Music

Wireless power comes to guitar stomps

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The wirelessly-powered Eddie Kramer Series F-Pedals
Each F-Pedal will be shipped in a stylish, wine-bottle-style wooden box
The inner workings of an F-Pedal pre-production prototype
Working on an F-Pedal pre-production prototype
Shaping the sound of an F-Pedal stomp
The wirelessly-powered Eddie Kramer Series F-Pedals
Working on an F-Pedal pre-production prototype
The Eddie Kramer Series Edstortion F-Pedal offers three different types of distortion, selected by a mini-switch up top
The Eddie Kramer Series PhazeVibe F-Pedal is described as a unique-sounding combination of phaser, uni-vibe, wah and leslie all in one pedal
Working on an F-Pedal pre-production prototype
Francesco Sondelli and Eddie Kramer at NAMM 2013
Francesco Sondelli and Eddie Kramer demonstrate the F-Pedal wirelessly-powered stomps
Rob Chapman is introduced to the F-Pedal system at NAMM 2014
Francesco Sondelli and Eddie Kramer working on the F-Pedals
Eddie Kramer worked very closely with the design team
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In a similar way that wireless charging mats promise to liberate your smartphone from fiddly cables, the F-Pedals don't have 9 V batteries bulking out their frames or numerous power cables sprouting from the pedalboard. In fact, since the F-Board on which the effects pedals are placed to receive power includes its own rechargeable and replaceable battery pack, the two stomps currently being prepared for sale can also be used away from a wall socket for up to 20 hours.

Before investing in an expensive pedalboard power supply, I tried a succession of less-than-perfect cheap units that all added a little unwelcome something to my signal. According to the creative minds behind the F-Pedals, it's "common knowledge among guitarists that pedals sound better and more quiet when they are operated by batteries; however, it could be expensive and a hassle to replace batteries for each pedal every time they run out."

Digital multi-effects units like the G5 from Zoom or modeling amps such as the Yamaha THR10C offer pretty good alternatives, but for some there's nothing quite as good as a trusty analog stomp.

Francesco Sondelli and Eddie Kramer demonstrate the F-Pedal wirelessly-powered stomps

Los Angeles-based F-Pedals has developed a system that merges vintage analog goodness with modern wireless power transfer technology. The stomps don't have a battery compartment, but are placed on top of a battery-packing black box known as the F-Board that provides a steady flow of power via magnetic induction technology. The stomps and wireless power board can both be used with conventional power supplies, should you like the sound of an F-Pedal, for example, but just want to integrate it into your existing pedalboard setup.

The first of the company's Legend Series F-Pedals is set to kick off shortly with two units inspired by producer/engineer Eddie Kramer, who has helped shape the sounds of such artists as Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Carlos Santana, and has been enthusiastically promoting the innovative stomps at NAMM, this year and the last.

The Eddie Kramer Series Edstortion F-Pedal offers three different types of distortion, selected by a mini-switch up top

Each Eddie Kramer Series F-Pedal has about half the footprint of a BOSS stomp, at 3.6 x 2 x 1.5 in (9.2 x 5.2 x 3.8 cm), comes in screenprinted die-cast aluminum housing, and features a true bypass footswitch that completely removes its influence on the signal when not engaged. The Edstortion offers three different types of distortion, selected by a mini-switch up top, and the PhazeVibe is described as a unique-sounding combination of phaser, uni-vibe, wah and leslie all in one pedal.

The Eddie Kramer Series PhazeVibe F-Pedal is described as a unique-sounding combination of phaser, uni-vibe, wah and leslie all in one pedal

The company expects to release the Eddie Kramer F-Pedals in April. The Edstortion will cost US$189, and the PhazeVibe $199. Each stomp will be shipped in a stylish, wine-bottle-style wooden box. The F-Board release date will be announced shortly.

The video below shows company founder Francesco Sondelli introducing the Eddie Kramer F-Pedals.

Source: F-Pedals

View gallery - 14 images
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2 comments
Bassmandan
Now eliminate the cables with Bluetooth or some other such technology and go completely wireless. Also, adding a slight angle to the board, canting it towards the user, will help ergonomically.
Leon Van Rensburg
I'm not too well versed with this, but wouldn't it have to use AC? Thus you'll have the two coils of a transformer, one in the board and the other in the pedal. We go through great lengths separating the AC from the signal path and I'm wondering if this wouldn't introduce it right back into the mix?