F-Pedals : the world's 1st wirelessly powered pedals

[satria]

found this today as I was browsing Youtube for NAMM 2014 vids. I hope I'm not double posting :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3irSDGCnws

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0Mc5cVVfsI



whatcha think?

 

[fahrner]

Some sort of inductive coupling? Like holding the secondary of a transformer in your hand (inside the pedal)> Must be at RF frequencies so that it doesnt create a 50/60 cycle hum field?

 

[leftty]

Not sure they are the first, Bogner introduced something like this in 2013. They will be out summer of 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp1CKKK5dNE

 

[fahrner]

Just watched the second video...very interesting.
A432 vs A440...... wow.
The ability to retrofit existing pedals.....wow.
These guys have really thought this through. Well done.
As for addressing the issue of the wire maze on pedal boards, this takes care of one-third the problem..... you still have to interconnect with audio cable which I think is always the greater portion of the total wiring issue.
Will be interesting to see how this goes.

 

[mmolteratx]

Not sure they are the first, Bogner introduced something like this in 2013. They will be out summer of 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp1CKKK5dNE

Uh, those aren't wirelessly powered. They just have a transformer in them.

 

[Kierbear]

It might just be me but this company looks a little dodgy to me. Almost like its pulling a Freekish blues. I remember at '13 namm they had these pedals without the wireless charging and they were marketing them as made in the USA when they looked exactly like repainted mooers (or at least same design). Now they have changed it quite a bit.
Now this tuner they have designed looks like exactly like cheap $30 chinese tuner that already exists but with a different color paint job.
http://www.soundhound.co.nz/product/sound-hound-pedal-tuner/

 

[ondadl]

Nice velvety pouch, Francesco.

 

[roundaboutmusic]

It might just be me but this company looks a little dodgy to me. Almost like its pulling a Freekish blues. I remember at '13 namm they had these pedals without the wireless charing and they were marketing them as made in the USA when they looked exactly like repainted mooers (or at least same design). Now they have changed it quite a bit.
Now this tuner they have designs looks like exactly like cheap $30 chinese tuner that already exists but with a different color paint job.
http://www.soundhound.co.nz/product/sound-hound-pedal-tuner/

You sure they're the same guys?

 

[Kierbear]

You sure they're the same guys?

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/archive/index.php/t-1192398.html

Here's a thread about the previous designs at '13 Namm where there is discussion about how they initial advertised "Made in the USA" on their site and then suddenly removed that after people realised they seemed to be made by the same people who made the mooers. They have changed them now. However that tuner in the sonicstate interview at '14 Namm really looks like they have just slapped their name on a chinese import. http://www.soundhound.co.nz/product/sound-hound-pedal-tuner/

 

[satria]

It might just be me but this company looks a little dodgy to me. Almost like its pulling a Freekish blues. I remember at '13 namm they had these pedals without the wireless charging and they were marketing them as made in the USA when they looked exactly like repainted mooers (or at least same design). Now they have changed it quite a bit.
Now this tuner they have designed looks like exactly like cheap $30 chinese tuner that already exists but with a different color paint job.
http://www.soundhound.co.nz/product/sound-hound-pedal-tuner/

this is why I love TGP I hope the designer and/or Mr. Kramer could chime in to clarify

For me however, regarding the pedalboard, deal or no deal depends on :

- what kind of rechargeble battery is used to power the board, also about the price for the battery & the replacement.

- The ability to provide multiple voltages

 

[roundaboutmusic]

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/archive/index.php/t-1192398.html

Here's a thread about the previous designs at '13 Namm where there is discussion about how they initial advertised "Made in the USA" on their site and then suddenly removed that after people realised they seemed to be made by the same people who made the mooers. They have changed them now. However that tuner in the sonicstate interview at '14 Namm really looks like they have just slapped their name on a chinese import. http://www.soundhound.co.nz/product/sound-hound-pedal-tuner/

If the Chinese tuner works at 432hz then I'd agree, I guess we'll have to wait and see.

It's an intriguing concept (the wireless thing) and I don't know if Eddie Kramer would lend his name and appearance to just another knock off but who knows. I don't know of a Chinese pedal that has the three selectable types of clipping like they showed today, but I'm no aficionado.

My worry is that they're not true bypass (the signal stops when he llifted it off the pedalboard) and that they won't attach to pedalboard very well.

 

[Kierbear]

If the Chinese tuner works at 432hz then I'd agree, I guess we'll have to wait and see.

It's an intriguing concept (the wireless thing) and I don't know if Eddie Kramer would lend his name and appearance to just another knock off but who knows. I don't know of a Chinese pedal that has the three selectable types of clipping like they showed today, but I'm no aficionado.

My worry is that they're not true bypass (the signal stops when he llifted it off the pedalboard) and that they won't attach to pedalboard very well.

I really hope you're right. Nether the less I think the wireless power idea is great and has huge potential.
Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the reason why the signal stopped because the circuit was engaged. Even if it's true bypass, in order for audio to pass through when there is no powe, the circuit must be bypassed which would mean hitting the switch.

 

[roundaboutmusic]

I really hope you're right. Nether the less I think the wireless power idea is great and has huge potential.
Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the reason why the signal stopped because the circuit was engaged. Even if it's true bypass, in order for audio to pass through when there is no powe, the circuit must be bypassed which would mean hitting the switch.

Haha yes, you're right.

 

[analogmike]

I really hope you're right. Nether the less I think the wireless power idea is great and has huge potential.
Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the reason why the signal stopped because the circuit was engaged. Even if it's true bypass, in order for audio to pass through when there is no powe, the circuit must be bypassed which would mean hitting the switch.

When we use relays for switching or bypassing, if you power off, the pedal goes to true bypass. That way you don't lose signal due to power glitches etc,

 

[lefort_1]

Hm...getting back to the 'wireless power' thing.
Has anyone seen a technical description of how they are doing it?

They mention Tesla, and he had a couple methods, iirc.
But in today's world of FCC/Euro regs on radiating energy, they'd have to pick their frequency bands carefully. Going RF/microwave is out, tho they would be efficient. There are issues with lower frequencies (inductor size, etc) and spewing 60 Hz with a powerful transformer primary is generally not good form. And then there's inclusion of circuitry to rectify and filter the incoming power.

I'm just really really interested in how they claim to be doing it.
And how much energy they can supply (getting up to H9 levels may not be healthy).

Ever the (former/onetime) QA engineer, I'm always looking at the downside of a design, and this one has me intrigued....and the Eric Johnson in me wants to know if I can emulate a sagging battery by elevating my pedal on stack of vintage wooden nickels.

 

[Tiny Montgomery]

Unless you're running these pedals exclusively, it just seems like a gimmick, to me. Or, otherwise, buy individual adapters for any other kind of pedal, and be tied to using the proprietary pedal board. Seems like a lot of stuff to change when it's not that big of a deal to just plug in a power supply.

 

[lefort_1]

^ agreed.
It'll probably go the way of other proprietary pedal interfaces, like the Korg PME.
...and will probably do so faster if it is just ignored.

 

[Jimmy3Fingers]

I'd be more interested in a non-patch cabled pedalboard.

 

[GuitarToma]

I'm only guessing, but I imagine it's something like a wireless phone charging pad:

 

[lefort_1]

Ah.
I had not been aware of the PMA stuff before.

Not that it matters for musical applications, but I wonder how it works on ATM cards?
/snark-asm

...so, anyone want to venture a guess as to how well that'd work around a wah inductor?