The Who/Live at Leeds Original US Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab

A CD reprint series of “Mobile Fidelity” which has attracted a lot of attention. The latest bullet has been decided to be released. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL), a manufacturer specializing in analog masters, is a trusted brand that is highly supported by audio enthusiasts around the world. With all of his passion, the sound craftsman has digitized many great albums from master tapes. Among such series, this work includes the CD “UDCD 755″ released in 1999. Yes, it is the famous live album “LIVE AT LEEDS” left by THE WHO. [Mobile Fidelity prioritizes master tape sound] Many high-quality CDs appeared in the 1990s, when the conversion of analog works to CD was at its peak, but MFSL was in a class of its own. Other high-quality CDs are based on the idea of ​​“suppressing digital deterioration” by using new technology to reduce the discomfort of compression, and by reducing reading errors in the material. On the other hand, MFSL’s policy is to “faithfully reproduce the sound engraved on the master tape and not add anything unnecessary.” We place the utmost importance on the “analog recorded sound itself,” including developing our own “half-speed mastering” technology that also focuses on the stage of extracting sound from magnetic tape. Since 1987, MFSL has borrowed original master tapes from record companies and meticulously digitized many masterpieces one by one. We have released the “Ultradisc” series, which transfers the sound of master tapes to CDs. Currently, it has expanded into the SACD and LP fields, but the point is that this work was released on CD in the first half of the 1990s. Magnetic tape masters are susceptible to deterioration over time, and the more time passes, the more the original sound is lost. There are cases where the tape becomes distorted or stuck, but even if it is stored precisely, it cannot prevent the tape from losing its magnetism. Nowadays, LPs recorded with physical grooves sound better than the master tapes themselves…and so on. In that respect as well, the “Ultradisc” series was a great achievement. It began in the 1980s when CDs were popular, and the sound of master tapes was digitized even before the advent of new CD technology that claimed high sound quality. [“LIVE AT LEEDS” perfectly reproduces the sense of mass and three-dimensionality of a difficult live recording] This work, “LIVE AT LEEDS,” conveys the master sound as of “29 years after recording”. . You might think that a live album wouldn’t be as different as a studio album, but the texture is completely different. The edges may feel slightly rounder compared to the current remastered version, but this is the original sound. A natural sound is emitted from the extremely thick core, creating a heavy texture and three-dimensional feel. An attack sound rises from the silence, accompanied by the vibrations of the strings and leather, and disappears into the silent darkness once again. You can feel the smooth mountain in each note. In the current remaster, in pursuit of vividness, only the edges stand out, and the three-dimensional feeling that this single note seems to be pushing up becomes flat, and it loses its mass. All the notes of all the instruments are wonderful, but what’s particularly different is the bass. Each undulating note contains a drama from its birth to its disappearance, creating a rugged yet smooth mountain range of sound. The current remaster has a flat, flat feel, like looking at the mountains in a photograph, but this game has a sense of reality and texture that makes you feel like you’re actually touching the uneven surfaces. In fact, these differences are more noticeable in live recordings than in studio recordings. Studio recordings have a strong three-dimensional effect because each instrument and each performance are recorded individually and layered, but live performances, even in multiplayer, pick up and mix in the sounds of other instruments. Therefore, when you try to create dynamics through mastering, it becomes unnatural, and if you try to make the most of one part, other sounds tend to be sacrificed. Speaking of “LIVE AT LEEDS”, the current version sacrifices the quality of the bass to make the edge stand out, and the reverberation of the cymbals is also distorted. The freshness of the master is the key to giving such a difficult live recording a natural three-dimensional feel, and the transfer that picks up even the smallest details of the sound from the master tape is important. MFSL has accomplished this with “LIVE AT LEEDS.” The master sound of the famous album has been preserved until today because it is a CD by “Mobile Fidelity”. Even if you want to get your hands on the actual product now, it will be difficult because it was originally produced in limited numbers. Taken from the original US Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (UDCD 755) from Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab “Original Master Recording” Collection 1. Heaven And Hell 2. I Can’t Explain 3. Fortune Teller 4. Tattoo 5. Young Man Blues 6. Substitute 7. Happy Jack 8. I’m A Boy 9. A Quick One, While He’s Away 10. Amazing Journey/Sparks 11. Summertime Blues 12. Shakin’ All Over 13. My Generation 14. Magic Bus