Steely Dan/Aja Original US Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab

The latest release of the popular “Mobile Fidelity” CD reissue series has been confirmed. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL), a manufacturer specializing in analog masters, is a trusted brand that is highly supported by audiophiles around the world. Sound masters have digitized many great albums from master tapes with all their passion. Among the series, this work includes the CD “UDCD 515” released in 1988. It is Steely Dan’s masterpiece “AJA”, which won a Grammy Award. In the 1990s, when the CD conversion of Mobile Fidelity analog works, which placed the utmost importance on master tape sound, reached its peak, many high-quality CDs appeared, but MFSL was in a class of its own. Other high-quality CDs are based on the idea of ​​”suppressing digital degradation” by using new technology to reduce the discomfort of compression or reduce reading errors in the material. In contrast, MFSL’s policy is “faithfully reproducing the sound engraved on the master tape and not adding anything extra.” They have developed their own “half-speed mastering” technology that focuses on the stage of extracting sound from magnetic tape, placing the utmost importance on “the analog recorded sound itself”. Since 1987, MFSL has borrowed original master tapes from record companies and meticulously digitized many masterpieces one by one. They released the “Ultradisc” series, which transfers the sound of the master tape to CD. Currently, they are also expanding into the fields of SACD and LP, but the point is that this work was made into a CD in the late 1980s. Magnetic tape masters are vulnerable to deterioration over time, and the more time passes, the more the sound at the time of recording is lost. There are cases where the tape is distorted or stuck, but even if it is stored carefully, it cannot prevent the loss of magnetism. Nowadays, it is becoming the case that LPs recorded with physical grooves sound better than the master tape itself. In that respect, the “Ultradisc” series was a great achievement. It started in the 1980s when CDs were in widespread use, and the sound of the master tape was digitally recorded before the arrival of the new technology CD, which boasted high sound quality. AJA, with a fresh reproduction that even contains the presence of the instruments. This work, AJA, conveys the master sound “11 years after recording”. MFSL’s gold CDs include “Ultradisc” and “Ultradisc II”, but this work is the earlier “Ultradisc”. The sound is super natural and super clear. The tone is not bad even on the current remastered CD, but the reproduction of details is completely different. The power of this is clear from the beginning. In the intro of “Black Cow”, an impressive phrase is repeated, but if you listen closely, the reverberation of the phrase on the right channel goes through to the left channel and overlaps with the guitar to create a lingering sound. On the current CD, this reverberation is weak and tends to be drowned out by the guitar. In this work, the entire Tokyo area is beautifully reproduced, and the intentions at the time of production can be vividly felt. And the original sound of the instruments is also supernatural. In “Aja,” various instruments are intertwined as if guided by the piano phrase, but in the current CD, the attack of the piano is emphasized, which feels a bit abrupt. In contrast, this work has a sense of reality that the instruments are sounding on the spot, and a natural feeling as if you are in the same room as the other overlapping instruments. Perhaps the remastering engineer of the current version wanted to make the piano sparkle, but it has been processed as if it has been turned into a different instrument. Of course, that feeling is present in every single sound, from the guitar to the clavinet, vocals, chorus, snare, bass, etc. The more excellent a masterpiece is, the more people will love it, and it is inevitable that each person’s feelings will differ slightly. Even an engineer cannot avoid that, and as a result, later remastered CDs will end up with a distorted image of “what AJA should be like.” However, this work is different. The album is only a reproduction of the master tape, and the freshness of the master is only 11 years after its production. It tells us what Walter and Donald were aiming for in the studio. The master sound of this masterpiece has been preserved to this day because it is a CD by Mobile Fidelity. Even if you try to get the actual product now, it is difficult because it was originally produced in limited quantities. This release is to allow as many people as possible to experience the beautiful sound. The high-quality CD label Mobile Fidelity has released “Aja”. This is the best sound album in history, where you can feel the sound of each instrument and the breathing of the performance as the phrases are exchanged. Taken from the original US Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab CD(UDCD 515) from Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab “Original Master Recording” Collection (39:55) 1. Black Cow 2. Aja 3. Deacon Blues 4. Peg 5. Home At Last 6. I Got The News 7. Josie