mastered albums advertised as being sourced directly from original master tapes. Notable examples labels include Columbia Records Mastersound, MCA Records Ultimate MasterDisc, Nautilus SuperDiscs, Dunhill Records DCC series, Practical HiFi Magazine's Nimbus Supercut, JVC's XRCDs, Audio Fidelity and Acoustic Sounds' Analogue Productions.

Background

In the 1950s and 1960s, it was common for record labels to press relatively heavy records on new or "virgin" vinyl. Through the oil crisis and economic downturn of the 1970s, the cost of record pressing increased. As a result, many record labels cut costs by pressing lightweight records from recycled materials (which contain impurities). Recycled vinyl pressings often exhibit inherent pops/clicks and high levels of surface noise. Additionally, lightweight pressings are more prone to warpage than heavier ones.