|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
71.134.232.242
Al Sekela passed away suddently last night. The details of his death are not important; the details of his life are.Most of you would know Al for his sage advice and generosity to the rest of us as an AA inmate. Al cared deeply for his music, and just as deeply for sharing the fun of discovery in tinkering with his equipment. You could always count on Al's extensive theoretical background; yet he never quibbled with results, just the same, even if they made no sense in theory. He could have argued with the best of you as an EE. Instead he listened - to what you were doing and to what worked for musical enjoyment.
He certainly increased the musical enjoyment for many of us, not the least of which was mine!
I have had the pleasure and the privilege to know Al personally in the real world. Though we met through AA, we carried on a friendly partnership in person exploring new tweaks, sharing New York style pizza with anchovies, wine tasting, hunting through parts bins in surplus stores, and flipping through stacks of used CDs to find that jazz or classical musical gem you cannot find in todays stores. Our visits were the highlights of many of my holidays. Al would show me his latest experiments and would check out mine. Then we'd listen to his fabulous system, and believe me this was one helluva system he'd cooked up and customized.
Al knew a lot of you as manufacturers and inventors. Only makes sense, as he was a talented and successful EE and chip designer. I want to ensure you that he took any secrets you shared with him to his grave; he had unshakable respect for intellectual property entrusted to him.
I'll never forget the time he took me to the cavernous wine warehouse to demo Rick Beveridge's restored speakers. Unbelievable experience. All Al wanted to do then was to help Rick achieve his dream of restoring his father's fabulous creations.
His wife, Carolyn, says he wanted no fuss. "Just remember him as the kind gentleman he was, that was taken away too soon."
The remembering part will be easy; the loss will not.
Edits: 03/05/11 03/05/11Follow Ups:
So sorry to read of Al Sekela's passing. I will remember him for his patience and his creativity. I didn't know him well enough to know his favorite drink but I raise my cup o' coffee to him. Thanks for the help AL!
Bill
Thank you Will, Al loved coffee, and we even roasted our own. Carolyn S
I always loved reading his posts because they were filled with knowledge explained in a way that those of us without his experience could always understand.He had this amazing patience to help others less educated in electronics.
His presence made the Asylum a much richer experience for me, and probably countless others.
RIP Al. We'll miss you......
Just my (adjusted for inflation) $2
John Crossett
___
It sounds like English, but I can't understand a word you're saying.
To his family and loved ones. RIP
Al will be missed a lot in AA.
Condolences to the family at this time of loss.
His contributions to musical purity will be enjoyed for a very long time. I know I do. Thanks Al rest in peace.
PS He's probably tweaking the angelic choir right now.
We've lost a good man, and I will miss his posts and occasional emails.
Jim
I don't feel sad! I feel glad, safe in the knowledge that when I get to heaven, I will go to great gigs in the sky with Syd Barrett doing some lyrics for our pop queen Freddie Mercury, who will teach Michael Jackson how to behave and we can record some King called Elvis to play back on perfect systems, because Al Sekala will be there with his wisdom, to help us set up our Hi Fis.
Listen In Peace, Sir. Bless You.
Mike Irving
Mikee55 here in England
"Yeah, but it was fused!"
Rest in peace Al.
You will be greatly missed.
How sad, he will be missed. I always enjoyed reading his posts here.
My condolences to his family.
I am shocked to learn of Al's passing. He was such a fine and generous person. He had an open mind and and refined sensibilities. I will miss him.
Rest in peace, Al Sekela...
I am so sorry to hear this, i read many post he wrote and will miss hearing from him. It seems like too many are leaving us, take care.
Be well, live like you don't know when it's over.
Tom Danley
This is very sad. Al helped me with question on my Maggie MMg and a great loss to our community. I am saddened to hear this. My prayers go out to his family
Count me among the many who are so glad to have been able to interact with Al on these forums.
I could never have done my dedicated lines project and so many others without the patient and open minded information he regularly volunteered.
He leaves behind, among what must be a large array of non-audio related achievements, a wonderful cache of wisdom in his many archived posts here. His work and passion lives on in more systems than perhaps he ever realized or imagined.
I hope the next time one of us feels like being nasty or petty on these forums, we stop to remember Al's example and honor his memory by providing the kind of non-judgmental co-operation he always offered us.
...for his having been here!
Till we all meet up again. Godspeed A.S.
.. Al was a lovely man.
Condolences to his family.
Smile
Sox
Al was someone who I respected immensely for his knowledge and even handed approach. He always brought something postive and calming to these sometimes heated discussions. Whenever I saw a thread that interested me, I looked to see if he was one of the people who posted. He and his contributions will be missed.
Rest in peace.
