Eagles
Mobile Fidelity MFSL Ultradisc One-Step UD1S 2-024
audiophile 2LP 45 RPM Box
limited numbered edition of 7500 copies
made in USA
new, factory sealed
The Eagles' debut album from June 1972 was the prelude to a brilliant series of successes that lasted for several decades. Produced by Glyn Johns and featuring three major hits, the Eagles established a sophisticated yet understated LA style that would sweep the country and make the group superstars. Right off the bat, the album's opener, "Take It Easy," is an excellent example of what the band was all about: melodious harmonies, sonic tapestries of acoustic guitars, banjo sounds, folk and rock elements, and the excellent craftsmanship of the musicians involved.
MFSL's one-step LP boxes are the measure of all things in the field of audiophile re-issues and can be placed qualitatively even above the other productions of the probably best-known remastering studio in the world. Special about the LPs is not only a new vinyl granulate without carbon colorants, which is used at RTI in Camarillo, but especially the one-step process of LP manufacturing. The only place you can get closer to the sound of the master tape is at MFSL's studio in California. By this is meant the following: In normal LP productions, the lacquer cut is turned into an initial "father stamp with inverted groove structure." From this, a "mother stamp" with correct groove structure is then created. From this, the actual press stamp with inverted groove structure is then created and consumed for pressing the actual LP with correct groove structure. This approach allows almost any number of LPs to be pressed with just one coating cut. In the One-Step process, this is all done much more simply. The actual coating cut itself is converted directly to the press die used to make the LP. So two steps of mechanical conversion are eliminated. Unfortunately, each coating cut can only produce a limited number of LPs. So if more than a few hundred LPs are to be produced, several lacquer cuts are needed. MFSL has issued the motto that a new set of press stamps should be used every 500 copies. This means that for a run of 7,500 copies, fifteen sets of the four lacquer cuts are used. However, since things sometimes go wrong in production, 18 sets are usually created at once. That means 72 lacquer cuts are made for the double LP. By hand, one after the other. Every day, the created lacquer cuts are flown by express to RTI for reworking and then a test pressing must be created for each side and also listened to in MFSL's studio. A time-consuming and also expensive process, resulting in an expensive product and high collector demand.
The delivery is made in an elaborate box. The serial number is entered by hand on the back. MFSL states that there will be no further re-pressings.