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Roger Alan Modjeski (RAM) 1951 - 2019

It is with great sadness that I announce Roger A. Modjeski passed away peacefully in his home in San Pablo, CA after an 12 month battle with cancer. Roger started Music Reference in 1981 and later RAM Tubes, The Tube Audio Store, and The Berkeley HiFi School. For more than 38 years he tirelessly ran his business and designed some of the most unique and well received audio components in the industry. Right until the near end Roger was working, designing, and teaching until he physically was unable to continue.

The link below will take you my playground where I have posted my tribute to Roger (click ENTER after the page loads):

http://www.electrafidelity.com/

Fare thee well my friend.
clio09
ndevamp
55 posts
 
Gold! Touching, and I’m glad others who have been close to him have experienced him in a similar way. His amps are destined to become design classics. I agree that the RM-10 is both simple and revolutionary in design.

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
10,487 posts
 

Thanks @clio09. I don’t know what Cervantes looks like, but I may have met him at one of the appearances Roger made at Brooks Berdan’s shop. He did one for the introduction of the RM-10, which I attended. I was putting together a pair of stacked Quads, and asked Roger if he recommended a single RM-9 to power them, or a pair of RM-10’s, one for each pair. He answered an RM-9, and I countered with questions challenging that opinion (how impudent ;-). The next time he was at the shop he told me he had been reconsidering the points I had made in favour of the RM-10’s, and had changed his mind, the RM-10’s were now his recommendation.

I ended up going instead for a pair of Atma-Sphere M60’s, but now have a single RM-10 on a single pair of Quads, a marriage made in Heaven, where both Brooks and Roger are now listening to Angels sing.

rpeluso
1,132 posts
 
I've not made a comment here so far, but that does not mean I was not greatly saddened and sorry to read of Roger's death, despite never meeting or speaking with him, not ever.  I live on the east coast, he lived on the west.

I did read all of the posts here, the tributes, and in one of them clio09 menioned that there were a total of 20 RM9SE units manufactured, with three remaining; I decided that the only way I could pay homage to the man is to acquire one of these units.  Its on the way to me, arriving mid-week.  Thanks so very much Tony for all of the assistance.  
clio09 OP
3,413 posts
 
@rpeluso you are quite welcome. That amp should provide you with many years of enjoyable listening.
clio09 OP
3,413 posts
 
Roger's service was held yesterday at St. Joseph Cemetery in San Pablo, CA. We had quite a nice turn out for the event. Among the items interned with Roger were his trusty voltmeter and an EML 45 mesh plate tube. A number of friends from Southern California showed up to pay their respects. One in particular recounted the story of when he and Roger toured the Ei Factory in Yugoslavia when they were negotiating a large tube purchase. At one point during the trip they were taken by a local to an island which had a church on it. In the church was a 600 year old pipe organ and of course, after receiving permission, Roger just had to play a Bach piece on it. A number of musical selections were played, all selected by Roger, including a beautiful instrumental of Pancho and Left and an amazing version of Blue Bayou. At the end of the service all the attendees rose and gave Roger a rousing standing ovation. I think that king of shocked the funeral folks a bit.

I also want to offer thanks to the San Francisco Audio Society for providing us with the usage of their event room for for the reception. A few of the members of the group were also very instrumental in making the event a success, so thanks to them as well and you know who you are. There was food and drink aplenty (the RAM branded cookies were especially a big hit) and they had one of Roger's lectures streaming on the projection screen. More Roger stories were told and we reminisced for a few more hours. A sad, but really great day.
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