Home Entertainment 2003 Hi-Fi and Home Theater Event

MoFi Revealed! We Have A Sneak Peek For You!
By Steven R. Rochlin
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Colorful Paul Stubblebine
With Blue Shirted John Wood of MoFi.

  Some days you are the dog, others days the hydrant. Today i was the dog as a specially setup meeting was arranged. Before i knew it i was whisked away to a wonderful mastering facility right here in San Francisco where Mobile Fidelity has their multi-channel work done. Paul Stubblebine is well-versed in music mastering and has an excellent, carefully implemented studio for insuring every musical note is mastered to perfection. This is a recording studio and mastering facility and this, my friends, is where the entire surround sound  multi-channel mastering for Mobile Fidelity is conducted. Several musical passages of master tapes were played as i sat in the hot seat. MoFi has decided that their very first title under new ownership would be in surround sound. Specifically, a recording that audiophiles will remember from 1974.

Master Tape Box Rear

Master Tape Box Side

Specifically the Vox quad recorded (Sansui QS encoding) Ravel Orchestral Works conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewshi as performed by the Minnesota Orchestra. It was originally recorded in true four channel discrete sound and will be released in SACD four channel surround and two channel (dual layer SACD). An additional bonus track will make an appearance on the disc (read on).

 

Loudspeaker and Colie Brice of MoFi

The large loudspeakers in the recording studio made by Alon Wolf of MAGICO while the smaller monitors are standard Meyer Sound HD-1s.

 

Tube Amplifiers

The tube amplifiers are made by Exemplar Audio using globe 300B (two amplifiers) while a Type 45 is seen on the top of the shelf. Each loudspeaker has four amplifiers including an EAR 549 for powering the bass drivers.

 

Modified Revox C278

The tape machine is the Revox C278 that was originally 8 channels, now it is four channel and modded by Tim de Pavaracini. In fact many of the items in Paul Stubblebine's recording/mastering facility have been modified by Tim de Pavaracini for the ultimate performance.

 

Weiss and Zsys Gear

Also in the studio, but obviously not being used today, are the Weiss EQ1 (top), Zsys six channel Z-Q6 mastering equalizer, and Z-CL6 dynamics processor. Also the facility were three Pacific Microsonics HDCD units.

 

Recording Studio

While the master tape sounds a bit left channel heavy, the bonus track in 5.0 surround using the AGM's TSS-1 is an analog box that takes 2 channels in and delivers three channels out based on Ambisonic techniques. While enjoying the music directly from the master tape, it was a wonderfully wide and deep soundscape in virtually every dimension. Clarity was good and dynamics were very impressive. During the passages with violin solo work was awe inspiring. The sound of rosin, body resonances, and bloom were remarkable! Licking my lips just waiting to hear the finished SACD product.

 

John Sunier of Audiophile Audition Carefully Listening In The Hot Seat.

John Sunier Listens Some More.
Notice Rear Channel Loudspeaker To The Right Behind John.

The Vox quad recorded, soon to be SACD, of Ravel Orchestral Works conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewshi will be available in late August as an Ultradisc SACD (UDSACD 4002). The full length bonus track of "Daphnis et Chloe" with female choir in the rear channel will be only one of the many musical highlights on this recording. Technical notes will be the originals, and also new writings by none other than Grammy wining producer/recording engineer Marc Aubort! As Enjoy the Music.com™ are members of the Grammy Award organization, please feel free to see our various Grammy Award show coverage by clicking here.

 

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