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Fidelity Announces California-Based Record Pressing Facility Will Start Vinyl LP Production in Q1 2023

Mike Mettler  |  Jun 29, 2022

This is some most welcome pressing news indeed. To wit: Fidelity Record Pressing (Fidelity) has just announced a state-of-the-art record-pressing facility is being constructed from the ground up in Oxnard (Ventura County), California, and it will launch in Q1 2023.

Fidelity is owned by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab and Music Direct proprietor Jim Davis, in partnership with the father-and-son team of Rick and Edward Hashimoto, vinyl engineers who have 60 collective years of vinyl-press experience.

In a press release, Fidelity said its mission is “strictly focused on quality — not quantity. It will be guided on a daily basis by on-site specialists who have the irreplaceable experience and superior expertise necessary to achieving its goal.” Fidelity will also serve as the future production home of all Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab vinyl releases.

“Record pressing is an intricate pursuit; it shouldn’t be about achieving specific volumes,” says Davis. “By adhering to excellent standards and leveraging the most experienced experts, Fidelity will prove to analog lovers how LPs should really sound. We’re excited for people to hear and see the results.”

Fidelity says the plant will use brand-new hydraulic presses that mechanically parallel those from the 1960s, but “the operational logistics will result in unprecedented levels of across-the-board consistency and accuracy, and allow the team to adjust for even the slightest changes.”

More details about Fidelity will be available in Q4 2022. Inquires can be made to info@fidelityrecordpressing.com.

COMMENTS
Anton D's picture
Submitted by Anton D on Wed, 2022-06-29 15:10

Looking forward to seeing a quality product!

arcman67's picture
Submitted by arcman67 on Thu, 2022-06-30 03:53

MOFI, hopefully, will get their releases out quicker.

azmoon's picture
Submitted by azmoon on Thu, 2022-06-30 07:52

Hopefully they can hire people who also care about quality. Or is that possible these days?

Lazer's picture
Submitted by Lazer on Thu, 2022-06-30 14:01

Andrew Jones is now designing speakers for them….I think they are hiring people that care about quality.

rich d's picture
Submitted by rich d on Thu, 2022-06-30 08:51

1 - the article suggests, but does not explicitly state, that the new plant will accept outside orders. Is this the case, or is it strictly for MoFi and related product?

2 - Does anyone really believe that salable product will emerge from this facility within nine months?

Mike Mettler's picture
Submitted by Mike Mettler on Wed, 2022-07-13 14:54
2 good Qs, Rich! Honestly, it's just too early to tell re both counts until a) the plant is finished being built and b) it's fully up and running. Once it is ready to, quite literally, roll, I hope to visit this plant in person and report firsthand on what's what.
Jazz listener's picture
Submitted by Jazz listener on Thu, 2022-06-30 19:41

this will also free up the other pressing plants for other labels/artists. Win-win.

Static's picture
Submitted by Static on Fri, 2022-07-08 20:02

What could be better than in house pressing. Quality control is the name of the game. Especially with higher priced records with higher expectations. Not sure if they already have this but it would also be fantastic to have the entire product done in house including the artwork.

Jancuso's picture
Submitted by Jancuso on Wed, 2022-07-13 17:25

Great question. Another new plant being launched is not set-up to do that. More places for labels to press is a good thing!

Jancuso's picture
Submitted by Jancuso on Wed, 2022-07-13 17:26

Great question. Another new plant being launched is not set-up to do that. More places for labels to press is a good thing!

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