[Ericus Rex]

Anyone know the difference between Mobile Fidelity's "Gain 2 Ultra Analog" LP and their "Silver Label" LP?  Both are mastered using their "Gain 2 Technology" and both are 180 gr vinyl but the silver LPs are priced slightly less.  Why's that?

[Berndt]

I think one is sourced from original analog tape.

[orthobiz]

As I originally learned from Wayner, the Silver Label is made from the best analog source available, perhaps the original master tape is lost or unavailable. Hence low price, could be slightly less in the sound department.

Paul

[Wayner]

As I understand it, the LPs for the silver label are made in the same way, original master tape, 1/2 speed mastered, Ultra-gain 2, but seem to have slightly different packaging.

I also remember reading somewhere that MOFI created the Silver Label, to separate the "on the edge" stuff from it's main stream product. That is why you find bands like Dead Can Dance, B-52s and Tears for Fears on this label.

Why? Got me. I thought Tears for Fears would be more "mainstream" then Beck.

Wayner

[Trover]

As far as selection of titles I don't see huge differences between silvers and other MFSL's. Except they seem to reserve artists like Bob Dylan and Miles Davis for their 180g master tape series. With the silver series the record itself is bit lighter and thinner than the other ones (hence the lower price). Honestly I'd rather have all reissues be closer to "regular weight" and be priced lower.
As mentioned- they are not 1st Generation analog masters. They simply say "Mobile fidelity sound lab" on the cover instead of "Original Master recording". I read that Stevie wonder keeps his master tapes and they rarely get used to make stuff. That would explain "talking book" being in the silver series. Tears for fears "songs from the big chair" I think was a digital recording from jump, so there is no analog master.
I have only gotten the Echo and Bunnymen one ("Heaven Up here") and it's worth having if you like that record. The vinyl was not the flattest though- tried 2 and both had medium level warpage. The sound was punchy below, and had bite on top with good midrange/detail. The remaster cd has a similar tonality- the mofi mostly mirrors the remaster cd but adds a touch of sweetness and some of the other traits we associate with vinyl.
A fair number of the records in the silver series are not very hard to find as affordable originals. We are reaching a point in time where some older master tapes are becoming unusable or will exhibit inevitable ageing effects if they are used- so sometimes alternative solutions are utilized.

[NIGHTFALL1970]

In my own experience the "silver label" are not 180 gram.  I don't see any mention of "original master tapes" anywhere on the silver label.  I did an A/B comparison between The MOFI version of Lynyrd Skynyrd "Street Survivors" and my original, and the original blows it away in every way.  I don't think it was mastered from original tapes at all.

[Wayner]

Well, the LPs that I have were originally recorded digitally. So they certainly use the word "Master tape" with exceptional meanings. I guess DAT tape is the master tape. My DCD Spiritchaser LP weighs 120 grams.

I also don't know how you would do a half speed master from a DAT tape, unless it was moved to an analog source (reel to reel) or on computer, but then it would not be from "the Master tape" would it.

I'll just add that it seems to be a confusing product......

[Elizabeth]

the 'half speed master' is the cutting lathe master. It would be easy to slow down the digital info to 1/2 speed to be able to take advantage of slowing down the cutting lathe for the lacquer master.

[Wayner]

It has to be both. The lathe is slowed down, but so is the tape. I have a Tascam DA-30MKII and it does not have the ability to slow the speed down, at least as far as I know.

Wayner

[Trover]

From a technical standpoint half speed mastering is more difficult to do successfully, but when done right can achieve excellent results. Some don't like half speed at all. I'm not one of those people. I always thought Stan Ricker was the half speed guru, he did some really good and not so good ones for MFSL back in the day but he's not at MFSL- someone else does it now (Shawn Britton). I like the old Pink Floyd DSOTM, GD American beauty, Little feat Waiting for Columbus, and Fleetwood Mac(ST) MFSL's that Stan Ricker did. He also did some for Widham Hill which was sort of a "New Age" label in the 80's. Michael Hedges "Aerial boundries" is excellent.
Not many of the half speed Lps from the new MFSL have left me amazed- but some of the sacd's are really good. I too am curious if mofi half speed masters on the silver series and interesting point about slowing a digital tape to half speed. There isnt the standard 7.5, 15, 30 i.p.s tape speeds that make it the flip of a switch. But it has to be doable because the Dire straits "Brothers in arms" 2 Lp Ricker did is half speed from a digital source.