A note from Don Palmer,
I have had a valued friendship with Al and Carolyn for about 10 years. I met Al when we were interested in Rick Beveridges reincarnation of his fathers speakers. We became friends and we enjoyed visits and listening the each others systems. These were usually followed by searching out the best wineries in the Napa Valley, Russian River, and Dry Creek areas and enjoying the fruits of their labors. We collaborated on the design of the AC line filter and traded opinions on the sonic strengths and weaknesses of our systems. He was generous with his technical knowledge and yet open to new ideas. To Al the listening was the final test. On this we both agreed.
My friendship with Carolyn has included discussions on health, Macintosh computers, music, photography, and trading humorous emails. She is an accomplished Harpist and I have had the pleasure of listening to her make beautiful music.
Al was a gentleman and a scholar in the best sense of those words. He is missed and there is be a hole in my life without him.
Don
Carolyn Sekela
Not sure of what to say!
I always enjoyed to see what Al posted, his insight and ability to help others and freely share some of his knowledge on this forum, is second to none!!
I have a hard time believing what has happened.
To me, Al was a Giant who walked among us. His presence will be Greatly missed. But his Knowledge will live on in our Hearts + our systems!
My condolences to his family and many Friends!!
We are all richer for having known him if only virtually.
My condolences to his family, thank you for sharing him.
Rick
I shall remember Al as a very fine gentleman, in all meanings of that term. He helped me when I was starting out in this hobby and answered my "dumb" questions with grace and knowledge. It gave me the confidence to continue asking "dumb" questions so I've been able to continue learning.
My sincere condolences to his family and friends.
We don't have much time on this globe.
I'll miss him.
This makes me sad. I so enjoyed his online presence here :( He was a true music and audio lover!!!!
optimally proportioned triangles are our friends
nt
I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. It's impossible to put down.
I am sorry to read this.
Al Sekela was an appreciated member of the Asylum and we will be the poorer for his absence. May he find peace. May his family and friends find comfort.
In search of musical bliss...
WAY too young.
How old was he? Doesn't say in his profile
"Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to" Mark Twain
62, according to information I found online.
Brian
My condolences to his family and friends. His contributions here will be missed.
This news is so sad to hear. I only know him from his posts. But, the kind of man he was shown through his postings hear on AA. He will be sorely missed.........
We are all better from knowing him, even just here and learning from his incredible knowledge base. EconoTweaks would not exist were it not for him. He was also very humble and didn't want me to give credit on my site for his designs.
I posted many times here back and forth as well as emailing him directly. I will miss him very much. A person like this doesn't come along very often.
My thoughts aren't so clear right now so I will stop with that. I hope if there is an after life we get to hang out and do some listening.
ET
"My Man's Gone Now" is a Miles tune, fitting for how I feel today
Sad news
Thank you for sharing
I will keep his family in my prayers
Man life is too short enjoy it best you can
I never had the privilege of knowing Al, but he was always friendly and helpful here. My condolences to his family, and to those of you fortunate enough to have known him.
Al was always easy to talk to. His humility was admired! He corresponded with me on a number of projects I was working on. Al will be missed dearly!
Al and I spent time together at several CESs and had kept in touch since. He was a scholar and a true gentleman. He will be missed.
Barry
Al will always remembered here as one of the class acts who also was very generous sharing his incredible knowledge of electronics. We'll miss you Al!
-RioTubes
Sad to hear this - I always enjoyed reading Al's posts - condolences to the family.
Sorry to hear this. Al sent me a set of tickets to see the Minnesota Orchestra many years ago. He and Carolyn were coming to town to see them at the time. So we went together. This was before he moved to California.
Perhaps it needs to be said that we should always celebrate the lives of those around us- there is no knowing how long any of us will be here.
Al was very kind and helpful with any questions I had on AA. May the Lord rest his soul in peace.Amen.
Edits: 03/05/11
What a terrible week for audio. First Allen Wright, now Al.
So sad. Much of the goodness in my system had to do with Al. What a pioneer in audio improvement.
I had the distinct pleasure to visit him once and hear his system. So many things there were amazing and that wall of outlets with his tweaks. Wow!
He was so gracious and where alot of EEs would roll their eyes at my silly questions, Al did not. He stepped down to my level and just helped.
There was just such a cool vibe in that house and around Al. From the rapport with the Pizza guy (Al lit up when I agreed to the Anchovies so did the Pizza guy like it was some secret) to his wife, it was just cool. I remember playing a song from Tori Amos and I kind of cranked it. Carolyn came running out and I thought to myself "Man we are in trouble now!". But she just wanted to know who was singing!! He had a good life from what I could tell.
Glad I asked Mart to put his "choke tweak" in the tweak section on the Planar Asylum.
