Well, looks like the FCC has made a bunch of pedals illegal

[midwayfair]

The FCC recently lowered the acceptable frequency range of digital devices. Haven't heard about this? Don't worry, you're hardly alone. Even some of the biggest players out there haven't.

Effects Bay has a nice little write-up about a recent EHX dust-up:
http://www.effectsbay.com/2014/05/fc...ns-for-pedals/

The long and short of it is: anything with a digital clock that generates a frequency above 9,000Hz now must be tested for emissions. EHX got slammed with almost a half a million dollars in fines. Testing is expensive, and equipment to do so would cost thousands of dollars, putting it out of reach for I suspect, most small or even medium sized pedal builders. Shipping something used without a certificate could even potentially violate the FCC regulations, similar to trying to ship guitars internationally. I really hope that I'm being alarmist, but I'm going to have to check with my boss (work in a law office) to see if I'm misunderstanding anything.

What's this affect in your pedals, you ask?

Anything with a charge pump -- yup, all your Klones.

Anything that requires a clock chip to produce the effect -- analog octave down, bucket brigade delay/chorus/vibrato, etc.

PT2399 delays and other digital delays -- so far as I can tell, everything involved in making analog delay pedals, with one notable exception, is now in violation. That exception is tape delays. I'm sure we'll all be thrilled to go back to THAT technology.

Anything with tap tempo.

Every pedal you can think of based on the FV-1 -- this covers a LOT of reverb pedals.

All those reverbs based on the Belton brick -- this covers most of your other reverbs.

The list goes on. Why? Because digital audio circuits need to have clock frequencies well above at least 15KHz, preferably well above 20KHz, to get out of human hearing. So you're stuck either finding a testing method for your pedals (expensive) or lowering the clock frequencies into human hearing range (which would just be terrible).

More info here: http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=107145.msg972029

[jubal81]

That's pretty huge, especially if a company uses a uC for switching. I didn't see how much it costs to have a device tested.

[rullywowr]

This is most unfortunate, but not surprising.

The FCC is (and has been) lobbied heavily by those who purchased the 700 MHz spectrum (Verizon, AT&T, Qualcomm, etc) to protect their investment.  These companies paid billions of dollars to secure this valuable "real-estate" in the RF spectrum and bring 4G/LTE devices to smartphone users as well as broadband wireless internet.  It is a very valuable portion of the spectrum, because based on physics you can send a signal the farthest distance with the least amount of output power in the 600-700 MHz (UHF) range.   UHF also has superior wall penetration compared to other technologies like 2.4 GHz.

With the impending auction of the 600 MHz frequency range in an estimated 1-2 years, we can only expect these same companies to act even more aggressively to protect their investment as they look to grab new spectrum between 600-700 MHz.  They want to ensure nothing encroaches on their wireless devices and causes them (or their users) interference.  Now that they are heavily invested in the sub 1 GHz range, they are focused on ensuring their devices will not be encroached on.  Who can blame them after they spent an obscene amount of money...what is unfortunate is that because of the scope of the 700 MHz auction (and upcoming 600 MHz), the "little guys" (music industry electronics manufacturers as a whole) are left out in the cold.  I was once told that the entire music industry of product manufacturers is equal to something like 2% of the potato chip industry.  Money talks in Washington, and billions of dollars recently spent certainly speaks volumes.  Smartphones already have to go through a rigourous RF testing process, so it is really no problem for the phone manufacturers/network providers to have their devices be tested. 

In my experience, it is not so much the FCC who is going around and pointing the finger at those who violate the new laws in the aftermath of the spectrum realignment...but rather those same companies who paid dearly for it.  It is not uncommon for Verizon and AT&T to have little white vans with guys armed with spectrum analyzers & directional antennas who scour local churches on Sundays to see if they are still using 700 MHz wireless microphones...I have personally seen the cease and desist letters on numerous occasions.  The FCC will levy heavy fines if it is made clear and evident that someone continually is violating the rules (as seen with EHX fine). 

Those same guys in the white vans are more than happy to put any violator's information served on a silver platter for the FCC to do as they please.  With that being said, it is a little pedantic to make every pedal be tested just because it uses a charge pump or PT2399 delay.  A lot of these components are already tested before being sold by the manufacturer however the FCC is making it clear that once you use it in a new circuit that the circuit must be tested as a whole.  Will this stop the influx of millions of 3rd party Arduinos and electronics you see being sold on eBay?...I think not.  Time will only tell how this will affect the small/medium 'bootique' builders.  I suppose the more high profile your business, the more vulnerable you are (like EHX..I feel bad for them).

[mattlee0037]

 

[GermanCdn]

 

Granted, up here in the GWN, you know, where apparently rosewood, ebony, and mahogany are illegal, we're likely 15 years behind in our bannings (in true Canadian fashion, we make our wireless companies share, not compete), so we'll just start bootlegging 'em down to you if you lose the ability to source them domestically.

[jkokura]

The government auctioned off the 700mhz band this year too.

Jacob

[jkokura]

The government of Canada auctioned off the 700mhz band this year too. Rogers owns most of it Canada wide.

Jacob

[GermanCdn]

Well, in that case (cue up the 'Priest)

"Breaking the law, breaking the law...."

[RobA]

I've just started trying to look into this, but I can't find reference to any frequency limits on digital devices other than an upper exemption limit of 1.705MHz. I'm still looking and trying to understand though.

This page from Sparkfun seems helpful and relevant to our interests. https://www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/398

[rullywowr]

Granted, up here in the GWN, you know, where apparently rosewood, ebony, and mahogany are illegal, we're likely 15 years behind in our bannings (in true Canadian fashion, we make our wireless companies share, not compete), so we'll just start bootlegging 'em down to you if you lose the ability to source them domestically.

Just like Canadian whiskey of lore!   Haha

[ggarms]

Obamacare is clearly to blame

-pedalalexjones

[ggarms]

In all seriousness, this is an incredible bummer. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

[RobA]

It's already played out. The stuff with EHX was finished on April 22, 2013. It started back in 2010. If you search the FCC site, there are other cases with Fender, Mackie, and others that are from even earlier. It looks to me like they just weren't in compliance with either documentation or testing. I can't figure out which from the docs. But, the main thing is that it doesn't look to be anything new and it hasn't stopped any of these companies yet.

[timbo_93631]

All I have to say is:

[GrindCustoms]

It's already played out. The stuff with EHX was finished on April 22, 2013. It started back in 2010. If you search the FCC site, there are other cases with Fender, Mackie, and others that are from even earlier. It looks to me like they just weren't in compliance with either documentation or testing. I can't figure out which from the docs. But, the main thing is that it doesn't look to be anything new and it hasn't stopped any of these companies yet.

That why i don't understand why the manufacturer of the IC or whatever device have'nt stop their production or devellopement.... there's certainly something we are missing here.

I tried to go through all the text, but the technical writting make it like a russian dictionnary for me to read.....   and can't find any articles about it in french... i'm damned to ignorance.