You were really lucky to get all that time with him. He will be sorely missed!
No one here remembers the bending of our minds
known only through his posts. a man with respect and kind words for all. so sad. a damn shame, for sure.
*
My heart goes out to his loved ones.
mark
nt
all the best,
mrh
This is his wife Carolyn, and I am very moved by your comments. Al was a brilliant man, but very humble. He would go through the asylum every day, and loved helping you understand things and make suggestions. He never minded you asking him.
I will just say that his death was quick, he was free of pain, and he left his body and wasn't aware of what was happening the past few days. Having worked in end of life nursing, I can only tell you that he had a very good death, but all too soon.
He retired from the semiconductor industry about 11 years ago and he got to travel to such places as Antarctica, and he started reading his great books, which he collected when I first met him, and he got to enjoy his audio until the ear problem several years ago, which of course depressed him somewhat. But he still managed to go to the garage to his work bench and create these filters that are on most sockets in the house, and share tweaks with his friends, and share his great knowledge with all of you.
Thank you all for your kind words.
Carolyn Sekela
As can been seen by the outpouring of posts Al was a much loved and respected member, his presence will be missed.....
Al was one of those folks who gave freely to help others. His legacy lives on in the better sound that many of us listen to and appreciate every day. He was a great innovator and a patient teacher, and will be missed, particularly in the MUG forum.
However, in his appreciation of music and making it sound great, he has left much beauty behind for all of us.
God bless,
Mando
I don't know what else to say. It sure will be great to have that photo saved but that seems selfish right now. I am a better human for our interaction.
ET
That was a beautiful gesture. Peace be with you.
Regards,
Geoff
For sorry for your loss
Never conversed with Al on the Asylum but always enjoyed reading his posts and learnt a lot from what he had to say and advise.
He'll be sorely missed. May he rest in peace and may his memory live on. My sincere condolences.
AP
Thanks for taking the time for your lovely post and picture during this most difficult of times, and for sharing the type
of benevolence and kind heartedness Al frequently showed in these boards.
Good to know he left in peace.
Prayers for peace, strength, fond memories,and smiles for you and yours!
-Richard
" Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination." -Michael McClure
I thank you for all your knowledge and sharing it with all of us here.
I know now that when we reach heaven the Audio will all be in order and tweaked to perfection.
nt
..
..
Al and I were introduced several years ago at one of the audio shows. A no nonsense kind of guy, Al was a serious audiophile and music lover with a good background in electronics, and he shared his insights freely with others. A kindred spirit.According to information found online, he was 62. That's far too young.
My heartfelt condolences to his wife and family.
Brian
Edits: 03/05/11
This is heartbreaking.......... One of the very best technical contributors to audio that I've encountered in recent time............
RIP.
Reality raises its ungly head, Al will be sorely missed.
My condolences to Al's family. Every one of Al's posts offered a learning experience to many of us. No matter the circumstance, Al was helpful and respectful to all.
His passing is a painful reminder that anyone can be gone in a moment. Knowing that should temper the way we all communicate here. Al set a fine example, and will be sorely missed.
-Bob
.
Beatnik's stuff http://web.me.com/jnr1/Site/Beatniks_Pictures.html
I don't know what to say - I started and deleted several opening sentences. Yesterday was the 2nd anniversary of my father's death. Now, March 4th will have a double sting. March 5th isn't feeling too good right now.
Bye Al, and thanks for sharing.
"Information is not knowledge.
Knowledge is not wisdom.
Wisdom is not truth.
Truth is not beauty.
Beauty is not love.
Love is not music.
Music is THE BEST." FZ
...I had no idea he was ill.I met Al through AA some years ago and drove up to his house about an hour away to compare CD players.
A few months later we had he and his wife over for dinner and some music.
Great guy.
Sad to hear it.
My condolences to Carolyn and his family.
Edits: 03/05/11
It was clear that he was one classy guy. He loved to share what he knew and he did it freely, with respect for his fellow inmates.
He'll be missed here.
Condolences to his family.
Best regards,
Jim Smith
He taught the Planar Inmates a lot. He was always helpful and gracious. He was very knowledgeable. He was, in sum, a giant in the Magnepan Users Group.
I had hoped that someday I would meet him and thank him personally for his help over the years in perfecting my system and in helping me grow as an audiophile. Now that that won't be possible. So I thank you Al here in the archives of the Audio Asylum - You were a good man and a good audiophile. RIP
Illegitimus non carborundum.
I have been reading him on the assylum for over a decade and his insights and experiences on sources, amplification and tweaking planars have helped me understand what I want to get out of my system and how to get it accomplished.
One could never ask for a more helpful participant in this forum and hobby.
My condolences to his family in real life and the rest of his online brothers.
Oddly enough his "choke tweak" made the MUG archive on the day of his demise, despite the fact that many MUGgers had been using it for years.
I don't know if that means that the MUG is a particularly tough outfit, certain standards are encouraged I guess.
But Al always pushed us to do better. He was no "sleeping policeman" on RFI. He was a tireless advocate of better sound.
His legacy is always going to be remembered by the Planar folks, at least.
I actually checked the PA this morning to see if Al had commented yet. I checked back later and read the news of his sudden death. Gulp, I feel a little sick. I don't know what to say. Al will definitely be well remembered and some of his sage advice is now in the safeguard of the MUG.
There is a great disturbance in the force.
"Information is not knowledge.
Knowledge is not wisdom.
Wisdom is not truth.
Truth is not beauty.
Beauty is not love.
Love is not music.
Music is THE BEST." FZ
Probably just coincidence as you say.
But we are going to miss Al regardless.
Although I knew Al only as a poster in these forums, his "choke tweak" lives on on my Maggies, a rather weak way for me to say that his knowledge and willingness to educate others will long outlive him. I will miss him.
- Pete
This has been a tough week for this community with the passing of Allen and now Al. Al was a champion for clean power and helped many of us find more resolution and less noise. RIP Al
My thoughts exactly both will be missed.
My condolences to Al's family and friends.
Regards,
Todd
As soon as I read the OP heading I felt a bit of sadness.
I've read Al's posts here but never had the pleasure of direct contact. Still, I sensed a loss upon reading this news. My condolences to his family and all who he touched.
"Great googlie-mooglie . . . is that a real poncho or is that a Sears poncho?"
As said here, he was a most excellent contributor and teacher of his experiences. Rest in peace Sir.
Rest in peace Al,,you will be missed
One of the great contributors here - a very wise man who was always willing to help and who never belittled other members.
Regards,
Geoff
he was someone that contributed so much of his broad knowledge to AA AND seemed to be a such a very nice guy as well. He seemed to have a deep appreciation for a life well lived.
What a shock it must be for his wife. My deepest condolences to her and to you, his friend.
Such a loss...
" Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination." -Michael McClure
a
When I first read your subject line my first thought was no way!
It truly is a sad day.....
Al will be missed but he will live on in the archives of AA and many members for years to come will learn and benefit from what Al has posted here.
Jim
I did not know Al personally, but I always read his posts with interest, and always learned from them. He was a great contributor, and will be missed.
My condolences to his family.
Jack
I appreciated his input, expertise and willingness to push the envelope.
My condolences to his family.
Cogito Ergo Credo
We were just email acquaintances but I will miss him.
About seven years or so ago, when I owned 3.6s, I was praising the synergy between them and the Innersound ESL-300 amp. He was skeptical, naturally. I decided to challenge him and sent him one of my 300s for him to try on his 20s. He agreed with me, gave me some tweak ideas, sent the amp back to me, and bought one for himself. It drove his bass panels for quite a while before he discovered his beloved Gilmore mono-blocks
He seemed to be a very kind and patient man.
RIP, Al my friend.
"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok
It just amazes me how we become good friends on these internet forums having never met. I've read many of his posts over the years and I know that the sadness out there is very real.
My condolences.
Al has been so helpful to me in this forum. My system wouldn't sound nearly as good as it does without the help I've received from him. He was a kind and generous fellow. I hope he didn't pass due to an electrical accident of some sort.
Sincere condolences to his family, I have enjoyed and appreciated his posts.
He will be missed.
Douger
I never really communicated with Al, but learned much by reading his posts. My condolences to his family. Godspeed, Al.
Tweak In Peace Al, until such time...more time...
I've only been frequenting these forums for a few months now, and even I've had the opportunity to have been personally helped by Al. I've also learned so much from his many archived messages as I searched for information on this or that. His generous spirit was obvious, and much appreciated.
This is his wife Carolyn, and I am very moved by your comments. Al was a brilliant man, but very humble. He would go through the asylum every day, and loved helping you understand things and make suggestions. He never minded you asking him.
I will just say that his death was quick, he was free of pain, and he left his body and wasn't aware of what was happening the past few days. Having worked in end of life nursing, I can only tell you that he had a very good death, but all too soon.
He retired from the semiconductor industry about 11 years ago and he got to travel to such places as Antarctica, and he started reading his great books, which he collected when I first met him, and he got to enjoy his audio until the ear problem several years ago, which of course depressed him somewhat. But he still managed to go to the garage to his work bench and create these filters that are on most sockets in the house, and share tweaks with his friends, and share his great knowledge with all of you.
Thank you all for your kind words.
Post a Followup:
FAQ |
Post a Message! |
Forgot Password? |
|
||||||||||||||
|
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: